AreYouSure

Hi

Having received useful information with my OP, we have now some idea of a reasonable itinerary to include 3 locations:

This itinerary is for 2 adults sometime during August 2007:

Nashville TN – 7 nights

Savannah GA – 7 nights

Although 7 nights may seem a long time in each location, we will use a Nashville hotel as a base and tour Tennessee, within reason, the same applies for Savannah, use it as a base, and tour Georgia within reason.

We are stuck with our 3rd location, I have looked at SC, but to be honest, I don’t seem to get a feel for it.

We will have a car for the 3 weeks; so driving is not a problem, regardless of the distance, also, we do not have to return our hire car back to its original location; we are flexible where we drop the hire car off.

We prefer to stay in the same hotel for 7 days, and tour round, rather than live out of a suitcase, i.e. 3 days here, 4 days there etc.

Combining a 3rd destination with the above 2 does not have to be done in any particular order, we are flexible where we start and finish.

Anyone have any suggestions for our 3rd location.

I trust the above is self-explanatory.

Thanks in advance

Paul

tlf18

you should put "MID WEST" in the title.

just kidding!

but i'll recommend seeing the Smokey Mountains, even if you just drive thru the main road on your way from GA to Nashville (or vice-versa)

Italybound07

One of our favorite places is Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island In SC-only an hour from Savannah. Could be a 3rd location or a few days off the Savannah part of your trip.

leahinsc

I think 7 days is sort of long in Savannah, even using it as a hub to go elsewhere. What types of things do you like to do? I think I'd do 7 Nashville, 7 - Asheville and 7 in Charleston, SC. From Charleston you could easily go to Savannah but also go up to Myrtle Beach (if you wanted).

AreYouSure

Thanks for the replies.

As we were planning 7 days in Savannah, we thought we could pop up to Myrtle Beach for the day, hence, why we did not want to spend a week in SC.

Paul

GoTravel

Is there a reason you are leaving Charleston off your list?

AreYouSure

Hi

No particular reason why we have left Charleston off our itinerary, just something we had not really considered.

However, I am now online looking at Charleston.

As for what we like doing, we like museums, art galleries, preferably beach location, walking even if city based, and we prefer to be amongst the action.

None of the above is a definite “Must Do” we are flexible to everyone’s recommendations.

Trust this helps.

Paul

leahinsc

Savannah to Myrtle Beach is 4 hrs each way - tough and tiring to do it as a day trip. Given your likes/preferences I'd definitely say Charleston and Asheville should be two of your 7 nite stays.

ncgrrl

I like leahinsc's plan of

7 Nashville, 7 - Asheville and 7 in Charleston, SC

It's more than a day of driving between Nashville and the coast. Also, Charleston puts you between Savannah and Myrtle Beach.

frenchtoile

You could do 3 or 4 in Charleston and Savannah each. You could easily do 5 in Charleston.

AreYouSure

I like the advice from leahinsc.

The following itinerary is looking very favourable:

7 Nashville
7 Asheville
7 Charleston

Would 7 days in each location be sufficent, or does anyone think 7 days would be to long?

Paul

frenchtoile

I think you could do 6 in Nashville.
5 in Asheville 5 in Savannah 5 in Charleston I would just do less days in all the areas you are talking about and do a really great city hop.

leahinsc

I guess it depends how far you want to travel and what you want to see from your base of operations. For example, you could stay in Charleston and easily spend 2-3 full days exploring the city before heading out to the beaches, down to Beaufort(SC) or Savannah or up towards Pawley's Island/Myrtle Beach. You could do plantation tours around Charleston. Depends how leisurely of a trip you like. Personally I enjoy just taking things easy (stopping for a beer, glass of wine or a good cup of cappucino) and not being tied to an aggressive "gotta see that" itinerary.

AreYouSure

Thanks for the advice and support.

leahinsc

That is exactly what we like to do, which is why we prefer to do 7 days in each location.

Spending 7 days in one location, and having the use of a car, should enable us to see and do all that the state has to offer, within reason.

We have changed the order of our itinerary:

7 Days Charleston
7 Days Asheville
7 Days Nashville

Hotel rates are coming out better, doing our itinerary in this order.

Paul

leahinsc

GoTravel has posted lots of good info on Charleston including restaurant and hotel info and if you need anything on Asheville let me know. I think you are picking an itinerary which will show you a variety of scenery. For restaurant recommendations look at chowhound.com and check hotels and restaurants on trip advisor. Be advised that it will be pretty hot and humid in Charleston and Nashville in August. You will get some relief in Asheville due to the altitude but some days are bound to be a bit steamy.

AreYouSure

Hi

If you have been following my OP on creating an itinerary, you will know this itinerary is something completely different to what we are used to.

I am happy & feel confident with our choices in Charleston & Nashville, as I believe there will be sufficient to keep us occupied for 7 days.

My only concern is Asheville; having done a little research on the area, although the scenery looks beautiful perhaps you can convince me Asheville will be OK for 7 days.

I do appreciate the time you have taken with my itinerary.

Paul

OldSouthernBelle

AreYouSure: Biltmore Castle is there and they have some dancing (clogging) in the streets/fiddle playing in some of the smaller surrounding towns. Hiking and natural water slides is what I remember - but it is an old memory, so not sure about the specifics.
Also, log cabins and country crafts abound.

GoTravel

AreYouSure, I spent a weekend in Charleston last February and wrote a pretty detailed trip report and checked out a lot of hotels.

My husband and I also live very near Charelston and do apend a lot of time there.

Here is my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...Most+Excellent

Absolutely positively do not try and stay outside downtown. It is a big PIA no matter what anyone tells you. My husband and I just did that very thing a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't fun.

leahinsc

My mom comes has come to visit several times so I will give you a compilation of things we here in Asheville do when we have visitors or suggest they see:
-Biltmore house, gardens and vineyards - at least one day
-Biltmore village (outside of the Biltmore house) a couple of hours - stopping by Enoteca for drinks and appetizers or having a margarita on the deck at La Paz - have dinner at Fig in Biltmore Village
-stroll around downtown Asheville and the Grove Arcade - there are several streets worth of shops and galleries - have breakfast at Tupelo Honey, lunch at Salsas
-take a trolley tour of Asheville that takes you through the Montford historic distric (full of B&B's) and up to the Grove Park Inn.
-Take a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway - either up to Blowing Rock or down to Waynesville and explore - either will be a day trip
-go out to Hot Springs and reserve a spring fed hot tub by the French Broad and have a soak and then have dinner at Mountain Magnolia Inn
-Visit some of the small towns around Asheville - Black Mountain, Hendersonville, Spruce Pine...all have neat shops and crafts
-Take a hike, tube down the river, go white water rafting, horseback riding, on a llama trek, canoe,
-Tour the Arboreteum on a Segway
-Do a "brews cruise" and visit the 3 or 4 breweries in town
-Have a spa treatment at the Grove Park Inn and spend the day lounging in their fantastic pool.
-Drive out to Dillsboro and take a train ride to Bryson City on a steam engine train that winds through the mountains.
-Go to one of the outdoor music events
ok, I'll stop now

AreYouSure

Hi

Can anyone clarify the difference between these 2 Holidays Inn’s, although there does appear to be some distance between them, they are located on the same road.

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
Asheville – Tunnel Road
42 Tunnel Road
Asheville

Holiday Inn
Asheville – Biltmore East
1450 Tunnel Road
Asheville