If you are interested in Civil War history, there is a large National Battlefield with a VC and lots of other sites in Vicksburg. You can drive up along the Mississippi River to Memphis, slower but more scenic.

thanks ... Hwy 61 looks like a really good idea ...

riverwalkvicksburg.com

pretty stay there from $40

Jackson UGLY not touristic

Thanks for your feedback ...

Vicksburg seems a better option ..

I would definitely stop in Natchez and spend a day touring the plantation homes there. Monmouth is an oustanding place for the night. The dining room there is superb. I would also check out The Carriage House Restaurant at Stanton Hall for a wonderful lunch.
http://www.stantonhall.com/
http://www.monmouthplantation.com/
Rosswood is a great B&B between Vicksburg and Natchez. Be sure and stop at Old Country Store in Lorman for an outstanding country lunch.
Rosswood Plantation @ 2513 Red Lick Road, Lorman, MS 601 - 437 - 4215.
http://www.rosswood.net/
Old Country Store @ 18801 Hwy 61, Lorman, MS 601 - 437 - 3661.
In Vicksburg you could tour the old antebellum homes and the Vicksburg National Military Park.
Have lunch/dinner @ Rusty's River Front Grill @ 901 South Washington St., Vicksburg, MS 601 - 638 -2030.
or @ Walnut Hills @ 1214 Adams Street, Vicksburg, MS 601 - 638 - 4910‎ for southern cooking.
Stop in Greenville, MS if you have time for dinner at Doe's Eat Place @ 502 Nelson Street
Greenville, MS 662 - 334 - 3315.
http://www.doeseatplace.com/


If you have time stop by Greenwood, MS where you will find some outstanding casual local dining at Lusco's, Crystal Grill and Giardinia's. Giardinia's is in The Alluvian Hotel which is a 4 * hotel owned by Viking Range. The Crystal has good plate lunches, seafood and steaks. Giardinia's and Lusco's both have outstanding seafood and steaks. Lusco's is old style in a fairly rough neighborhood but safe with lots of history and famous names that have been there. Everyone dines in a booth with a curtain same as Giardinia's. Spend the night at The Alluvian and dine at Giardinia's or Lusco's for dinner.
Alluvian Hotel @ 318 Howard Street, Greenwood, MS 662 - 451 - 1500.
http://www.thealluvian.com/
Crystal Grill @ 423 Carrollton Ave.,Greenwood, MS 662 - 453 - 6530.
Giardinia's @ 314 Howard St., Greenwood, MS 662 - 455 - 4227.
http://www.thealluvian.com/restaurants.html
Lusco's @ 722 Carrollton Ave., Greenwood, MS 662 - 453 - 5365.
If you want to try the best Clarksdale has to offer have an early lunch at Ground Zero which is owned by Morgan Freeman and two of his friends. Get a plate lunch or sandwich but eat light. The Blues Museum is next door. Before you leave Clarksdale, MS go to Hick's and get another light lunch of BBQ and tamales. This way you get the best of Clarksdale. Morgan owns Madidi's which is a fine dining restaurant a few blocks from Ground Zero if you would like to stop in for drinks and/or snacks before you leave Clarksdale, MS. It's very nice and highly recommended. The bar opens at 5 PM. There's an old neat store that sells a lot of junk across the street from Madidi's and plenty of places for the wife to purchase items to take home. I wish you could visit Oxford, MS. If not then plan 6/7 hours in Clarksdale. Have an early lunch at GZ, visit the Museum, walk around downtown and shop, get some tamales at Hick's. After lunch head back S on Sunflower by the river and stop at Hick's just to visit. Take a right on Highway 61 which is State St. Go across the river and Hick's is on the right in nice red brick building. Go in visit and get a cold drink. Talk to Eugene and look at his pictures when President Clinton visited. On your way N stop at The Ranchero and get a cold drink. Charlie Conerly who was a famous QB for the NY Giants lived in Clarksdale and there are all kinds of old sports photo's there of Conerly and some of his old buddies. It's a fun place and the food is outstanding.

Wow!

That's comprehensive ... Thanks!

Will check all this out!

hey Littleman, I will have to add a week to the original schedule, now! ;o)

Joke apart, I appreciate all these tips, but there's no way I can fit all this in our schedule!

Not your fault though, I should have stated that this is these would be the first two days of a 2 weeks trip between New Orleans and Washington DC, by way of Nashville, the Smokys, etc ...

We won't be able to discover each area in deep, I'm afraid ...

I will however keep your tips at hand for when we'll be in this area ... (wish I had such detailed ideas for each leg of the journey!)

Here's some help driving through TN. If you want to stop in Memphis, TN for BBQ I suggest you go to Cozy Corner BBQ due to it's location close to I 40. Right after your cross the Mississippi River get off I 40 at Exit 1B and go N on N Danny Thomas Blvd. Go about 2 blocks and you will pass St. Jude Children's Hospital then take a right on N. Parkway. Go 2 blocks to Cozy Corner for outstanding BBQ. When you leave CC head E to N Manasas and take your left. Go a block and take a right on Jackson Ave. then go about half a mile to I 240. Go under the IS and take a left going N and get on I 240 or I40 and go N. Go about 15 miles on I 240. You will turn E and then S before you reach Exit 12C then take I 40 E 200 miles to Nashville, TN.
Cozy Corner @ 745 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN. 901 - 527 - 9158.
http://www.cozycornerbbq.com/
It's about 85 miles from Cozy Corner to Jackson, TN. It's a fine place for a road stop. Get off I 40 at Exit # 80A at Jackson, TN and get off to the right on Hwy. 186/45 then turn into Casey Jones Old Country Store on the right. This is a large complex with Casey Jone's Home and Museum and some shops. The Old Country Store serves a buffet of outstanding country food for breakfast, lunch or dinner and opens at 6:30 AM.
Old Country Store @ 56 Casey Jones Lane, Jackson, TN 731 - 668 - 1223.
http://www.caseyjones.com/OldCountryStore/index.html
Are you going to stop in Nashville along I 40. It's about 4 hours from Memphis, TN. You may want to keep on rolling. If not I will give you a few places for lunch or dinner there, First good country food is at Exit 204 before you get to downtown Nashville on I 40. Get off and go right on Robertson Ave. then take your first left on Charlotte Ave. go past the shopping center on your left and take a left on 53rd Ave. N and Wendell Smith's is on your left open for breakfast, lunch and dinner serving good soul and country food. There's a Best Western, Days Inn, Comfort and Baymont back at Robertson where you get back on I 40 if you want to stay there. If you stay in this area you can go back to Wendell Smith's for breakfast.
Wendell Smith's @ 407 53rd Ave. North, Nashville, TN 615 - 383 - 7114.
If you pass up Wendell Smith's then you can get off I 40 at Exit
Arnold's Country Kitchen @ 605 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 615 - 256 - 4455.
http://www.hollyeats.com/ArnoldsCountryKitchen.htm

Get off I 40 at Exit 238 in Lebanon, TN and go N on S Cumberland to Sunset Restaurant for good country food. Get off I 40 at Exit 258 at Gordonsville, TN and go N on Gordonsville Highway to Timberloft for good BBQ and road food for lunch or dinner. Get off I 40 at Exit 287 in Cookeville, TN and go N on S Jefferson to Maddux Station at E Spring Street for good road food. Go to Brass Lantern in Crossville for good road food. Dickey's has good BBQ and Halcyon is a fun dining choice.
Sunset Restaurant @ 640 South Cumberland St., Lebanon, TN 615 - 444 - 9530.
Timberloft Restaurant @ 470 Gordonsville Highway, Gordonsville, TN 615 - 683 - 5070.
http://www.timberloftrestaurant.com/
Maddux Station Restaurant & Wine Bar @ 319 East Spring St., Cookeville, TN 931 - 854 - 0883.
http://www.madduxstation.com/#
Brass Lantern Restaurant and Lounge @ 79 Chestnut Hill Rd., Crossville, TN 931 - 484 - 7657.
http://thebrasslantern.food.officelive.com/default.aspx
Dickey's BBQ Pit @ 965 Northside Dr., Crossville, TN 931 - 484 - 4900.
Halcyon Days Restaurant @ 2444 Genesis Rd., Crossville, TN 931 - 456 - 3663.
Before you reach Knoxville get off I 40 at Exit 373 on the S side and hit the first street left on Parkside and go about a mile to Smokey Mountrain Brewery for pizza, burgers and steaks. Get back on I 75 and head N on I 75/I 40 past Knoxville.
Smokey Mountain Brewery @ 11308 Parkside Dr., Knoxville, TN 865 - 288 - 5500.
http://www.coppercellar.net/smbSite.shtml
The folks that own Smokey Mountain own Copper Cellar just N of SM at Exit 380 S of I 40 on Parkside also convenient to plenty of shopping and just a minute off I 40. Both places are similar.
Copper Cellar Restaurant @ 7316 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 865 - 673 - 3422.
http://www.coppercellar.net/copperSite.shtml
Unless you spend the night close to Knoxville, TN I would keep rolling and get on around Knoxville, TN and head E out of the traffic. Litton's is a good family restaurant in Knoxville, TN but it's not convenient to I 40. If you took the I 640 by pass around Knoxville, TN on the N side it's pretty convenient. Get off I 640 at Exit 6 and go N on N Broadway SE to Litton's for good country family food.
Litton's Market and Restaurant @ 2803 Essary Dr., Knoxville, TN 865 - 688 - 0429.
http://www.littonburgers.com/
When you leave Knoxville, TN you may need to make a road stop.. If you want to get on past Knoxville here's a neat place 30 miles E of Knoxville with good seafood for lunch. If you don't eat you can rest and get a cold drink. Get off I 40 at Exit 417 and go S on Hwy. 92 a couple of miles to Dandridge, TN. This runs into Meeting St. Go 5/6 blocks to Dandridge Seafood Restaurant.
Dandridge Seafood Restaurant @ 310 East Meeting St., Dandridge, TN 865 - 397 - 2315.
I would rather go to Smoky's Steak and BBQ which is one street over on E. Main and before the Dandridge Seafood Restaurant. They have good burgers, salads, etc. I know you did not want BBQ but Smoky's is a very nice restaurant in an attractive location with outdoor dining on the front porch. Check this link for their menu.
Smoky's Steak and BBQ @ 149 East Main St., Dandridge, TN 865 - 397 - 2272.
http://www.smokyssteakandbbq.com/