We will be travelling by car around the south in Sep. As we will be travelling on the cheap we are looking for reasonably priced accomodation, places to visit, cheap eats etc.

Sue- This is a bit like saying we'll be visiting the Eastern side of Australia. Can you narrow it down a bit? How long will you be here, what sort of things do you want to see (battlefields, museums, art galleries, antebellum homes, redneck joints??), what kind of accomodations (hotels, motels, campgrounds), etc? give us some details and we'll be happy to help!

I think the question should be, "why the south?"

Thanks Kendra. I tried to send you an e-mail at the above address but it was returned. Obviously this site does not give legit e-mail addresses. As I am new to this, I am not sure what to put. We will be arriving in Orlando on 31/8 visiting MGM Disney then going to New Orleans via Tallahassee. Staying in New Orleans for two days then on to Memphis via Natchez, Vicksburg etc. From Memphis we will travel back towards Florida hopefully visiting Charleston and Savannah. So these are the places that we have planned so far. Would like to see the 'real' South, off the beaten track and visit blues bars, civil war sites and (if any) native american indian sites. There are four of us (two women and two teenage girls).

As for XXX does this person have nothing to do with his/her time but send stupid messages. People post messages on this site for advise from seasoned travellers and locals, not to receive some smart arse remark.

Dear Sue, Since you are looking for cheap hotels I would recommend www.hotwire.com. I have used this service hundreds of times and you can get very nice hotel rooms for $20 to $40 per night throughout the South. You will have to prepay for them so you will need to plan your route. As far as cheap eats in the South, nobody beats the Waffle House. Steak n Shake is another chain that is located throughout the South. You are starting in Orlando. It will be very hot so be prepared. Hopefully you are renting a car with a good air conditioner. Temps will be above 30 degrees. Orlando has Universal Studios and Disney World. While in Florida you could visit the Miami area. There are many Indian reservations in Florida. There is a great one near Miami called Big Cypress situated in the Everglades. New Orleans is great. Try to get a hotel in the French Quarter, the Central Business District, or Garden District. You can then ditch the car and get around by foot or by streetcar. New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in the US and you will find alot of history. Natchez and Vicksburg have alot of Civil War History. Birmingham Alabama is on the way and it is a great place, even with the dark history from the civil rights era. You can tour the museums. You should try and see Atlanta for a bit. Atlanta is the center of the new south. You will see alot of history there as well. MLK is buried there and there is a center in his memory. Savannah and Charleston both offer alot of history and are very charming. Atlantic Ocean Beaches are nearby so you may want to take a break and spend some time there. Your teenagers may like Six Flags over Georgia near Atlanta or Jazzland in New Orleans. Hope this helps.

Sue:

I can't really tell you much about New Orleans or Northern Florida. I've been to Florida several times and try to avoid Orlando (too crowded). I'd suggest the Gulf Coast and South Florida. You'd enjoy Miami and the Keys. I believe you'll really like Charleston, SC, very historic.

If you go through Charleston, South Carolina, it might be worth it to spend a night in Isle of Palm. It is a beautiful Island less that an hour from Charleston. I'm not sure about budget accomadations though. It is cooler than the main land of S.C. Having lived in S.C. for 2 years this is very important. We would drive down to the coast on a hot day (But then they were all hot days), it is a nice change. If you want a real "taste" of the south, I think you will get it in Mississippi. I have lived in N.C., S.C., Georgia, but my dad's family is from central MS, and I am amazed at how traditionally southern it is.

hey auzzies try new england they have some graet gaols you might feel at home !

Sue, take a look into staying at some of the U.S. National Parks. They're typically inexpensive and interesting in their own right.

http://www.nps.gov/

sue
People don't use their real e-mail addresses because they may get bombarded with advertisements etc. after posting the real thing, so most of us use aliases. That said, enjoy Orlando, stay in Motel 6 or Holiday Inn motel for inexpensive but safe rooms. Divided by 2 or 4 it won't be expensive. Stop off in Destin, Florida and enjoy a few days on the beach before going to New Orleans. Try to get a room at the Holiday Inn in the French Quarter, phone # 800-747-3279. There are many wonderful places to eat in New Orleans but for good cheap eats try Central Grocery ( just down from Cafe du Monde ) in the French Quarter for the best Muffeletto sandwich in the world. You'll find a lot of other inexpensive places to eat in the French Quarter. Natchez and Vicksburg offer nice Civil War sites to see, Memphis offers the King's palace, Elvis Presely's Graceland, a must see tourist site, like going to the top of Mount Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania. Some minor pilgrimages we all must make. Definitely go to Chareston, lots of history, good restuarants and beautiful city. Enjoy yourselves....

Also consider:

The Okefenoke Swamp.. really cool and sorta creepy boat tours of a very unusual ecosystem.

Those three islands off the coast just north of Florida. (The golden isles?) Beautiful and scenic, with great bike riding.

Gulf swimming along Pensacola. There are roadside stops where you can just park the car and jump in the water.