NEW ORLEANS TO NATCHEZ

Kick off your Gold Record Road adventure in a city so steeped in music history you’ll be hard- pressed to find a moment of silence. It’s the city where jazz was officially born, and where the slave rhythms of Congo Square set the beat for hundreds of thousands of rock and R&B songs to come. For a music lover, a trip to New Orleans is about being musically alive, where Sunday brunch is a gospel concert and  jazz funerals dance spirits to the other side. After you’ve taken your time eating and dancing through the city, you’ll drive through Cajun country, spending time in the flavorful, friendly bayou towns surrounding Lafayette, the region’s unofficial capital. We’ve outlined a sampling of these little communities, meant to guide you to your adventure’s jumping-off point. It’s up to you to ask the locals, explore your surroundings and maybe even get a bit lost as you explore the area for yourself.

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It was out here in the Southwest Louisiana plains and swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin that the French ballads of the migrating Acadians absorbed German, Spanish and Native American influences and evolved into the distinctive Cajun sound. It’s also the spot where the German accordion collided with the African Creole and Cajun cultures in the 1930s to create the high-energy zydeco sounds that keep people dancing to this day. If you feel like you’re in a foreign country, there’s a reason: This area remains one of the most culturally intact spots in the country. Join the party at an authentic dancehall, and do as the locals do—you’ll be so very glad you did. Laissez les bon temps rouler!