If you want fine dining, I have two wonderful recommendations for you - The Tic Toc room (with live piano music) - dubbed "Where Manhattan meets Macon" by the NYTimes http://hotplatesrestaurantgroup.com/ and/or The Downtown Grill for GREAT steaks (and everything else) - http://www.macondowntowngrill.com/menu.html For BBQ and country music? Can't help you. Coming from San Francisco you won't be disappointed with either of the above suggestions.

Where are you coming from/ headed to? Some of the best BBQ in the state can be found at Fresh Air BBQ about 30 miles from Macon. If you are interested in a bit of a detour, head to http://www.freshairbarbecue.com/history.html The drive is all through country and no traffic. You'd see some of the piney woods of GA. If you liked the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, you could do an additional detour to Juliette GA where the movie was filmed. They are still serving BBQ at the Whistle Stop Cafe and it's pretty good too. http://www.thewhistlestopcafe.com/

Thanks starrs. Am flying into Hartsfield and just picking up a car and heading out. Get in at 3 pm so have some time and looks like I will drive by it. Will be just about lunchtime by my internal clock ! Will look into the others as well and hope that someone knows where to find some music!

If you get in around that time and aren't in a hurry, it would be a nice little side trip to take. Head down toward Macon, detour up to go to Fresh Air and have some BBQ for lunch/dinner. If they aren't closed, you could have some dessert at the Whistle Stop. You'd see a bit of Georgia, get some good food and then be back in Macon. Good luck with the music part of it. I'm sure there is some. I know of a place about an hour away, but that's too much of a road trip.

Will definitely not be in a hurry and my plan is to see some of Georgia. And eat good barbeque! Just out of curiosity, what is the music place you know about an hour away?

If their is chicken wire separating the band from the patrons, it is likely to get lively.

Are you staying in Macon for a reason? Where are you headed next? Savannah? If so...and you really want to see Georgia...you should really see Madison, GA. It's one of the top 10 prettiest towns in the US (by a myriad of lists) and is a gorgeous collection of antebellum homes. "The town too pretty to burn". Sherman didn't burn it on his March to the Sea - supposedly because his roommate at West Point was from Madison. Two towns just up the road are almost as pretty - Covington and Social Circle. If you want to taste some traditional southern cooking, you can't go wrong with the Blue Willow Inn (just a restaurant) in Social Circle. Covington may look familiar because its served as a set for many TV shows and movies. The little BBQ restaurant where local pickers congregate on Saturday nights is near Covington. It's definitely not a bar, and is just a gathering of local talent - but some have had recording contracts. Very small, low-key venue but if you want more info on their Picker's Corner, let me know.

Another option would be Blind Pig BBQ near Jackson, GA. I THINK they have live music on Saturday nights. (I can find out if you are interested. It's near Lake Jackson, but there's no place to stay out there (that I know of) unless you head back to Forsyth/Macon or over to Covington. Here's a link to a map of BBQ places in Georgia and Blind Pig is in the top 5 for BBQ in GA and Fresh Air is in the top 5 for sides - http://www.atlantamagazine.com/july2010/greatatlantabbqroadmap.aspx Here's a link to the article - http://www.atlantamagazine.com/july2010/coverstorypreview/bbq.aspx

Thanks again. Am heading, ultimately, to Holden Beach NC and have always wanted to see Savannah and Charleston, so am just on a driving trip for a few days. Also going to swing through Ashville NC. Only have a week so can't get too far afield but when I get back (just heading off to go rafting in Idaho) will look at maps when I get back!

Have a great time in Idaho. Love that part of the country. Unless you just want to go to Macon (and I can't imagine why), driving I-20 to Madison and then down 441S to Dublin is about the same distance and a much more interesting drive than 75 to 16. If you HAD to get to Savannah is less than 5 hours from Hartsfield, then the 75 route is fastest. But it's boring as hell and you see nothing but interstate. If you want to slow it down a bit (even 1.5 hours of slowing down), the 20-441-16 is a better drive. If you have a few more hours to see things along the way, it's a GREAT drive.

Are you flying back out of Atlanta after Asheville? If so, head down 441 from Franklin, NC to Clayton GA (yes, the same 441 that I suggested earlier south out of Madison). Eat at the Universal Joint - in what was an old gas station and is part of a great group of restaurants based in Atlanta. Listen to live music there. GREAT vibe - good food - pretty town. http://ujclayton.com/Home_Page.html We heard this group last Saturday http://www.thehoneycutters.com/reviews

Thanks starrs. I decided you were right and have rearranged things to go to Madison rather than Macon. Also had to skip Ashville so will not be coming back that way. Staying at the James Madison there which looks very nice. Thanks for the tips; this looks much more like what I had in mind for seeing the south!

Much better than Macon, IMO. If you want traditional southern cooking go to the Blue Willow in Social Circle. If you want a more varied menu with some southern twists, eat at the Chophouse Grille in Madison. We ate there last night. Take a short detour through Covington GA and see if it looks familiar - from many TV shows and movies. The Vampire Diaries has a permanent set on the courthouse square. The former hardware store on the square has movie posters in the windows, highlighting some of the movies made there. The town was the location of the original Dukes of Hazzards and In the Heat of the Night (TV version). Drive down Floyd and Conyers Streets to see homes that rival Madison's. Cowboys BBQ is a tiny place that serves BBQ and has a Picker's Corner on Saturday night. Mostly locals, but some who have had recording contracts. Call first and see if they are playing when you are there. If so, drive 278 between Covington and Madison (parallels I20). A really pretty country drive. Just outside of Covington, look for the Brick Store, one of the oldest structures in the state. It's just at the Hub which used to be one of the busiest intersections in the SE (trucks carrying goods off=loaded from trains). Just down the road is the intersection called the Pony Express...for obvious reasons. As you drive 441S out of Madison you may want to stop at Rock Eagle, a 4H camp but also the site of a rock eagle created by native Americans long ago. If you are familiar with the Br'er Rabbit stories, you could also do a detour to the Uncle Remus museum in Eatonton. There are Br-er statues outside the library in Madison. They used to reside at Lenox Square (before it was enclosed as a mall) but moved to Madison. Just some Southern ideas...

Thanks so much for all your help starrs. Great suggestions and a helpful orientation. I have traveled a lot and have blown through this area of the country, but have never spent much time so this is all very useful.

Trip follow up: Madison was very sweet and MUCH better than a Courtyard off of I-75. The drive to Savannah on 441 was also very peaceful. The James Madison Inn in Madison was lovely and I would recommend it highly. Old style, but modern in all of the right ways. Town 220 restaurant next door was very good (food) but they were clearly overrun on a Saturday night. There was a party of about 30 behind me and a few other large parties. It looked like everyone in town was there and the service was slow. Thanks again for the help starrs.

We've lived in Georgia for over 16 years, but we've never been to Madison. Looks like we need to make a visit. Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed the stop in Madison and the route down 441 to 16. When I go to Savannah it's "6 of one, half dozen of the other" re 441 or 16, and I always prefer the 441 route. It's ALMOST four lane all the way and the scenery is just a lot prettier. Madison is so lovely. Glad you enjoyed the James Madison. It's good to get a report on it. I've stayed at B&Bs in Madison but the JM is (relatively) new. Safe travels for the rest of your trip.

I really liked Madison for its quiet gentle atmosphere. I got in on a Saturday afternoon - on the late side - and not too much was happening. If you want night life this is NOT the place to be! And Sunday morning was even quieter.

The James Madison looks like a historic building across from the park, but is only 5 years old. They have done a wonderful job of creating an old gracious feeling in a subtly modern facility. (The contrast is the Bohemian Hotel in Savannah which I posted on in another thread, which tried to do the same thing - new construction 5 years ago - but is just strange.) I got an AAA discount by mentioning it and my room was $179 on a weekend night (inc. breakfast) and was very relaxing. The only downside is that you have a choice of a park view (which is right on a main road going into town) or the alternative, which looks over the parking lot to the restaurant and spa. I stayed in the latter and it was quite quiet even on a Saturday night.