We are driving kids home from college in Durham, NH, through Newport, VA, on our way home to Houston. We'd like to make a somewhat scenic trip out of it with some stops along the way. We are thinking of PA between NH and VA, then Asheville & Birmingham after VA. Any suggestions are appreciated!

I would def skip PA (ex: Philadelphia)and visit the Eastern Shore of Maryland (Chestertown and the many fishing towns).
Museum of the Confederacy, etc. in Richmond.
Don't miss Natchez and Vicksburg if you have never been there.
W. North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee are great.
Birmingham????
Buen viaje.
M

We used to travel this route (more or less) growing up. We would spend the summer in New England and we would be driving from Louisiana, so I'm well familiar with the I-10/I-59/I-81/I-84 route up there and back.

You could stop at NYC or Philly along the way and stay a few days, that would be great. Shenandoah Valley is quite lovely as well. A stop at Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain would be a good bet between your Asheville and Birmingham segment.

From Birmingham, I'd head straight down to the Florida Panhandle and stay at the beaches there in maybe Destin or Pensacola Beach.

Then take I-10 West to New Orleans. Stay there for a few days. Finally, take US90 West from New Orleans out to Cajun Country and visit the Tabasco Factory and St. Martinville.

Finally, make a stop for dinner in Lafayette and dine on some Cajun food.

Spend the last night in Lake Charles at L'auberge du Lac and gamble a bit before heading back to Houston.

bN,
The roads in LA are the very worst and that includes nearly all here in Mexico since NAFTA.
M