So, my 6th Just You trip in as many years. How did this one compare? Yes, it's time for another one of my giant-sized reviews!
Well I got to Manchester Airport in plenty of time but found no JY reps in evidence, which might have been off-putting had I been a first-time traveller, but once I checked into the executive lounge at the airport I found many of my fellow travellers there. A private airport lounge really is an ideal place to get to know the group.
Then a long flight from Manchester to Chicago. There were no individual screens for passengers on the aircraft so I was glad that I'd brought my tablet along with me. We were well fed though and our flight arrived an hour head of schedule (the wind must have been blowing in the right direction!). Minor delay when one lady's case went AWOL, which she luckily got back the following morning. Our Tour Leader Chris Pinch was in Arrivals to meet us us, having only just made it back to the airport after dropping the Heathrow half of our 32-sized group off at our hotel (the flight from Heathrow having been earlier than ours). I wonder how we'd have all got on if Chris hadn't made it back in time? Anyway, luckily for us he did so we were bundled onto the coach and enjoyed a ride of half an hour or so into downtown Chicago and to our hotel, The Inn At Chicago.
The hotel was ideally placed, right in the centre of things so restaurants and bars, plus attractions such as Navy Pier or Millennium Park were all in easy reach. No room safe but using a safety deposit box on the site was a straightforward exercise. WiFi was available for free in the lobby. Our group had its own private breakfast room whilst we were there.
Chicago was a lovely city boasting an impressive array of skyscrapers and , yes, beaches too. It was busy of course but clean and had a more relaxed feel than, say New York. I felt very safe walking around on my own. I didn't go on the optional boat trip but those who did seemed to enjoy it. The Cloud Gate, a reflective sculpture in Millennium Park, is an amusing attraction which draws the crowds, I also visited the Money Museum in the Federal Reserve Bank which is free to enter (but you need ID with you) and where you can have your picture taken with one million dollars or take home a free bag of $300 – in shredded dollar bills! Another place I checked out was the huge and impressive Museum of Science And Industry which is a 15min ride south on the Metra Train where there are all sorts of exhibits and interactive displays relating to weather, farming, transport, and the like.
One morning we had breakfast on the 94th floor of the 360 Chicago Building (formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory) which boasts the most incredible views of Chicago, especially on a clear day such as we had. And we also had a 4-hour tour of Chicago courtesy of local guide “Wayne” who gave us a hugely entertaining and informative talk as we took in sights such as Chinatown, the former homes of President Obama and Muhammad Ali plus the spot where the St Valentines Day Massacre took place. And we were also taken one evening to a pizza restaurant followed by a visit to one of the top Blues clubs, Buddy Guy's Legends (not Kingston Mines as described, which didn't really matter as we had a good night).
After 3 nights in Chicago it was time to move on so at 8am the next morning we began a long drive south to Springfield, Illinois which we reached around 1pm. On the way we had a couple of stops at some nice places on Route 66 which I won't say much about as they're best left as a surprise.
Springfield is a lovely quiet city where Abraham Lincoln lived, and the great man's presence is everywhere. Our visit took in his former home (remarkably well preserved), his tomb where he now rests, and the large museum which tells his life story. If you're into history then this will all be of great interest but if not, then you might find the four hours spent in Springfield a little irksome as there's not much else to see or do there.
We stopped for an evening meal en route to St Louis, Missouri which meant that the City Center Hotel had our rooms ready for us as soon as we arrived. And what huge rooms they were! Possibly the biggest I've ever had. There was a good selection of eats available at breakfast, but I gather one or two of the group encountered some rudeness from the hotel staff which isn't nice and certainly not the norm in America.
We had a half-day tour of St Louis on our first morning there with local guide 'Rick'. Nice chap but as a guide he was about as much use as an inflatable dartboard. He made little attempt to point out things of interest as we drove around, often sitting there silently for extended periods despite prompting from our Tour Leader Chris, and even when he did speak he failed to convey any passion or interest in his own city. Going up inside the famous Gateway Arch was great to do, although it'll set you back $13 and there's quite a bit of queuing to do it. Brilliant views from the top, though. We were then taken to the local farmers' market in Soulard for an extended lunch break, which was a dead loss as all that was there were a few ordinary fresh fruit & veg stalls. I've seen far more of interest in Birkenhead Market! But we managed to find a decent pub nearby who were able to cope with our large numbers and where we were able to have a nice meal and a drink in the sun. Then it was on to the Budweiser Brewery Tour which was okay, nothing too exciting but it passed an hour or two.
We had a free evening so some of the group went to watch the local baseball game (and came back with free gnomes – don't ask!) whilst the rest of us went to a Blues Bar for food, drink and live music. When I was reading up on St Louis before the trip I formed the opinion that there's not an awful lot of interest there besides the Arch and having visited the place, that opinion hasn't changed at all. But it's on the route and you have to stop somewhere, luckily we only really had one full day here.
The following day gave us another long drive down to Memphis, Tennessee, setting off on our coach at 9:30am with a half-hour stop at the Walmart in Sikeston and then a scenic lunch stop at a place called New Madrid overlooking the Mississippi at 1pm.
On arriving at Memphis around 3:30pm we went first to the Visitor Center and then to the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968 and now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. After that we spent an hour at Sun Studios, being taken round by a very enthusiastic young guide named Clara and culminating in the opportunity to pose with the original microphone used by Elvis and others in the studio's heyday.
We then checked into the hotel and after that had a free evening to explore. Where else to go but to the famous Beale Street? And what an experience that was, crowds of people enjoying themselves such as I've never experienced but it all seemed to be good natured.
The following day was quite a full schedule, and being a Sunday it started with a trip to a local church for a gospel service. It would be easy for the cynical to mock this style of ceremony and of course it's completely different to anything we're used to here in the UK, but I was touched by the truly warm welcome we received from the congregation and there was an incredible outpouring of goodwill and emotion during the 1hr 45mins we were there.
A complete contrast came next with a 4hr visit to the famous Graceland, home of Elvis Presley. Big Elvis fans will love this, of course. I'm no Elvis fan myself, but it was still a memorable afternoon nosing around his lavish home and his massive collection of cars, outfits and gold discs. The gift shops are tacky but the house itself isn't.
That evening my friends and I went back to Beale Street where we had a meal in the famous BB King's, listening to live music from Preston Shannon.
A 7:30am departure the following day heralded another lengthy drive (with stops) down to Louisiana where we arrived at the Oak Alley Plantation around 2:30pm. The temperatures had been rising throughout this trip and by now it was pretty hot so our complimentary Mint Julep drink was most welcome and refreshing!
The plantation grounds and main house were lovely, but the whole experience was somewhat poignant when you consider the history behind the place. We were there till about 5pm, then we continued on to New Orleans where we checked into our hotel about 90mins later and stayed for 3 nights.
New Orleans is difficult to describe. It's not the cleanest of places, perhaps not surprising as it is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but its French Quarter is full of character, primarily sourced from three completely different strands – old time jazz, the colourful Mardi Gras costumes, and of course all the creepy Voodoo stuff! There are scenic areas to be found as we discovered on our guided tour with local lady Patricia which took in the beautiful City Park and the posh stretch of St Charles Avenue where all the rich people in the area live. But live music is to be found everywhere and with it plenty of people out for a good time. It looks a bit seedy, but I was out till late two nights there and never encountered any trouble – just stick to the main streets and you should be okay.
One evening we had our included jazz cruise along the Mississippi on an old paddle steamer which was a nice way to while away a couple of hours. It was a buffet meal and the food was only so-so, but didn't detract too much from the overall experience.
And one morning I went on the optional 'Bayou Swamp Tour'. I notice that this is currently described on the JY website as a full day 'airboat tour'. Well it isn't, it's only half a day and the vessel you're on is considerably larger (and safer) than an airboat. I found this great fun, seeing alligators aplenty as well as other species of wildlife, all accompanied by a fascinating commentary from our boat's captain. He was leaning out to feed some of the passing alligators by hand and remarkably he still has both arms intact! The 90min swamp tour was followed by an hour-long visit to the nearby Destrehan Plantation which is also part of the optional excursion.
So, plenty of variety on this trip with something for everyone. Especially good if you like live music, or Elvis, but also lots of opportunity for shopping, sightseeing or just sampling fine American cuisine. Pretty much everything ran smoothly in spite of some unfortunate mishaps along the way such as one of group being taken ill, so top marks to Chris Pinch for keeping things to schedule. The overall balance of the trip was good with a decent amount of free time and no horrendously early starts. For the most part, Americans are the most wonderful, friendly and polite hosts and I think by the end of the trip some of us were beginning to speak like them – we had such a good time, y'all!
Happy to try and answer any questions about this trip.
