Lonely Planet - Best South Trips. Chapter from USAs Best Trips, including New Orleans

BEST TRIPS OF THE USA SOUTH

No other region of the United States conjures as many preconceived notions as does the South, but we have a few surprises up our sleeve.

Well take you past ancient Native American burial sites as old as the Caesars on the Natchez Trace drive, and introduce you to a self-proclaimed hard-core Civil War reenactor whos also a Zen-minded historical preservationist. Well take you through a tour of the Souths musical roots, antebellum mansions, bluegrass and horse trails, Civil War history, natural beauty and urban hot spots.

Youll go down to the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi, birthplace of the blues; out to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where Southern hospitality meets university culture; and up to Lexington, Kentucky, for a mint julep and a day at the races. And we will, of course, spend plenty of time in New Orleans.

And you will eat. Barbecue (the noun, not the verb), poboys, locavore Asian-Southern fusion and all the fried food one could ever want, served in plantations, catfish hotels, former train depots and pink mansions.

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If its American-born and you can hum to it, chances are its roots are in the South from ragtime to rock and roll, jazz to country, and the blues to bluegrass. And if you want an education about new music tune into New Orleans musician-supported WWOZ at 90.7FM (or streamed live from www.wwoz.org).

Hound Dog, Elvis Presley

Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles

Cross Road Blues, Robert Johnson

Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton

Coal Miners Daughter, Loretta Lynn

Rocky Top, The Osborne Brothers

Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash

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TRIP 1

WHY GO Few destinations have as many sensational ways to kill time as the Crescent City. Its history runs deep, the colonial architecture is exquisite, theres mouthwatering Cajun and Creole food, historic dive bars, a gorgeous countryside, and lashings of great free live music.

The Vieux Carre, or French Quarter, is a good place to start your trip. At first it was just a tiny settlement on the river, surrounded by swamps and plantations. After the Louisiana Purchase prompted an influx of Anglo Americans, the French Quarter remained the heart of the Creole city, while white Americans settled Uptown. By the early 20th century the Quarter was a run-down working-class neighborhood and home to 12,000 people. But a 1930s preservation movement polished the old town houses and saved it from demolition. About 5000 people live here today.

Navigation remains a snap even though the grid was laid out in 1722. The narrow streets are lined with 19th-century Creole town houses and Victorian-era shotgun houses. Youll see wooden shutters, ornate cast-iron balconies and courtyards as you explore an endless lineup of appealing restaurants, bars, shops and galleries.

Begin your Nawlins adventure with a tipple at Lafittes Blacksmith Shop, set in one of the few 18th-century cottages to survive the French Quarter fires during the Spanish era. This candlelit hole-in-the-wall is purported to have been smuggler Jean Laffites workshop and French Quarter hideout. In the 20th century it became the favored watering hole of Tennessee Williams. Dine at Felixs Restaurant & Oyster Bar. Its been serving fresh-shucked oysters and boiled crawfish (in season) for 55 years. Or head to Coops, a Decatur St bar serving fantastic Cajun and Creole dishes. The fried chicken is particularly good.

Take 30 minutes and experience the cheesy go-go bars and mid-grade meat market scene that have colonized Bourbon St, one of the oldest streets in town. Then quickly seek some cleansing night music. Preservation Hall is the place to hear authentic New Orleans jazz played by local masters. The hall is cramped and sweaty, plus theres no bathroom, booze or snacks, so youll likely just take in one of the three 50-minute nightly sets. But when the seven-piece band blows, the roof rocks and the crowd goes wild. One Eyed Jacks offers a hip, local scene attracting bands that vary from punk to gypsy jazz. The front bar room is swanky, but the main theater is absolutely stunning with early-20th-century chandeliers, an oval bar and tables topped with miniature lamps. Its the perfect setting for the venues burlesque shows.

Bed down at the traditional Andrew Jackson Hotel, set on the same property of the former courthouse where the beloved general and future president, who saved the city from British invaders during the War of 1812, was famously held in contempt of court in 1815. Youll love the 18th-century courtyard, furnishings and gas lamp courtyard. Ask for one of the front 2nd-floor rooms with access to the veranda. Its next to the Cornstalk Hotel, so youll hear horses trot by on occasion, which just adds to the charm.

In the morning swing by Croissant DOr for a breakfast of exquisite fresh-baked pastries. This is another locals joint hidden in plain sight and the perfect place to recalibrate after a long New Orleans evening. Then stroll over to Jackson Square, where youll see a garden surrounding a monument to Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, and the seventh president of the USA. But the real stars are the magnificent St Louis Cathedral and