Best Values 2008

Day 1 I'm not the churchgoing type, but after a Saturday night of booze and blues in the bars of Memphis's Beale Street, getting saved seems like the only proper Sunday-morning activity. And seeing as how my dad and I are in the Bible Belt, the place to do it is a church with a good gospel choir. My dad, Frank, is a lifelong music lover who grew up in the Deep South. Our goal on this trip is to delve into the region's rich musical traditions--particularly its role in the birth of the blues--and leave enough time for some Civil War history and home-style Southern cooking. After a quick stop at Graceland, we slide into a pew at theFull Gospel Tabernacle, where legendary crooner Al Green has been a pastor since the 1970s. About 50 parishioners sit in front of us, the women dressed in their Sunday best and matching hats. One woman has a tambourine in her purse, and we soon learn why: The three-hour service includes preaching, singing, and dancing. "If you feel the need to kick off your shoes and cut a rug, you go on ahead and dance!" Green cries, as the crowd rises to jitterbug with the Holy Spirit. Thoroughly exhausted, Dad and I then head south on Route 51 into the Mississippi Delta, a vast alluvial floodplain of seemingly endless cotton fields and sun-baked towns. We're going to the Delta's spiritual and musical heart--Clarksdale, Miss. Clarksdale lies at the intersection of routes 49 and 61, where, many blues fans believe, the iconic 1930s performer Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to become a guitar god. The tale's origin is murky, as is the site of the crossroads itself--nobody can agree just where it's located. I later learn that this intersection can't possibly be the spot because Route 49 didn't extend this far north until three decades after Johnson suffered the ultimate bluesman's death (a jealous husband apparently poisoned his whiskey). We gobble down some messy pork sandwiches atAbe's BBQ, an institution since 1924, before moving on. Every trip needs a quest, and the search for the crossroads seems perfect. In Clarksdale's smallDelta Blues Museum, where Muddy Waters's reassembled shack is on display, there's a map of the Delta marked with four crossroads candidates. Later, atCat Head, a store devoted to blues music and folk art, I pick up theDelta Blues Map Kit, a guidebook written by blues producer Jim O'Neal. It lists 11 potential crossroads. That night, we drive four miles south of the Clarksdale crossroads to the historic Hopson Plantation and itsShack Up Inn, a collection of cypress-and-tin sharecroppers' shacks (updated with electricity, running water, air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi), where we luck into a late cancellation. Our shack, appropriately enough, is named Crossroads. The man at the front desk asks if we've come for the concert atGround Zero Blues Club, a barn-like juke joint in a century-old building. The club, co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman, usually has live acts Wednesdays through Saturdays, but this is a special Sunday: Jazz singer Mose Allison is in town. On the ride over, my father recounts how he used to buy Allison records for a dime back in grad school. The joint is hoppin', the beer is $2.50, and the music is terrific. Lodging Shack Up Inn1 Commissary Cir., Clarksdale, Miss., 662/624-8329, shackupinn.com, $60 Food Abe's BBQ 616 State St., Clarksdale, Miss., 662/624-9947, abesbbq.com, sandwich $3.25 Activities Full Gospel Tabernacle787 Hale Rd., Memphis, 901/396-9192, Sundays 11:30 a.m. Delta Blues Museum 1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, Miss., 662/627-6820, deltabluesmuseum.org, $7 Shopping Cat Head 252 Delta Ave., Clarksdale, Miss., 662/624-5992, cathead.biz Nightlife Ground Zero Zero Blues Alley, Clarksdale, Miss., 662/621-9009, groundzerobluesclub.com, cover varies Day 2 We take a slight detour on our way to Vicksburg, Miss., driving into Helena, Ark., to sit in on a broadcast ofKing Biscuit Time, which claims to be the world's longest-running daily blues radio show. The show went on the air in 1941, initially featuring live music by blues-harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson II. Boogie-woogie piano pioneer Pinetop Perkins (a mentor to Clarksdale native Ike Turner) and guitarist Robert Junior Lockwood frequently accompanied him. It was only 15 minutes long and started just after most sharecroppers came out of the fields for lunch. "Sunshine" Sonny Payne has been the host since 1951, opening each show with the same catchphrase--"Pass the biscuits, 'cause it's King Biscuit Time!"--in honor of the first sponsor, King Biscuit Flour. In a studio at theDelta Cultural Center, we sit several feet from Payne, 82, as he spins records on the 15,243rd broadcast. From Helena, we head back to Mississippi and turn south on Highway 1, the Great River Road. Driving past old plantations, we can smell the crop burns even before we see smoke rising over the cotton fields. East of Beulah, Miss., I follow my guidebook's directions down back roads to the dirt and asphalt intersection of Frazier and Walton roads, a more likely candidate for the Robert Johnson crossroads than the one from yesterday. Crop dusters buzz low overhead as I climb a gate to photograph the spot. We cross the Mississippi River again to drive a section of the levee north of Arkansas's Lake Chicot State Park. It's one of the world's longest levees (640 miles), rebuilt after the 1927 flood immortalized in early blues songs and re-created in the filmO Brother, Where Art Thou?The road is one of the scenic highlights of our trip. Cattle and horses graze on the levee's grassy slopes, while closer to the river, the landscape flattens and turns to swamp--the water flecked white with egrets. On the other side, cotton fields stretch to the horizon. Lodging Cedar Grove Mansion Inn & Restaurant 2200 Oak St., Vicksburg, Miss., 800/862-1300, cedargroveinn.com, from $100 Activities Delta Cultural Center 141 Cherry St., Helena, Ark., 800/358-0972, deltaculturalcenter.com, free Day 3 Built atop a 300-foot-high bluff, Vicksburg occupies perhaps the most strategic location on the Mississippi River. In 1862, at the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln ordered Ulysses S. Grant to seize Vicksburg from the Confederacy. After nine months of fighting and a 47-day siege, Confederate forces surrendered the city on July 4, 1863. Vicksburg's role as a turning point in the war makes theOld Court House Museumfar more interesting than I expected. My favorite exhibit is a .58-caliber lead bullet that was said to have impregnated a woman when it passed through her womb. The soldier who fired the shot reputedly did the honorable thing and proposed. It's hard to escape the echoes of the Civil War in Vicksburg. The gorgeous 1840Cedar Grove Mansion Inn, where we spent the night, is proud of the apple-size Union cannonball still embedded in a parlor wall. The shelves in theCorner Drug Store, more homespun museum than pharmacy, are stocked with an armory's worth of cannonballs, shells, and bullets, along with 19th-century quack-medicine bottles, glazed moonshine jugs, and a still with a cardboard sign outlining a recipe for whiskey. We have just enough time before lunch to make a quick circuit ofVicksburg National Military Park, home to the largest Civil War cemetery in the country--more than 17,000 white markers are laid out across rolling grasslands. Also at the park is the U.S.S.Cairo, the country's only surviving Civil War river gunboat, sunk off Vicksburg by a Confederate "torpedo" (an early version of a sea mine) and preserved in the river mud. In 1964, its timber skeleton, armor plating, cannons, and engines were raised and then reassembled. AtWalnut Hills, an 1880 home that's been converted into a restaurant, Dad and I share a big round table with a family from Dallas. The massive lazy Susan is laden with platters of fried chicken, okra, lima beans, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, biscuits, and corn bread. We swap travel stories until it's time for the bill: a bargain at $15 apiece. From Vicksburg we pick up theNatchez Trace Parkway, which follows what was once an ancient Indian trail through the dense Delta forests. Along the way, we stop to walk the Sunken Trace, a rutted section of the original trail cocooned in trees, and to climb Emerald Mound, the country's second-largest ceremonial Indian mound. Food Walnut Hills 1214 Adams St., Vicksburg, Miss., 601/638-4910, walnuthillsms.net, lunch $15 Activities Old Court House Museum 1008 Cherry St., Vicksburg, Miss., 601/636-0741, oldcourthouse.org, $5 Corner Drug Store 1123 Washington St., Vicksburg, Miss., 601/636-2756, vicksburgcornerdrug.com, free Vicksburg National Military Park 3201 Clay St., Vicksburg, Miss., 601/636-0583, nps.gov/vick, $8 Natchez Trace Parkway 800/305-7417, nps.gov/natr, free Day 4 I knew thatBayou Cabins in Breaux Bridge, La., would be a perfect place to spend the night when I called for a reservation and couldn't understand a word the owner said. Rocky Sonnier speaks with a swamp-thick Cajun accent, punctuating each sentence with a deep chuckle. When he finally passed the phone to his wife, Lisa, I managed to book a cabin overlooking Bayou Teche. After a breakfast of cracklin' (fried pork rinds), boudin (sausage), eggs, and hoghead cheese (a terrine made from pig-skull scrapings), we drive to Lake Martin to meet Walter "Butch" Guchereau ofCajun Country Swamp Tours. We spend two hours in a crawfish skiff, maneuvering through mazes of water hyacinths and cypress trees, their branches dripping with gray-green tangles of Spanish moss. I've never seen so many species of birds: great blue herons, purple gallinules, Mississippi kites, white ibis, and a peregrine falcon. I know I should be more excited by the alligators sitting on logs, but for me the birds are the highlight. Breaux Bridge claims to be the crawfish capital of the world, so after the swamp tour, we go toCaféDes Amisfor lunch. Zydeco musicians play during Saturday breakfasts, which would have been a fitting end to our musical journey. Since it's a Wednesday, I have to settle for a crawfish-stuffed chicken breast topped with étouffée. All in all, not a terrible trade-off. Lodging Bayou Cabins 100 W. Mills Ave., Breaux Bridge, La., 337/332-6158, bayoucabins.com, from $60 Food CaféDes Amis 140 E. Bridge St., Breaux Bridge, La., 337/332-5273, cafedesamis.com, chicken $15 Activities Cajun Country Swamp Tours 1226 N. Berard St., Breaux Bridge, La., 337/319-0010, cajuncountryswamptours.com, $20, kids $10 Finding Your Way Route 61 from Memphis to Baton Rouge is the main highway through the Delta. More scenic drives include the Great River Road (Route 1) from Helena to north of Vicksburg, and the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Rock Climber Catherine and Brittani drove along Northern Ireland's North Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway, a cluster of rock columns formed by a volcano. "It was a long drive, but seeing the glow of the rocks at dusk was worth it," Catherine says. Get Jiggy With It The only time the women saw Irish musicians was in a bar full of tourists. "The four or five Irish people taught the rest of us how to do a few traditional Irish dances," says Brittani. One Step at a Time For Catherine, one of the best things about the trip was watching her niece negotiate the world as an adult. "I love this picture because it shows Brittani conquering her fear of heights," Catherine says. "I think travel taught her that she can do anything if she really wants to." Recasting Stones It's not unusual to come across unmarked ruins throughout the countryside. "Sometimes there'd be an old stone wall with a new house built off it," Brittani says. Worth the Wait To get to this B&B, the women drove past the sign twice, got on the wrong road, and then gave up and asked a cabbie to lead the way. Seeing Green Brittani was amazed at how verdant Ireland is. "I always thought it was just a cliché, but it's true!" Ride of a Lifetime The Black Taxi Tour, which included a stop at a peace wall, was the most poignant part of the women's trip. "It really helped us understand all the emotions behind the conflicts," says Catherine.

Interested in getting coached? E-mail us your questions--seriously, the more the better--to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. Want advice? Log on for our weekly Online Trip Coach chats, Tuesdays at noon (ET), and let our experts answer your questions. Click here to submit questions and browse our archived chat transcripts. Dear Trip Coach... When I told my niece Brittani that I'd take her anywhere for her 21st birthday, she chose Ireland. She's a big reader, so we'll definitely be checking out James Joyce's Dublin and Frank McCourt's Limerick. I'd also like to allow some time for unplanned adventures and mingling with locals. Catherine Credeur, Shreveport, La. ASK AWAY "There's so much to see: Limerick, Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Blarney Castle, Galway's Gaeltacht [Irish-speaking region], and County Kerry. Can you help us prioritize?" Covering all this in a week would zap any chance of downtime. Cork is cool, but since you're going to the bigger cities of Dublin and Belfast, save it for another trip. That means missing Blarney Castle, but you'll be able to see other castles (with fewer crowds). Visiting the Gaeltacht and Kerry could feel redundant. Do the Gaeltacht this time, Kerry another. "We'll be renting a car for the trip. How can we figure out driving times?" AA Ireland is a valuable resource for planning a road trip (aaireland.ie). "Will we have trouble booking our lodgings while we're in Ireland?" Finding last-minute accommodations is only really tricky during summer. If you want to stay in B&Bs--which are definitely the way to go in Ireland--you should consider the voucher system from Dooley Vacations. You buy vouchers for however many nights you need, the company sends you a guide with listings for more than 1,500 B&Bs, and you book directly with the owners (877/331-9301, dooleyvacations.com, vouchers from $100 per night). "Of all the James Joyce-related activities in Dublin, which are the most worthwhile?" There are two attractions every Joyce fan should visit. The James Joyce Centre, a few steps from where he went to school north of the city center, has exhibitions, a library, and lectures (35 N. Great George's St., 011-353/1-878-8547, jamesjoyce.ie, $7.25). For atmosphere, however, you can't beat The James Joyce Museum in Sandycove, eight miles southeast of Dublin. The museum is in a 19th-century tower that serves as the setting for the opening chapter of Ulysses (011-353/1-280-9265, for directions search for "joyce museum" at visitdublin.com, $10.50). To get a feel for Joyce's Dublin, take one of the walking tours led by The James Joyce Centre ($14.50), or pick up The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce's Dublin by Robert Nicholson. It's a fun little book that re-creates some of the walks that Joyce's characters took around the city. "Brittani is intrigued by the Limerick that Frank McCourt described in Angela's Ashes, but I've heard the city doesn't offer much for tourists." Although Limerick has improved a great deal since McCourt's self-described "miserable childhood," it's still one of Ireland's poorest and most blighted cities and doesn't hold much appeal for the average visitor. McCourt fans, however, will enjoy the Angela's Ashes Walking Tour (St. Mary's Action Centre, 44 Nicholas St., 011-353/6-131-8106, $14.50). "I'd love to see the Blasket Islands. Are they accessible year-round?" The nearly uninhabited Blasket Islands are one of Ireland's most striking sights, but ferries only run April to October and even then can be canceled if the waters are rough. You'd probably be better off going to the Irish-speaking Aran Islands, or Oileáin Árainn. Located off Galway, they're a great option in the off-season. Inis Mór is the most populated and most commercialized island, but it has one of the more spectacular prehistoric forts in Europe--Dún Aengus, on the edge of a 300-foot-tall cliff. The other two islands, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr, have fewer than 350 people each and give a more authentic sense of island life. Both can easily be covered on foot in a few hours. The views (of the Connemara coast, the Burren, and the Cliffs of Moher) are among the best in Europe. Irish is the main language, but most locals are fluent in English. "Where will Brittani and I find the best opportunities to mingle with the locals?" Cliché or not, the pub is still the center of Irish social life. The most authentic pubs have no music unless it's live and a fantastic pint of Guinness that takes the bartender at least two minutes to pour. You'll have no problem finding pubs full of Irish characters as you travel throughout the country's smaller towns. In Dublin, Grogan's (15 S. William St., 011-353/1-677-9320) and The Stag's Head (1 Dame Ct., 011-353/1-679-3687) are classics. The Temple Bar Pub, in the heart of Dublin's Temple Bar quarter, is touristy but consistently lively (47/48 Temple Bar, 011-353/1-672-5286). "We're from the South, where religion is one of the first things you talk about when you meet someone. Is it OK to broach the subject?" In the Republic of Ireland, where about 87 percent of the population is Catholic, it's unusual to talk religion on a personal level. A good pub conversation might touch on religion, but only in a general sense. In Northern Ireland, the Catholic-Protestant divide played a significant role in the Troubles. It's best to stick to less sensitive subjects there. "Brittani's been getting into punk music and would love to see a show in Dublin." Most of the up-and-coming groups are booked by Aiken Promotions (aikenpromotions.com) and MCD Productions (mcd.ie); their websites list upcoming shows. The Village (thevillagevenue.com), POD (pod.ie), and The Button Factory (buttonfactory.ie) host bands regularly. Just like in the States, college campuses are great places to catch a gig. The Trinity College Dublin Students' Union website has a calendar of events (tcdents.com). "Brittani's grandmother gave me $200 toward a special birthday splurge. Any suggestions?" A play at Dublin's Abbey Theatre will appeal to a literary buff like Brittani (011-353/1-878-7222, abbeytheatre.ie, from $20). Treat her to a pretheater dinner at Chapter One (18/19 Parnell Square, 011-353/1-873-2266, $51 for three courses), and go for a nightcap in the elegant Horseshoe Bar at The Shelbourne hotel (27 St. Stephen's Green, 011-353/1-663-4500). Unasked-for Advice Belfast's Black Taxi Tours pass sites linked to the city's tumultuous past. The driver-guides give commentary along the way (belfasttours.com, $52 for up to three passengers).

What's your best travel tip? Send us your tips, and if we publish one, you'll get a one-year subscription (or a renewal) to Budget Travel. You can e-mail them to us at Tips@BudgetTravel.com. Best Tips Ever The cleverest tips we've ever run are in The Smart Traveler's Passport, available at Amazon.com and better bookstores. Send us a tip: If yours is one that we illustrate, we'll send you a free book (along with a year's subscription). 1. Weigh your options After spending two weeks in Alaska--one week on land and one on a cruise--my husband and I had collected more souvenirs than we'd anticipated. Worried about overweight-luggage fees at the airport, we hauled our suitcases to the cruise ship's gym and weighed them on one of the scales. We kept rearranging the contents until each bag weighed less than 50 pounds (but barely!). Nancy Boehmer, Bridgeton, Mo. 2. Save some summer When I store my summer wardrobe at the end of the season, I always put a week's worth of warm-weather clothes in my suitcase. That way, I don't have to dig through the storage bins months later when I'm packing for a winter getaway to a balmy locale. Lorraine Seymour, Belchertown, Mass. 3. Do the math Google has a feature for some U.S. cities that performs an analysis to show whether it would cost less to drive to a destination or to take public transportation (google.com/transit). Keri Sprenger, Camas, Wash. 4. Sting operation My husband got stung by a bee while we were vacationing in Germany, and a local suggested putting toothpaste on the spot. It worked! The sting didn't swell, burn, or itch. Marie Braatz, Thorp, Wis. 5. Where talk is cheaper I've found an inexpensive way to phone the States from Europe: Many Internet cafés have call centers with phones you can use to make overseas calls, and there are a few that charge only 3¢ to 4¢ per minute. Linda Brunett, Rockville, Md. 6. Cheat sheet If you receive travel info from a college alumni association, keep it--even if you don't plan to join the trip. The literature usually includes details on the destinations, such as hotels and interesting excursions. You can use it as a guide when you plan your own trip later. Chris Barker, Kingsport, Tenn. 7. On the metro beat When I'm planning to visit a city that has a subway, I like to review a subway map in advance to familiarize myself with the system. Amadeus.net makes this easy. Click on Trip Tools for access to subway maps from virtually every city that has one. Alan Brill, Staten Island, N.Y. 8. Slippery business If you're traveling for business, bring several FedEx or DHL slips with your company's preprinted account number on them. If you end up with work-related items that are too heavy or cumbersome to fly with, you can mail them back to your office before you leave. Cindy Lin, New York, N.Y. 9. Earn extra credit Before you book a cruise, find out if the cruise line offers benefits for signing up for its credit card. For example, Carnival offers a card that lets you earn points that can be put toward cruises, resort stays, and air travel. Paula Prindle, Orient, Ohio 10. Get down In elevators, the international symbol for street level is the star or asterisk. Patricia A. Steinkuehler, Boynton Beach, Fla. 11. Collective memory I recently discovered journals from a 1927 trip my family took to Europe and Palestine. There were entries from three generations--it was fascinating to read each person's account. I now try to encourage every member of a group trip to contribute to a journal. Joan White, Dallas, Tex. 12. Rise and dine Hotels in many foreign countries serve only tea, coffee, and maybe a little bread for breakfast--and some don't serve anything at all. I like to have a more substantial breakfast than that, so I always bring packets of instant oatmeal. They're lightweight, they hardly take up any room, and with just a little hot water added in, they make a quick, easy breakfast. Christine Smith, Louisville, Ky. 13. Crash course If you choose not to purchase the car rental company's collision insurance and rely instead on the insurance that's provided by your credit card, you should make sure you have a backup card available. In the unhappy event that you crash the car, the rental company can charge your credit card for the damages--and if they're extensive, you could find yourself with a maxed-out credit card and no source of funds. George H. Giffen, York, Pa. 14. On the high C's Bring a few packets of Emergen-C powder with you on trips. Anytime you feel run-down from all the nonstop fun, mix a packet into a glass of water and drink up. The vitamin C keeps you healthy, and the other vitamins and minerals keep your energy from flagging. Andra Williams, South Amherst, Ohio 15. Homeward bound When you print driving directions from a website such as MapQuest, always print return directions, too. On our last trip, we assumed we could just reverse the directions for the ride home and found ourselves trying to go the wrong way on a one-way street. It took many extra (and aggravating) miles to make our way back. Diane Cavallaro, Westbury, N.Y. 16. She's crafty I had to give up my embroidery scissors when I went through security in the Toronto airport. Since then, I've found a way to cut yarn or thread while on an airplane: I use the metal cutter on a dental-floss container. Naomi Bryant, Penney Farms, Fla. 17. Out of your hair Slip a scrunchie or ponytail holder through the handle of your suitcase and pull one end through the other. The resulting loop is handy for holding an extra jacket or sweater, leaving your hands free as you make your way around the airport. Leonore Bourgeault, Belmar, N.J. 18. Books from abroad When researching a trip to another country, I visit the online booksellers native to the destination. Amazon.co.uk, for instance, carries a better selection of local-interest books for English towns and counties than Amazon.com does. And just like the American version, the site will deliver the books right to your doorstep. (Keep in mind that you'll have to pay international shipping costs.) Craig Comer, Woodland Hills, Calif. 19. The driving factor If you live a long way from the airport, it's often less expensive to rent a car near your home and drop it off at the airport (and vice versa) than to take a car or shuttle service. I've found this to be true when flying out of Reagan National and Dulles International airports in Virginia. Robert M. Pollock, Arnold, Md. 20. For the masses Check out masstimes.org if you want to attend a Catholic Mass while you're on vacation. The site has hundreds of listings for churches and Mass times all over the world. Some entries even include info on confession, adoration, and devotion times. Julie Gheen, Dearborn, Mich.