I've always wanted to visit the South. This June I am finally making my dream a reality. The plan is to rent a car and take two weeks to visit Nashville, Savannah, GA., Atlanta, Mobile, AL, Jackson, MS, New Orleans and Memphis.
I would love ideas on great, unique things to see and cheap places to stay. Looking to absorb as much local music, food and history as I can.

Thanks for your help everyone!

Starting and ending where? You may not have time, but you might want to work in Memphis and/or Natchez. Maybe visit somewhere like Cumberland National Seashore along the way too.

We really like the old historic plantation homes. River Road(between New Orleans and Baton Rouge).

The earlier in June you can do it would be better. It gets hotter and more humid the deeper you get into summer.

I have lived in a lot of these paces. You do need to tell us where you are starting, and I can help you work out a route.

Also, where are you coming from? If you are from Cairns, Australia, it won't seem warm. If you are coming from the UK or northeastern US, it will.

Need to add Charleston in there too. I think you may have some outliers there for a more comfortable trip. The distances are pretty great so there will be a lot of road time. You have 7 places--that translates to less than 1.5 days in each place with travel time. It will be a drive by vacation.

Thanks everyone for you suggestions! Sorry I forgot to add we are starting and ending in Chicago. Trying to do a big loop. Would love to hit places like Memphis and Clarksdale on the way back. We aren't really tied to anything, the cities I mentioned where just ideas. Hoping to see where the road takes us

I'm on my way to the opera, so this will just be a sketch, but

Chicago, Memphis, Mississippi Delta, New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville, Nashville, Chicago.

If you are more interested in civil rights history than music and scenery, add Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, and Atlanta. Otherwise, Atlanta is pretty lacking in anything except traffic. Selma and Montgomery are just lacking.

This is an awesome amount of driving. The only way you will see anything other than highways and a few sites is to get off the interstate highways for a few hours every day. For example, the drive from Savannah to Charleston via Beaufort is both interesting and often beautiful. The drive via I 95 is dreadful

I'll try to fill in more after Ariadne comes down from Naxos.

In the meantime, consider dividing this trip into two, the "western South" this year, the "eastern South" next year. Fly into Chicago for the west, into Dulles (i assume you are coming from the UK) for the east.

I agree--two trips. And maybe not Dulles but Charlotte for the eastern.
Is there a reason to start in Chicago--you could land in Memphis and be more on your way.

In Memphis, check out music on Beale Street. And check out the ducks at the Peabody Hotel. You'll have to call the hotel to see what time of day they make their trek. And be sure to get some good BBQ, although I can't recommend a particular place. And Elvis Presly's home.

I live in Atlanta. I can't see any reason to include it. It is a transportation hub, business Southeastern US Hqtrs but nothing I know of for the tourist (maybe you know something I don't). I think the time it will use up is not worth the reward.

Road trip - the most interesting parts are the Atlantic coast and the Miss to Memphis trip (maybe the Natchez trail?). Most interesting cities Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans.
Each of those cities probably has come civil rights history - So I wouldn't come to Atlanta for that alone. You could easily spend a month on this trip.

I've visited Atlanta twice from the northeast and it was one time too many. Traffic was the worst I've ever experienced and it seemed as though it was one strip center after another. People are lovely, though.

A trip through the western South would take you from Chicago to St. Louis to the Ozarks to Memphis to the Mississippi Delta, New Orleans, Cajun Country, Mobile, Nashville, Chicago. It is still a lot for two weeks by car, and it is music focused.

A trip through the eastern South would include Washington, DC, Monticello, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, maybe the Great Smoky Mountains, Charleston, Beaufort, Savannah, and Williamsburg. It could start and end at Dulles or in Charlotte, depending on where you got a good flight. It is still a lot of driving. It is focused on scenery and history.

Atlanta is a random city. Other than the Coca-Cola tour, there's nothing of real interest unless you want to delve DEEP into Civil Rights history (Alabama, South Carolina and other states have more significant sites). And the traffic sucks on a good day.

Jackson is a pit. Go to the Gulf Coast.

For "cheap places to stay" you need to state a budget. There are Red Roof Inns and Motel 6 establishments all along the interstates.

Considering you're on I-55 anyway, why not just go south on it, turn east at New Orleans, tour some of the Gulf Coast (Gulfport, MS; Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL [esp. the Naval Air Station]) then turn back through Nashville (straight up I-65 from Mobile) through Bourbonland and back to your frozen metropolis on the Lake.

As I live in Atlanta, I have to defend it (in part). The ATL has Civil Rights and the Civil War to recommend it and those are pretty big draws.

This is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Atlanta, so that's a good reason to come here: Atlanta History Center for a good preliminary look at the War and Atlanta's place in it and maybe a civil war tour out of the museum if there is one (and there should be). We believe in burning or tearing the City down and starting over every few years, so it takes a great deal of knowledge of the area and imagination to be able to "see" the Battle today. Also, Kennesaw Mountain National Military Park and the Cyclorama.

For Civil Rights, King Center historic area and a stroll down "Sweet Auburn" Avenue to look at some of the important places associated with the African-American business class. A Civil Rights Museum is planned near World of Coca Cola and a street car will soon connect King Center with the "museum district." Still don't understand why they didn't put the Civil Rights museum on or near Auburn Avenue.

I concur in skipping Jackson, MS, however, so based on original itinerary (and starting in New Orleans)--Mobile, Montgomery with its Civil Rights stuff, Tuskegee Institute, Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston. You can see right now that two weeks is not going to be enough to see all there is. Good idea to break this into two trips.

Do visit Clarksdale, MS, and possibly Vicksburg, MS, between Memphis and NOLA for a really great Civil War park and old MS River City where you can get a very good idea of what happened.

BigRuss--I'd be interested in hearing about the Civil Rights sites in South Carolina, although I do concur that Alabama has more to offer at this point than Atlanta--of course, Alabama is a state and Atlanta is a city and there are other places in Georgia with a connection. Memphis also has the National Civil Rights Museum, which is one of the best.

In SC: it's more academic than general, I suppose. I think first of Clarendon County because it's the birthplace of the Brown lawsuit. Plus the Orangeberg massacre, Strom Thurmond (not a site, true) and http://www.columbiasc63.com/.

And yeah, the trip may need much more time.

Thank you everyone! I think I am going to take everyone's suggestion and break this up into two trips. I think I will save the south east for my next adventure. Can't wait to check out all these great places. Is it June yet?!

BigRuss--Columbia S.C. has a Woodrow Wilson family home with a Reconstruction exhibit. We'll check it out. Columbia is a lovely town anyway.