Just to add, the link has us going through Jackson to Vicksburg but I think we definitely want to take Highway 61 and go to Clarksdale and then onto Vicksburg and possibly skipping Jackson altogether. Google maps keeps letting me edit then the link stays the same. Ugh, me and computers don't mix!! I believe 61 is not to be missed so definitely want to check it out. Thanks!

Birmingham has more civil rights historical offerings than Montgomery, I think.

The River Road (Hwy 61) is chock full of antebellum homes. Weeding out the ones you want to see v. the ones you'll pass by is the trick.

September/October is fine generally - warm and only occasionally rainy (you're from Ireland so it won't be any trouble). Every now and again some weather front gets it in its anthropomorphic head to spin off a tropical storm or hurricane or two into the Gulf of Mexico and start screwing up the otherwise nice weather along the coast.

Pensacola is nice enough and has a decent downtown, beach, and the great Naval Air Station museum. The weather shouldn't be too hot for Floridians in October, but to you it will be roasting (25C or so, 17-20C in the evenings).

You are choosing a perfect time to visit this area. The worst of the summer heat will be over and the weather generally pleasant. It is technically still hurricane season, but generally the weather is good. Your itinerary is definitely doable in a 3-1/2 week period. You are right to SKIP Jackson -it's not a place that I would care to go on vacation. The drive down 61 will be much nicer.

You don't mention how long you plan to stay in each place. This will be a tight and busy trip, but you have spaced your road time well so that you aren't traveling more than 4 hours on a given day. I can provide more suggestions when you have a better idea of what you want to do in each area and how long you will be there. Right away, I would suggest skipping Montgomery (unless there is something specific you are going there to see) in favor of an extra night on the Gulf Coast. It's beautiful and relaxing that time of year. You could check out and head straight for Atlanta, spend you last night there, have a nice dinner and get up the next day to catch your flight.

Thank you so much for your replies, everything sounding very positive so far. Glad to hear the weather will be pleasant, as Irish people, yeah, we're just glad of a bit of warmth and blue sky, lol! We'll definitely skip Jackson then and we're not married to visiting Montgomery but thought it would break up the journey, darlenef17, your suggestion of spending more time on the Gulf Coast is an excellent one and we may just do that. Just so you have an idea of a rough itinerary, and perhaps you might be able to give me a better idea of how we're fixed for time in each place given what we want to see and do, is as follows:

Arr Atlanta: 2 nts. A day to see Swan House, CNN and perhaps Coca Cola but not too fussed about the last.

Chattanooga: 1 nt. Arrive early: see Rock City Falls, Lookout Mountain

Asheville: 1 nt. See Biltmore.

Gatlinburg: 2 nts. Take our time through the Smokies arrive in the evening. Dollywood the following day.

Nashville: 2-3 nts. Pass through Knoxville to see Sun Sphere, keep going arr Nashville. Want to see Grand Ole Opry. Country Music Hall of Fame. The Big Bang Bar. Any other tourist attraction suggestions welcome, I've heard wonderful things about Nashville so willing to spend an extra day to see more.

Memphis: 1 nt. Stax Museum. Sun studio. Graceland (see this the morning before driving to Clarksdale).

Clarksdale: 1 nt. Delta Blues Museum.

Vicksburg: 1 nt. Vicksburg Military Park.

Natchez: 1/2 nts. Very interested in antebellum homes, I know there are many around this area, and we may splash out and stay somewhere like Monmouth Plantation for this part of the trip. I think we'd like a little time to relax after the hectic road-tripping so far.

New Orleans: 4 nts. Don't think I need to tell you how many things we want to see and do in NO, anyone I know who has been here absolutely raves about it, we are most excited about this part of the trip and want to spend a good chunk of time here. We would like to have a day trip to Cajun Country, I wonder if this would be best done on the drive from Natchez or as a day-trip out of NO?

Pensacola: 4 nts (maybe a 5th depending on whether we decide to stop somewhere in Alabama on the way back to Atlanta!). Time to completely relax, read books, drink cocktails and lie on the beach.

Montgomery or Birmingham: 1 nt. TBC.

That's 23 nts which would leave us a night in Atlanta before we fly home (allowing for 24 nts but maybe we'll squeeze one or two more, guess it depends on flights/costs/time off work etc, remains to be seen!).

Thank you again for all your advice so far. Can't believe I've never come onto Fodor's before, people are very open and helpful! Excellent stuff.

Your plan sounds wonderful and very well thought out. I would only make the following suggestions:

2 nights in Memphis
Rather than Pensacola, I would suggest Orange Beach. They are neighborhood beaches and you practically don't even know when you've gone from one to the other. Better dining in Orange Beach and if you enjoy shopping, a HUGE outlet mall about 25 minutes away in Foley, AL and a wonderful "family-style homecooking" experience to be found a Lamberts. You may want to get out of the sun for a while or need something to do if it rains!

http://www.tangeroutlet.com/foley/

http://www.throwedrolls.com/shopcontent.asp?type=foley

I would also consider renting a condo while at the coast. It will be inexpensive during this time of year, and they have some beautiful properties there. It's nice to wake up, go to your Gulf view patio and have your coffee before you have to get dressed and see the world. Very private and I think after your long trip you will enjoy this! I can give recommendations if you are interested.

Lastly, it will be the middle of football season. RESERVE EARLY in New Orleans. If you are there on the weekend and there is a Saints game, it's unlikely you will find a desirable room.

>We would like to have a day trip to Cajun Country, I wonder if this would be best done on the drive from Natchez or as a day-trip out of NO?<

As music lovers, I can certainly understand your wanting to visit Cajun Country as it is the source of Cajun and zydeco music, and excellent food as well. I would NOT make this a day trip from New Orleans. It will be a minimum of 2 hours, probably close to 3 to get you to true Cajun country - Lafayette, Eunice, Opelousas, or Breaux Bridge. You will not enjoy this as a day trip because most of what you want to see and do (in terms of music) is a night activity. To see Cajun country even briefly, you should plan to go there on your way from Natchez and spend one night there before going to NO. The other way, you are backtracking and wasting valuable time.

IMO - Skip Cajun country and enjoy NO to it's fullest. You will find EXCELLENT Cajun food in NO, as well as wonderful places to hear and/or dance to Blues, Jazz, Zydeco, and other regional music. Go to Mulate's in NO, and get a taste of authentic Cajun food and music without the drive.

I'd also skip any "swamp tours." IMO, they are overrated tourist traps.

Very interesting, I am so excited to read this because I am planning for the marriage soon so I am looking for the honeymoon trips & I get your site where I got lots of options.

A few of us from Ireland are doing a similar trip south in October. We are staying in Memphis for 2 nights and a number of people recommended Talbot Heirs B&B in Memphis and it looks really nice go to talbotheirs.com/Talbot360.html
and see what you think of it . We have booked it . Another place recommended to us in New Orleans is Quarter House in the French Quarter which has timeshare condos to rent . We have booked 4 nights there well worth looking at and same price if not cheaper than a hotel. Good luck enjoy the honeymoon.

A few of us from Ireland are doing a similar trip south in October. We are staying in Memphis for 2 nights and a number of people recommended Talbot Heirs B&B in Memphis and it looks really nice go to talbotheirs.com/Talbot360.html
and see what you think of it . We have booked it . Another place recommended to us in New Orleans is Quarter House in the French Quarter which has timeshare condos to rent . We have booked 4 nights there well worth looking at and same price if not cheaper than a hotel. Good luck enjoy the honeymoon.

A few of us from Ireland are doing a similar trip south in October. We are staying in Memphis for 2 nights and a number of people recommended Talbot Heirs B&B in Memphis and it looks really nice go to talbotheirs.com/Talbot360.html
and see what you think of it . We have booked it . Another place recommended to us in New Orleans is Quarter House in the French Quarter which has timeshare condos to rent . We have booked 4 nights there well worth looking at and same price if not cheaper than a hotel. Good luck enjoy the honeymoon.

Speaking of books - your best bet is to buy as many as you can carry while you're here. Book prices in the US are far lower than anywhere else. The typical mass market paperback is $8-10, trade paperbacks tend to go for $12-16 (and lower on Amazon). Those numbers are generally the same in Euro or GBP and 20-30% higher in Canada or Australia.

Agree about saving Cajun country for another trip and focusing on NO.

Good trip. Definitely take the Blues Highway thru the Delta.

You do need to remain a bit flexible in the event of hurricane activity. I would be wary of committing a lot of money to per booked accommodation at this time of year unless there are very special places you might like to stay, for example Peabody Hotel in Memphis or Monteleone in NO.

MOntgomery and Birmingham are not that far apart, and for a Civil Rights visit, I highly recommend the memorial at the Southern Poverty Law center, designed by Maya Lin. It is the most moving memorial next to the Vietnam Wall.
In Birmingham, eat at Frank Stitt's Highlands Grill. GREAT southern cooking with a French flair.

If your main aim in Gatlinburg is Dollywood, you might stay in Pigeon Forge instead. They're not far apart at all, but in October especially, traffic between the two (and in the towns, actually) can be horrendous. It'll be better the earlier you go - October is crazy because the leaves are changing colors. I like Gatlinburg better of the two, but you could do dinner and walk around town in Gatlinburg on your way to Pigeon Forge and then sleep in PF.

Check out Market Square in Knoxville for lunch or walking around on your way through - it's downtown and the heart of the revitalization efforts down there.

Nashville is great, but why Big Bang?! It's fun enough, but it's not remotely "Nashville." My experience with it involves lots of drunken bachelorette party attendees. If you're very into music, check out the Bluebird Cafe (singer/songwriters), or Station Inn for bluegrass/country, or any number of venues around town for rock/Americana/pop/whatever. Note that the Opry is only on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The backstage tour at the Ryman is really fun, I think. (Actually, if anyone is playing at the Ryman while you're in town, I'd go if you're at all interested in them. It's my favorite place to see a show here, or maybe anywhere.)

I second Gretchen--for Civil Rights, you really need to see both Montgomery and Birmingham. In Atlanta, however, given your interests, rather than seeing CNN etc., I'd opt for the King Center and the Atlanta History Center, the latter of which is in the same complex as the Swan House, and has a really good exhibit on Atlanta's role in the Civil War.

Oh - for food in Nashville, these are some of my favorites:

Casual - Burger Up (12 South), Fido (coffee shop turned restaurant in Hillsboro Village), Mas Tacos Por Favor (East Nashville, in a very sketchy-looking building, but it's fine; only open for lunch except Friday nights), Marche for brunch (East Nashville); we have more indie coffee shops than we know what to do with

On the nicer end - Margot (East Nashville), Rolf & Daughters (Germantown, just north of downtown), Lockeland Table (East Nashville)

Southern food - Monell's (Germantown), Arnold's (south of downtown), Loveless Cafe (west of town on your way to Memphis)

Thanks so much for all your responses, this has been really so helpful and enlightening! If we book the dates we have in mind, we ought to be arriving into NO on a Sunday evening so hopefully finding accommodation won't be too difficult, unfortunately, hotels like the Monteleone and Peabody are way out of our price range. It was a choice between luxury honeymoon for 2 week or taking the extra time and doing it on a tighter budget so we've opted for the latter, I think it's going to be amazing, we're not fussy as long as we have cleanliness and comfort, it doesn't have to be lap of luxury at all. Bearing that in mind any accommodation suggestions you have would be great.

While we like the idea of booking a condo on the coast, and the freedom that brings, we don't want to commit to certain dates too much as we may like to spend an extra night somewhere else, so hoping we can find a decent motel near the beach etc.

We're still undecided about spending time in Alabama, but if we do it's great to know that Montgomery and Birmingham aren't too far apart. Thank you!

In Nashville, we hope to arrive on a Saturday and visit the Opry then, regardless of when we arrive we will definitely be doing the Ryman tour. Not sure where I heard the Big Bang was a great spot, we'll revisit our list of places to go in Nashville based on your suggestions!

Also really good to know re: traffic between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, we just want to stay in the general area so perhaps PF might be the better option for us.

Thank you so much for any dining suggestions so far, please keep 'em coming! The two of us have been so healthy this past year in the lead up to our wedding so I think we're allowed a few weeks of pigging out, within reason of course!!

Oh, and thanks for the info about book prices BigRuss, but I have my trusted Kindle ereader so I won't have to lug around a whole lot of books!

Big Bang is fun for what it is - I just think you could find something like it in a lot of places. The piano players are talented, but most people there are there more to party than to listen to music, in my experience. So if your aim is music, there are lots of better places, is all.

Your trip sounds great - and congratulations!

Just a couple things to add. First, you have received some very good suggestions.

1. Pigeon Forge is very spread out and, IMO, just not nearly as nice as Gatlinburg. I would stay in Gatlinburg. GB is much more compact than PF, and you can walk everywhere. If you stay in PF you will have to make the drive into GB anyway if you want to see it and the Smokies, which I would not miss! GB is charming and literally at the foot of the Smokies, unlike PF, which has little personality. You can take the trolly from GB to Dollywood and it will be cheaper than taking your car and paying for parking at DW. Also, IMO, restaurant choices are generally better in GB, unless you're looking for chains.

2. I do understand budget concerns, but do try to stay in or very near the French Quarter. Keep in mind that the Saints play on Sunday! You could have difficulty on Sunday night and NO is a place for conventions. I would still suggest booking ahead with a hotel that has a good cancellation policy. As your date gets closer, you can make different arrangements if necessary or available. Most hotels have either a 24 hour or 3-day cancellation window with no penalty unless you have prepaid for a very reduced price. One place that is clean, about 10-15 min. walk from the FQ, has breakfast included in the rate, and is just around the corner from a great poboy place: http://neworleanshamptoninns.com/

3. A very accommodation in Orange Beach that is not a condo, a hotel resort (very pricey) or a spring break dump for college kids: http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/alabama/hampton-inn-and-suites-orange-beach-gulf-front-MOBOBHX/index.html
Do try to splurge a bit and get a Gulf view room. It make it very nice!

Check the reviews of these on Trip Advisor, you will be favorably impressed, and no, I don't work for the HI! lol

That should have said - a very good accommodation in OB.

Thanks again darlenef17, you've been really helpful. I think we will stay in Gatlinburg, it definitely looks more our style and now that we know there's a shuttle to Dollywood all the better!! I'm looking into the Florida panhandle at the moment and I think we'd prefer more of an escape than any of the more built up, busier looking places like Pensacola or Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, not that they don't look great. Would we be crazy to go further east to somewhere like Santa Rosa Beach, WaterColor or Grayton Beach, and look into nice b&bs or guesthouses in the area? These areas look more quaint and romantic (I may be wrong though! Feedback welcome). We will really want something very relaxing at this stage, no nightlife requirements, just some nice eateries and pretty beaches, and, given we'll be sharing the driving, I think we could leave NO very early and be at this area by the afternoon.

You will want the "Pink Route" http://www.gatlinburgtrolley.org/routes-and-prices/

>>>I think we'd prefer more of an escape than any of the more built up, busier looking places like Pensacola or Orange Beach/Gulf Shores<<<<

At that time of year you will have the beaches practically to yourself, so I wouldn't drive the extra distance. It will be a wonderful escape in October, and you will feel very secluded. If it were summer, I would suggest somewhere a bit more isolated, and even then, those place you mentioned are packed in high season.

Many places such as restaurants, etc. close in the low season. I still lean toward suggesting OB/GS or Pensacola. OB/GS will be the more secluded of the two areas, simply because Pensacola has more permanent residents.

Santa Rosa Island/Beach and all of the areas around Fort Walton are lovely, but not any lovelier than the OB/GS. It's your call really. You can't go wrong in the FL panhandle, although I would avoid Panama City.

We have had excellent results renting along the Gulf Coast through VRBO, and you should be able to get excellent rates that time of year.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are just overgrown shopping/souvenir/outlet malls. You really might like to drive through the Park (which IS beautiful) and stay over on the NC side to escape the kitsch factor.

Good to know that Orange Beach will feel quiet and secluded at that time of year. I'm SO excited! Gretchen, we will be driving through the park and hopefully taking a nice hike (nothing too taxing though) on the day we come through from Asheville. It looks so beautiful and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Try Le Richelieu Hotel in New Orleans. After years of trying to find a good hotel there that does not charge an arm and a leg, we found this one and stay there whenever we go to N.O. One excellent feature of this hotel is that it offers free parking. It's in the quiet part of French Quarter (where you want to be) and just a few blocks from Jackson Square and a short walk from the streetcar stop. It's an older property, but comfortable and friendly. When you book, ask for Room 410--big and comfy.

Vicksburg has a Courtyard by Marriott that's right across the expressway from the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park. We stayed there a few years ago and loved it.

P.S. Le Richelieu is also good for music as Frenchman Street and its clubs are a very short walk.