To be honest...
I visited the USA recently, GA, AL, MS, LA, TN, experienced a lot of Southern history and present life and nature, enjoyed the music on Burbon, Frenchmen and Beale Streets, held a baby gator in my hands and visited my first ever motor races - Thursday Thunder on Atlanta Motorway. Travelled with my son for ten days - a special encounter due to the usual distance in our everyday lives in Germany. Played six golf courses (including St. Andrews GA), two of them with my dear friend and host of two days, Mr. Squirrelnutz, a fine Gentleman with a helluva family! His grandchildren contended well in the races but unfortunately let the victory go. Better chance next week!
I had some reservations before from all the reports and rumour I heard from the distance over the years (security issues both ways etc.) but that proved to be secondary - we had a good time all the time, no issues at all and ev1 was welcoming and friendly. Loved to cruise through the forests (special mention to Natchez Trace south of Jackson MS and the uphill road from Fort Payne AL to Weiss Lake in the sunset). We were mightily impressed by the presentation of Ol’ Man River's live model on Mud Island, Memphis TN.
In Indianola MS, we honored the late BB King - unfortunately there was no time given for Elvis in Graceland.
Learned a lot of new words including crawfish, hash browns, grits, tator, gumbo (ehm - all related to food) - edit: NOLA -, things like 4-way stop crossings, free right turn on red <edit> pork chop pounders from a green egg </> etc.
Old memory was awakened when we boarded Steamboat Natchez for a Harbor Jazz Cruise of New Orleans. It proved to be the same vessel, Natchez IX,
whose Calliope concert I had observed 38 years ago when both of us were still young, 2 and 23 ys resp. ;)
Eventually, I left the country with a grand bag of nice memories and a bucket list of things to do and places to go.