The Blues was born in the Yazoo River Basin of the Mississippi Delta. At its heart is Clarksdale, home to the award winning Delta Blues Museum — a famed destination for blues lovers worldwide. In the words of renowned blues harmonica player, Charlie Musselwhite, “The blues seeps up through the pavement in Clarksdale. Go to Clarksdale!” The museum houses the remains of the cabin from Stovall Farms where Muddy Waters lived during his days as a sharecropper. Best known for electrifying the blues in Chicago, Muddy is represented by posters, photographs and a wax statue.

This tour combines visits to the Delta Blues Museum, the Mississippi Blues Trail, and the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49 (where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil for his skill to play the blues guitar) with a pilgrimage to the world’s greatest music festival — the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. “Jazzfest” features three huge 2,500-seat tents — the Blues Tent, the Jazz Tent and the Gospel Tent — plus stages spotlighting some of the biggest acts in show business. The lineup includes national and international touring acts as well as New Orleans and regional favourites representing pop, rock, gospel, jazz, rap, funk and R & B. The 2017 edition wrapped on May 7 and drew some 425,000 people!

Roots of the Blues TourAPRIL 26 – MAY 7, 2018

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OrientationThe orientation course will consist of two Wednesday evenings, April 11 and 18, 7 – 9:30 p.m., at the University of Calgary campus. This class will provide participants with the overview of the program. Discussion topics include: Roots of the Blues, the Mississippi Delta, the 12-bar blues, the Delta Blues Museum at Clarksdale, the Mississippi Blues Trail, and New Orleans: geography, architecture, music, food, culture, and festival. The itinerary, travel arrangements and health matters will be discussed in detail.

ItineraryIncluded meals are shown following the daily itinerary. B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner

APRIL 26 Arrive in New Orleans. After checking in, we begin with an historic walking tour of the French Quarter, and a welcome dinner at Tujague’s Restaurant, the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans! Located in the heart of the French Quarter, facing the historic French Market, Tujague’s is renowned for providing an unforgettable dining experience in the original Creole tradition. (D)

APRIL 27 Today’s historical New Orleans city tour includes the Garden District, Charles Avenue, Audubon Park, and a tour of the cemetery, famously known as “The City of the Dead.” Then, we make our first visit to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – Jazzfest – the best music festival and cultural experience in the world! (B)

APRIL 28 At the Cajun Pride Bayou and Swamp Tour, we’ll come within feet of jumping gators as we learn about the Louisiana Wetlands. Then, we visit the Cajun town of Frenier with its unique history before venturing again to Jazzfest. (B)

APRIL 29 It’s Sunday, and we begin with a morning service at the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Hailed by some past participants as the best feature of our New Orleans trip. This experience will give us a window and ear into some of the most genuine, swinging gospel music and preaching on the planet! Then once again, Jazzfest! (B)

APRIL 30 We leave New Orleans to journey through the Louisiana and Mississippi countryside for Clarksdale, the “Home of the Blues.” In the evening, you’re free to explore the bars and restaurants and feel “the Blues seeping up through the pavement.” (Charlie Musselwhite). (B)

MAY 1 We visit the Delta Blues Museum, housed in the Clarksdale freight depot, built in 1918 for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. The former freight area and the adjacent Muddy Waters expansion is a destination for blues lovers

worldwide. This includes the cabin from the Stovall Farms Plantation where Muddy Waters lived during his days as a sharecropper and tractor driver. (B)

MAY 2 We spend a full day touring the Mississippi Blues Trail, not only in honour of individual artists, clubs, record companies, radio stations, and historic events, but also in celebration of plantations (like the Dockery Plantation), streets, cities, and counties that were centres of blues activity. This includes the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, where folklorists recorded blues by inmates (most notably Bukka White) on several occasions dating back to the 1930s. We will visit “The Crossroads” of Hwy 61 and US 49 where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil for his skill at blues guitar playing. We’ll investigate significant sites in the careers of artists like: B.B. King, Charley Patton, Bo Diddley, Elvis Presley, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Magic Sam, Willie Dixon, W.C. Handy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Rush, Albert King, and others. (B)

MAY 3 We say goodbye to Clarksdale and drive back to New Orleans, with plenty of time to make another visit to Jazzfest. (B)

MAY 4 Today’s tour is acclaimed by Lonely Planet Travel as the best history tour in the United States. We’ll visit the Laura Plantation and experience the Louisiana Creole world via an historic sugar plantation. The one-hour guided visit, entitled The Creole Family Saga, is based upon 5,000 pages of documents found in the French National Archives and upon Laura’s Memories of the Old Plantation Home, dramatically detailing 250 years of true-life stories of Creole women, slaves, and children. Later, Jazzfest. (B)

MAY 5 Jazzfest! (B)

MAY 6 Today is our last chance to enjoy the festival before our farewell dinner at Arnaud’s restaurant which has been operating in the heart of the French Quarter since 1918. Arnaud’s has remained true to its traditions serving classic Creole Cuisine and offering live Dixieland Jazz. (B, D)

MAY 7 Depart New Orleans for home. (B)

Accompanying Instructor John Reid plays the saxophone, flute, and clarinet, and has been leading his own jazz groups since 1974, recording three CDs. He works with composers full time at the Canadian Music Centre and has been teaching at the University of Calgary since 1984. Course topics include jazz history, New York City Broadway musicals, history of funk music, salsa music, the African Effect in Music, and life and music of James Brown.

Costs Land, tuition $5,900 GST on tuition $50TOTAL $5,950 Single Supplement $1,500

Estimated Air Travel $900

A deposit of $500 is required at registration. Final payment is due on Nov. 10, 2017. For fee details, withdrawal/refund procedures and liabilities please see page 2.

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FeesCost includes: tuition, orientation course, accommodation, transfers, all surface travel, and meals as listed in the itinerary. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required with the registration form. Fees are based on the information available at the time of print and are subject to change to reflect any changes in currency rates, airfares, or land costs. There are possibilities of decreases or increases, and any changes will be reflected on the final payment and passed on to the participant. All fees are based on double occupancy and a minimum of 16 participants. Fees in all programs exclude airport taxes; passport and visa fees; cancellation, medical and other personal insurance; gratuities for local guides; wine, liquor, and other items not specifically mentioned as included; and other personal services.

Single SupplementThe single supplement fee is listed in each program description. Every effort is made to find a suitable roommate for those who wish to share, however, if this is not possible, a single supplement charge will be applied.

Do you love to learn? Do you love to travel? Experience both with UCalgary Continuing Education!

Every year UCalgary Continuing Education, in association with other academic departments, offers a series of amazing travel programs. The educational component that is part of every program is what sets these trips apart from any other holiday you will ever take.

Travel worry-free, knowing a Continuing Education travel program coordinator has handled all of the logistics. You will be guided throughout the program by your accompanying instructor — someone who has a passion for your destination.

All of the travel programs begin with orientation classes in Calgary. Everyone is welcome in the University of Calgary Educational Travel Study Program, where every trip is the trip of a lifetime!

Travel with us in 2018–19

Liability and ResponsibilityUniversity of Calgary and its travel agents will exercise all reasonable care in making arrangements for conducting the tour. They are, however, acting only in the capacity of an agent and do not assume liability for any damage to persons or property resulting from or arising out of any act or inadvertence of any hotel, carrier, restaurant, or other company or persons rendering any of the services included in the tour or for any damage caused by other factors beyond their control. The passage contract in use by the airlines concerned when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and passengers. All prices are based on current international exchange rates and airfare prices at the time of planning the tours, and are subject to change. In the event that it becomes necessary or advisable to alter the itinerary or arrangements for any reason whatsoever, such alterations may be made. Additional expenses, if any, shall be borne by the participants; conversely refunds will be made to participants if any savings are affected thereby. The right is reserved to decline, accept, or retain any participant or tour member at any time.

InsuranceWe highly recommend cancellation and medical insurance. Information will be sent out at the time of final payment.

Refund PolicyPlease call 403.220.2866 if you need to cancel your trip. Your $500 deposit is not refundable. After the final payment date, the amount of refund will depend on the amount recoverable from the tour operators.

Contact InformationEducational Travel Study Program UCalgary Continuing Education 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Phone 403.220.2866 Fax 403.284.9242 conted.ucalgary.ca/travelprograms

Heather Richards Manager | Travel Study Program 403.220.4632 heather.richards@ucalgary.ca

South India with Optional Extension to Sri Lanka

JAN. 15 – FEB. 5, 2018

Southeast Asia: Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma)

FEB. 16 – MARCH 10, 2018

Discover CubaFEB. 17 – 24, 2018

Best of Baja MexicoFEB. 17 – MARCH 3, 2018

MARCH 3 – 17, 2018

A Culinary Tour of MauiMARCH 29 – APRIL 8, 2018

Lyon and StrasbourgAPRIL 14 – 27, 2018

Roots of the Blues TourAPRIL 26 – MAY 7, 2018

Urban and Scenic China Adventure Tour

MAY 5 – 25, 2018

Namibia: Deserts and Wildlife

AUG. 15 – SEPT. 1, 2018

The Samurai TrailSEPT. 1 – 16, 2018

The Country of the Firebird: Architectural, Artistic

and Religious Traditions of Russia

SEPT. 28 – OCT. 14, 2018

Tanzania and the Serengeti Plains

FEB. 25 – MARCH 13, 2019