Music Cities of America – Motown, Rock ‘n’ Roll & Chicago Blues

Make the trip across the Atlantic to the USA. You’ll be greeted on arrival by your tour manager before checking into your Chicago hotel and spending your first evening at leisure.  

Begin your holiday with an optional tour of the ‘Windy City’, home to the Chicago blues, where you’ll experience the bustling city streets that once hosted the likes of Muddy Waters, the ‘Father of the Chicago Blues’ and Willy Dixon. You’ll start at the renowned Macy’s, with a self-guided audio tour of this National Historic Landmark located on State Street where you’ll also find hundreds of shopping outlets.  

Next, discover the delights of the Magnificent Mile and get a bird's eye view of the city from the 360 Chicago Observation Deck at the John Hancock Centre.

The final highlight of the day is a cruise, allowing you to gaze up at the city’s tallest landmarks from the Chicago River. The terracotta-faced Wrigley Building and neo-gothic Tribune Tower mark the start of a cruise encompassing all three of the Chicago River’s branches. You’ll then travel beneath the DuSable Bridge, a moveable overpass, before passing by the Salt Shed, where Chicago’s music industry continues to thrive. Keep an eye out for the Art Deco Lyric Opera House as you round out your tour on the river’s southern banks.  

Alternatively, you can spend a day at leisure instead from the comfort of your hotel or amidst Chicago’s shopping areas, cafés, and green spaces. However you choose to spend your day, enjoy downtime this evening to enjoy the city’s nightlife.  

Set off along the infamous Route 66 today. Deeply ingrained in popular culture, this iconic road stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles and spans over 2,400 miles. Today’s journey through Illinois will take you to some of its most recognisable landmarks.

Starting at the 'Begin Route 66' sign on East Adams Street, you’ll travel along the Mother Road, towards Pontiac, Illinois - a town steeped in Americana. Experience the distinctly rural atmosphere of small-town America with visits to Pontiac's charming collection of cafés, diners, and stores. Spend time admiring the town’s 25 colourful murals, which showcase Pontiac’s economic, social, and political past, and the world’s largest Route 66 shield mural at the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, which houses an impressive collection of 1960s memorabilia.

The museum also features a Music of the Civil War exhibit, which charts the social origins of jazz and blues. A short walk down the street, you can also discover the cultural impact classic cars had on towns and cities across America with a visit to the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum.  

After a busy day’s exploration, you’ll travel back along Route 66 to Chicago. 

Leave Chicago this morning for a drive along the Lake Michigan waterfront to Detroit, the home of Motown.  

You’ll stop off in the city of St. Joseph. Set on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, this city has two historic lighthouses, which acted as important beacons for ships crossing the Great Lakes for almost 200 years. There will be time to take in the panoramic views over the water and have lunch on your account.  

Your second stop of the day will be vibrant Ann Arbor, famous for its cultural sites and research institutions. For those interested in American history, the city’s University of Michigan campus offers a range of buildings, from the Museum of Natural History to the ornate Law Quadrant. You can also explore its walkable downtown and wander around Gallup Park on the Huron River.  

Finally, continue to Detroit, where you’ll check into your hotel. 

This morning you’ll take on Detroit, the birthplace of Motown. Feel the soulful rhythm of the city this morning as you discover its rich history with an orientation of its downtown and lakefront areas. Starting on the banks of Lake St. Clair, drive through Hart Plaza, a public square that hosts the district’s annual ‘Jazz Fest’, and the Fox Theatre, known for hosting famous Motown musicians. After a short drive north, you’ll come upon Cadillac Place, formerly the General Motors Building, which once housed one of America’s most prolific car manufacturers.  

You’ll then immerse yourself in the world of Motown music, with a visit to the world-renowned Hitsville U.S.A. which propelled musical legends, from Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, to Marvin Gaye, to stardom. This building, previously the record label’s original headquarters, now houses the Motown Museum, which celebrates the ‘Sound of Young America’ which rose to worldwide fame in the 1960s. You’ll be guided by a local who will reveal the stories behind the wide collection of artefacts, memorabilia, and original sheet music, and see Studio One, where some of the greatest jazz and blues performers of all time recorded.  

Nicknamed ‘Motor City’ largely due to the work of Henry Ford, Detroit was once considered the automobile capital of the world. A visit to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the largest indoor-outdoor museum complex, showcases the technological feats of America through the century. Named for its founder, the property now preserves culturally significant items and memorabilia. Highlights include the presidential limousine of John F. Kennedy, the Rosa Parks bus, and Thomas Edison’s laboratory.  

This morning, your musical pilgrimage will take you to the rock ‘n’ roll capital of the world, Cleveland.  

On arrival, you’ll head over to Cleveland’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, set in an impressive glass pyramid and offering an insight into the development of one of the world’s most celebrated genres throughout the ages. You can start by discovering the trailblazers that propelled rock to popularity, like Robert Johnson, the world’s first rockstar.  

You can then catch a live performance on the Klipsch Stage before continuing to The Garage, which emulates a rock studio and the Hall of Fame where rockstars, from Bob Dylan and AC-DC to Johnny Cash and The Beatles, are displayed in an immersive gallery. The museum also pays ode to one of the best rock albums of all time, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and the ‘Legends of Rock’ exhibit celebrates the genre’s far-reaching impact on wider modern culture.  

Head back to the hotel this evening.  

You’ll board the coach this morning and drive to beautiful Alexandria with its welcoming, old-world downtown on the banks of the Potomac River and to check into your hotel.

Take breakfast early this morning and cross the Potomac into Washington DC where you’ll have time to explore the city at your leisure. Alternatively, for a closer view of the American capital, you can join an optional morning tour of some of Capitol Hill’s most iconic sights.

Take in the domed Capitol building, one of the central pillars of American politics, which houses the nation’s Senate and House of Representatives. Here, you’ll also find the Library of Congress and the US’ Supreme Court Building. Stops at a collection of poignant memorials follow, dedicated to some of the most influential events and figures in North America’s history, with calls at the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. You can also catch a glimpse of the country’s famous White House, the official residence of the US’ president, from the pristine lawns of the National Mall.

This afternoon, you’ll be free to find lunch and enjoy the city at your own leisure, perhaps paying a visit to some of Washington DC’s world-class museums and galleries. From the Smithsonian Institution, a research complex which houses ten different museums, to the National Portrait Gallery and Constitution Gardens, there’ll be plenty of captivating attractions to discover in the US’ capital.

Enjoy picturesque Alexandria under your own steam. Why not watch the world go by from the Potomac waterfront or delve into the rich history of the city’s historic downtown areas?

If you’d prefer, you can also opt to join a tour to Mount Vernon - the former residence and plantation of the USA’s first president, George Washington – with guided tours of the mansion and grounds.

Built and expanded throughout the 18th century, the Mount Vernon Mansion has presided over the United States’ entire history, from its secession from the British Empire to the modern day and is rife with stories just waiting to be discovered. You’ll get a glimpse into the triumphs of one of the country’s most celebrated leaders, and the lives of the slaves that helped shape the estate throughout the centuries, with a guided tour of the mansion itself. You’ll then have the chance to learn about the estate’s agricultural history with a guided tour of the grounds, complete with five farms and tobacco plantations, ahead of stops at the estate’s working gristmill and whiskey distilleries. Finally, round out your tour with a visit to the Washington family tombs, the final resting place of America’s first president.

Later this evening, you’ll return to the airport for your overnight flight home.

You’ve reached the swansong of your time in the USA and Canada, landing back home with musical memories to last a lifetime.