Take a Musical Vacation!
Take a Musical Vacation – A Themed Vacation This Year
Going on vacation is fun. Going on a musical vacation with a theme can be even more fun — not to mention educational for you and the family.
If you love — or want to learn more about – a specific type of music, creating a vacation around the subject isn’t as difficult as you might think. In fact, plenty of music-themed vacation opportunities require almost no work on your part at all.
Oregon has a number of musical festivals including the Britt Festival in Jacksonville Oregon.
Music Themed Cruises
Cruises are actually known for themes. Some of that comes from the destination — Caribbean, Europe, Alaska — all of these point to a specific type of adventure or culture — and that, in and of itself, is a theme.
You might be surprised to find out that music-themed cruises are common and among the most popular of all types of cruises. Everything from big band, to Broadway, to classical music, to jazz with each often featuring performances by guest artists.
Many music theme cruises also offer seminars, classes, or even a meet and greet with big name entertainers.
A great resource is the Theme Cruise Finder website. From the home page, click on “Browse Theme Cruises by Category” to find your perfect music-themed cruise.
Destination Music Themed Vacation
Cruises are easy because the entertainment comes to you on board a ship. Another option is to travel to a vacation location that is famous for a type of music you enjoy.
Among the most obvious music related destinations, Nashville — also known as “Music City USA.” There you can concentrate on country music, Christian music, and much, much more.
The Nashville Music City website lists a variety of music themed vacation packages in the area. My wife and I spent a delightful weekend at Michael W. Smith’s ranch in Franklin (suburb of Nashville) and took in a concert and a tour of his recording studio, and even got to sing a little background on one of his songs.
Branson, Missouri isn’t Nashville, but that small town has a ton of entertainment per square inch and hosts many thousands of music-hungry vacationers every year.
The Travel Channel lists a number of destination vacation spots with music themes or festivals. The site is a good place to go to learn about specific festivals or locations that might be of interest to you and your family.
Other music-related destinations are limited only by your imagination. They could include everything from New York City (Broadway) to Vienna or Salzburg (Classical) to Memphis (Elvis) – you name it.
A vacation in Chicago that concentrates on blues music and jazz could be one of the best vacations of your life — especially if those types of music appeal to you.
Festival Vacations
If you can time your vacation around a specific music festival event, you will be assured of almost round-the-clock entertainment.
Fuse provides a comprehensive list of the 20 Best Rock and Pop Music Festivals of 2014 including the Beale Street Music Festival, Lollapalooza, and Rock the Bells, along with many others.
The Christian Festival Association includes information about related music festivals all over the country and Music Festival Junkies lists many of the best know country music festivals in the U.S.
There are music festivals all summer long all over the country. Conduct an online search for “music festival” plus “your favorite genre” and you might be amazed at what is out there.
Closer to Home
If time, the budget, or other factors make traveling to a distant location impractical, consider a music-themed vacation at or near home.
Start by checking out music concerts and events in your community or no more than a day trip away. Many summer music events are free or low cost — others may command higher ticket prices, but nothing like the cost of a cruise.
Look for lectures, often including music performances at local colleges or universities. Just getting out of the house to immerse yourself in the world of music is a vacation in itself.
Don’t Overlook a Music Opportunity
If an “all music themed” vacation is a bit much for you (or your family), at least make sure you include a taste no matter where your destination happens to be.
Every city, town, and bump in the road in the United States has a music history. Learn a little about the music history and culture of your destination and don’t forget to include it in your travel plans.
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