Itinerary

Day 1: Austin, TX to Tyler, TX (about 5 hours by car)

Lodging: the Rosevine Inn Bed and Breakfast (99 dollars)

Hopefully I’ll be able to chat it up with some other lodgers here, and the owners, about the gay community and potentially find some hot spots around the town.

Day 2: Tyler, TX to Shreveport, LA (2 hours by car)

Although this is going to be a very short drive, I have a lot of bar hopping plans for the city, so I plan on staying the night here again.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn and Suites

For a complete guide to gay-bar hopping in the city, look for my blog post.

Day 3: Shreveport, LA to Jackson, MS (4-5 hours)

I’ll admit it, I’m not a very good driver so I’m taking short travel breaks, but that’s okay!

Here in Jackson, I’ll be focusing on the civil rights movement and specifically Medgar Evers (view blog post for more info). I may also stop off at Jack & Jills to see the gay community as well. I'm also interested in visiting the Smith Robertson cultural museum, housed in the first public school built for African Americans in the city. 

Lodging: To save money, I'll be staying at the Van Villa hostel ($30)

Day 4: Jackson, MS to Lee County, MS (4 hours by car)

I plan to stop off in Lee County (named after good ol' Robert E. Lee) to see what  state the local gay community is in. As the movie Small Town Gay Bar highlights, the history of gay bars in the area has been volatile, with different bars being burned down, people being shot at, and some bars being forcibly shut down. I am curious to see weather or not the bar “Rumors” is still being run or not, and to see how the community is thriving, or not.

Lodging: Baymont Inn and Suites in Tupelo ($70)

Day 5: Lee County, MS to Birmingham, AL (3 hours by car)

Finally at my final destination, I plan to hit up some of the local attractions including the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Museum of Southern Flight in addition to exploring the gay community (hopefully without getting shot)

Lodging: Cobb Lane Bed and Breakfast ($60)

Day 6: Birmingham, AL to Alexandria, LA (7 hours by car)

Places to see: Kent Plantation House

Perhaps bar hopping?

On my way back, I would like to make the trip as short as possible due to my monetary restraints, so I'll only be stopping in Alexandria, a major location during the Civil War. I would like to see some older historical roots that deal with the issues that are tackled in Cruse's novel, so I think seeing a plantation would be an interesting rooting for the civil rights movement.

Lodging: La Quinta Inn ($95)


Day 7: Alexandria, LA, to Austin, TX (7 hours by car)

Off home!