Coming to America (again)
 

Hi All,

Next year we will be visiting you beautiful country again.
After two visits to the West it's now time to visit the South-East.

Our plans are roughly:
Start and End in Orlando.
We have about 3,5 weeks and want to visit New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and states like North and South Carolina (and the ones South of those).

I've been to New Orleans and Memphis in 1995 before but for my wife it's the first time in this part.

What do we HAVE to visit. ;-)

If you enjoy unspoiled beaches and ones unlike those in Europe, the Outer Banks of North Carolina might be a place to consider...or the Sea Islands in South Carolina and Georgia.

You might also enjoy the Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina/Eastern Tennessee as well as a stop in Asheville, NC, to tour America's largest privately-owned house, the Biltmore Estate.

Doesn't compare to the palaces in Europe but interesting nonetheless.

"What do we HAVE to visit"?

Charleston
Savannah
St. Augustine

Yes, Charleston is a beautiful city. We spent a lot of time touring the old plantations - many great history lessons here. The architecture and gardens are beautiful. We enjoyed dinner at Magnolia's too.

If you go to Memphis, consider taking the Natchez Trace (or at least part of it) from Memphis down to Natchez, Mississippi, before continuing on to New Orleans. This scenic roadway started as an Indian path and is still in use today. There are some historic sites along it, too.

Natchez itself is a nice stop for a day or so, with plantation history and Native American burial mounds.

You might also consider a stop in Vicksburg, MS, site of one of the largest battles in the US Civil War. The park and its memorial statuary pretty much overwhelms the town, but it's worth a stop if your itinerary and interests bring you that way.

Natchez is on and Vicksburg is just adjacent to the Mississippi River.

If you have three to five weeks--wow!--, consider including Washington, DC as your northernmost point.

Be sure to have a peak at *Graceland* in Memphis -
Home of ELVIS -

Regardless if a fan or not, it's definitely unique in America :)

'If you have three to five weeks--wow!--, consider including Washington, DC as your northernmost point.'

We have 3 1/2 weeks not 3 to 5 weeks. ;-)

Where can we find St. Augustine?
(Google maps sends me to Pennsylvania)

Our current planning looks something like this: (sleepovers)
Day 1 - Orlando (FL)
Day 2 - Jacksonville (FL)
Day 3 - Savannah (GA)
Day 4 - Charleston (SC)
Day 5 - Charlotte (NC)
Day 6 - Asheville (NC)
Day 7 - Knoxville (TN)
Day 8 - Chattanooga (TN)
Day 9 - Nashville (TN)
Day 10 - Nashville (TN)
Day 11 - Memphis (TN)
Day 12 - Memphis (TN)
Day 13 - Jackson (MS)
Day 14 - Natchez (MS)
Day 15 - Baton Rouge (LA)
Day 16 - New Orleans (LA)
Day 17 - New Orleans (LA)
Day 18 - New Orleans (LA)
Day 19 - Pensacola (FL)
Day 20 - Panama City Beach (FL)
Day 21 - Panama City Beach (FL)
Day 22 - Perry (FL)
Day 23 - Orlando (FL)
Day 24 - Orlando (FL)
Day 25 - Zeewolde (Home)

Not too much miles a day we think.
It's a first planning so we can switch here and there.

How is the area around New Orleans these days?
I've been there in 1995 and did a swamp tour. Would that be possible next year (because of Katrina)

Hi Bertorelli-

In response to your question, "Where is St. Augustine?" it is on the way from Orlando to Jacksonville, approximately 100 miles from Orlando and approximately 40-45 miles south of Jacksonville.

If you take Interstate Highway 4 (I-4) from Orlando toward Daytona Beach and then get on I-95 toward Jacksonville, it is about a 2-2½-hour trip. It is not out of your way one bit. St. Augustine would be a much better place to spend the night, instead of Jacksonville.

Here is some basic information about St. Augustine to get you started:

<http://www.getaway4florida.com/> and <http://www.st.augustine.com/>.

You can definitely do a swamp tour post-Katrina. I just spent a week in New Orleans on a volunteer vacation, and one night we did a swamp tour. It was one of the most fun things we did on our trip - the swamp was more beautiful than I could imagine. Great time!

When you are in New Orleans, please make it to Frenchmen Street for some great jazz. If you like beer with your live music, I heartily recommend d.b.a. *Excellent* beer selection, great interior, great music. I think we had to pay $5 to get in since there was live music, but it was worth it...and Frenchmen Street is a wonderful change from the French Quarter which can be really in-your-face.

Enjoy your trip.

Completely in agreement with Orlando-Vic's recommendations:

Charleston: very nice place with an old country atmosphere. Visitors from overseas love this place, including my parents.

Savannah: have never personally been there, but very good reviews, similar to Charleston.

St. Augustine: also very historic with the old fort and old city, and very beautiful beaches. Would select this over Jacksonville, as it is easier to get around, and more stuff to do, in my opinion.

Is there a specific reason you have Jackson, MS on the list? It is a little bit of a detour from the Memphis-Natchez route and IMO not a huge tourist draw (with the caveat that I know MS as a tourist, not a resident!).

There are lovely towns along the Gulf Coast from the LA border to FL. Unfortunately these are the same that were wiped out in Katrina and I haven't been down there since, so I can't report on the post-hurricane experience. But you may want to consider at least Mobile, AL. If you can, drive along the water and not on the interstate for at least part of the way between LA and FL!

Also, what time of year will this be? That makes a big difference with activities! ;)

I think you should consider visiting the Kennedy Space Center. I would choose 2 nights in some place besides Panama City beach. I didn't like it at all.

Since you are spending time in Charleston - there is a beautiful area close by - Kiawah Island
Beautiful beaches/ resorts/ golf courses - known as a place where the sea turtles lay their eggs

Its an island but you just drive over a bridge to get there

Its been a long time since I was there- but have very fond memories of that place. When we visited there were still some wild horses on the island - and an alligortor on the golf course.

http://www.kiawah.com/

Bertorelli,

Sorry if you've noted this, but approximately what time of year are you thinking of taking this trip?

Although the weather in the South is generally nice year round, I woudln't want your trip to FL to be affected by what I consider the WORST time to be there (ala February-April for Spring Break silliness).

Hi,

We picked Jackson, MS because it's halfway Memphis and New Orleans.
But Vicksburg or Natchez would be fine too.

We will be traveling from mid june thru mid july.

So we will be there one july 4th. :)

Thanks for al the tips! Keep them coming... ;-)

My only comment is that you will be seeing many places, but not much at any of these places. You are picking up and moving each of the first 9 days. You'll be in each destination less than 24 hours. This might be your preference, but I would much rather explore a few destinations than barely scratch the surface at many.

So it will be *warm* when you're here! And you'll miss Mardi Gras but get Independance Day - a good trade, I think. ;) (Mardi Gras is quite a scene, but all of the Gulf Coast gets consumed by it. In fact, story has it that the carnivals started in Mobile before becoming popular in NO...)

On my trip in MS, we went through Jackson to get up to Vicksburg (then circled back down to the coast through Natchez). Vicksburg was cute, and as I said the battle memorial park is there. I'd say we liked Natchez a bit more - I particularly remember good ribs for dinner there, and we preferred the hotel. Unfortunately I don't remember the names of places! I'll have to see if my sister does.

If you take the Natchez Trace, Jackson will be on your way and Vicksburg a bit out of your way.

Wow - it does seem like you have a "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" itinerary mapped out (named for American tourists that crammed in a huge amount on their Europe ventures). But it doesn't seem like you are allowing yourself anytime to "stop and savor the flavor" of any one place.

And those one-day stops barely allow for any taking-in of the locales, when you factor in driving.

Charleston and Savannah are two of the South's (and the US's) most distinctive and architecturally interesting cities. I think you'll be doing a disservice to blow them off in basically a couple of hours.

And you do realize the kind of summer heat you will be encountering?

Just a couple thoughts....

The drive from Asheville to Knoxville on Interstate 40 is very pretty. However,if you want to get off the beaten path and take it a bit slower, drive through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

In Nashville, you might consider a half day trip to Franklin, TN (about 15 miles south of Nashville) it is a small town with many beautiful antebellum mansions.

Bertorelli, let me ask you this. If I said that we were flying to Amsterdam to start and end a 3 and 1/2 week vacation, what would you think of this itinerary?

Day 1 - Amsterdam
Day 2 -Hamburg
Day 3 - Berlin
Day 4 - Prague
Day 5 - Linz
Day 6 -Vienna
Day 7 - Budapest
Day 8 - Graz
Day 9 - Innsbruck
Day 10 - Innsbruck
Day 11 - Munich
Day 12 - Munich
Day 13 - Zurich
Day 14 - Lausanne
Day 15 -Lyon
Day 16 - Paris
Day 17 - Paris
Day 18 - Paris
Day 19 - Luxembourg
Day 20 - Koln
Day 21 - Brussels
Day 22 - Brussels
Day 23 - Amsterdam
Day 24 - Amsterdam
Day 25 - (Home)

If you think this sounds like a great trip and a good idea, then I'd say go for the US itinary you've mentioned. I'd say my itinerary is quite similar for Europe as yours is for the US. I've tried to make it about the same distances between cities and overall, and the same number of one night, two night, and three night stays.

The roughest part is that everyone seems to be giving you more things to add -- rather than how to narrow it down -- and yet all their suggestions are basically good ones.

We loved Savannah too - read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendts (a true story) before you go, to enjoy the atmosphere better. Also, there used to be Mrs Wilkes Guest House for lunch - follow the queue and wait in line for your turn to be served a great variety of traditional southern comfort food, at tables of twelve guests. Great fun, and a good way to meet people, in the queues even! We went a few years ago, and it was an institution. Anyone know if it's still going? If it is, it's a "don't miss", I think.

Unless you are going to visit Disneyland etc, I wouldn't bother with Orlando - it's horrible!

The Coca Cola Museun in Atlanta was interesting and fun.

We Aussies had three weeks, started in Memphis, then Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando (the Space Centre day trip was good, and we saw a shuttle land) Savannah and Charleston, and back to Memphis via Destin (great white sand beach) and wonderful New Orleans. Think we fitted in Dallas and Houston too somewhere. Of course it's better to have more time, but I don't remember feeling it was too much. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

It might be nice to pick a place for July 4th fireworks. It is often held on the actual date of July 4th, but sometimes on a different date. Some towns have parades and picnics and music concerts that day too, which might be fun.

Why begin and end in Orlando? It would be better to fly open jaw, so you don't have to backtrack to Orlando. I'd skip that town altogether myself, and focus instead on the coastline, historic towns, etc.
:)>-

WOW !
Thanks for all the response :)

We fly on Orlando because we have a couple of Delta Airlines Vouchers and flying on Orlando was the cheapest option.
And a visit to one of the parks over there is never a waste ;-)

Last year we visited the West (Arizona , Utah, New Mexico) and stayed in most places for only 1 or 2 nights.
I realize now that most of those places were much smaller than the cities in the East.

I will consider skipping some of the places and add a couple of extra nights in the other cities.

to be continued...

Ok how about this?

I've added an extra night in Savannah, Charleston, Asheville, Chattanooga and Natchez.
Had to drop Memphis and Nashville :(
Didn't see an other option.
Added Birmingham instead between Chattanooga and Vicksburg.
From Vicksburg to Natchez is 80 mls so that leaves some time to visit Vicksburg.

Orlando (FL)
St. Augustine (FL)
Savannah (GA)
Savannah (GA)
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Asheville (NC)
Asheville (NC)
Knoxville (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Birmingham (AL)
Birmingham (AL)
Vicksburg (MS)
Natchez (MS)
Natchez (MS)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
Pensacola (FL)
Panama City (FL)
Perry (FL)
Orlando (FL)
Orlando (FL)
Zeewolde (Home)

I know that we cramped a lot in this 3.5 weeks but we experianced (is that correct English?) that traveling in the US is much more relaxing than traveling in Europe.

The roads are way more overcrowded over here and traveling in or out cities can take hours.

I calculated an averidge of less than 130 miles a day so that's not too bad ?!?

We can add an extra day also so that gives use some extra space.

Greetings

Bert & Hilda

Hello again,

Found an alternative for Orlando.
Flying in to Charleston and skipping Florida.

So our route would be something like;
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Asheville (NC)
Asheville (NC)
Knoxville (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Birmingham (AL)
Birmingham (AL)
Vicksburg (MS)
Vicksburg (MS)
Natchez (MS)
Natchez (MS)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
Mobile (AL)
Montgomery (AL)
Macon (GA)
Savannah (SC)
Savannah (SC)
Savannah (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Zeewolde (Home)

So we have 2 or 3 nights at most places.
And still see all the hot spots.
We don't intend to book the hotels in advance but as we travel.
So our trip is still open for some last minute changes.
Mileage per day looks ok ( only 2 long drives of > 200mls )

Does this look ok?

Greetings

Bert & Hilda
The Netherlands

Can you fly into Orlando and out of Charleston (or vice versa)? I'm not clear on the driving distances in the south, but it seems a shame to miss Florida and Georgia completely.

"...but we have experienced that..."

Have fun. It sounds like a great trip.

Looking much better. The drive from Mobile to Savannah is only 8 hours total. I'd spend just one night between them -- perhaps at a very short detour to Pine Mountain, Georgia and spend the night at Callaway Gardens. Then you'd have an extra night to add along the way to one spot. I honestly don't see a major reason to spend a night in either Montgomery or in Macon.

Another alternative is to go from Mobile to Savannah mainly on I-10 and stop at Panama City and maybe St. Augustine instead of Montgomery and Macon.

Wow, I hate to add anything to an already packed itinerary but Atlanta is arguably the most important city in the region. If nothing else, you could visit the Carter Center, the Martin Luther King Historic sites and the King Center, and the CNN Center. If you have a little more time, the sites from the Battle of Atlanta during the American Civil War are interesting, particularly Kennesaw Mountain.

If you are in town on the 4th of July, may I suggest viewing the fireworks from the historic Courthouse Square in Decatur, four miles east of Atlanta and easily reached on public transportation. The orchestra plays the 1812 Overture on the community bandstand and the fireworks go up over the old courthouse.

In addition to Decatur, tour some of our interesting neighborhoods. I am fond of Inman Park, Virginia Highlands and Little Five Points.

Atlanta has a superb theater scene; check out whatever's playing at the Alliance Theater or Seven Stages. For music you have many choices, the Variety Playhouse and Eddie's Attic are both dependable.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful and safe trip.

Bertorelli,

First of all, I hope you will enjoy all that the South has to offer. It is a truly wonderful place with many great things to visit and friendly people.

I will say a few things. First, I would highly recommend that you spend some time in Cajun Country/Plantation Area around New Orleans and subtract time from Birmingham and eliminate Montgomery and Mobile. You really don't need to be spending two nights there.

Also, I wouldn't try to cut Florida out, but just limit your visit to the Panhandle of Florida. I would recommend staying at Seaside, FL, in Florida. That way you take in the great beaches along the Panhandle (some of of the best in the US). Seaside has a great ambiance, kind of like a mixture of a Cape Cod Seaside town and a Gulf Coast village. I put a few days there to kind of relax, which may be needed after heavy touring, especially in the New Orleans area.

Also, I'd say that Natchez doesn't have that much to offer, so trim a day there and tack onto the Louisiana portion. Ditto for Mobile and Montgomery.

The itinerary might look like this:
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Asheville (NC)
Asheville (NC)
Knoxville (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Chattanooga (TN)
Birmingham (AL)
Vicksburg (MS)
Vicksburg (MS)
Natchez (MS)
Cajun Country (LA)
Cajun Country (LA)
River Road (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
New Orleans (LA)
Seaside (FL)
Seaside (FL)
Savannah (GA)
Savannah (GA)
Savannah (GA)
Charleston (SC)
Charleston (SC)
Zeewolde (Home)

olive_oil-
Will Stone Mountain have anything special for 4th of July? If so, that might be a real treat!

Dear Orlando Vic,

Stone Mountain Park has scheduled activities all year long, including a popular fireworks display for the 4th of July (although I have never attended as I like our neighborhood event here in Decatur.)

And the climb to the top of Stone Mountain is fun and memorable.

I'd have to agree that circling Atlanta and never going there seems a bit odd in a tour of "the South". Have you booked airfare yet? I doubt that there are many flights into Charleston. Why not save money and book a flight in and out of Atlanta and following the same itinerary, but out of your current order?

Atlanta is between Chattanooga and Birmingham, so you could start in Atlanta, go to Birmingham and make the full circle ending with Chattanooga just before getting back to Atlanta.

Frankly, I have read every single one of your revisions and this thjing is definitely spiraling out of control IMO.

Sorry, but Birmingham...for what? Two days in Vicksburg AND Natchez...how many of those houses are you actually going to look at and then going down the River Road as well?

Sorry, not trying to be snarky but after Charleston, Savannah, the "South Shall Rise Again" Vicksburg/Natchez thing you'll start looking like Vivian Leigh at Tara.

I think you need a dose of Key West but its too far away.

Enjoy your trip, though..sincerely.

PS..here's a thought...make a stopover in Biloxi so you can get back to reality LOL!

I agree with former posters, don't miss the Kennedy Space Center.

<i>Wow, I hate to add anything to an already packed itinerary but Atlanta is arguably the most important city in the region.</i>

*Arguably?*

I can't imagine leaving out a stop in Atlanta if you are touring the Southeast. I have lived in the Southeast for most of my life (MS, LA, AL, NC, VA and GA), and after New Orleans and Charleston, I do think Atlanta would be considered a &quot;must see.&quot; There is a lot to see in Atlanta besides the urban sprawl. The new aquarium, the Martin Luther King Historic site, the Margaret Mitchell house, Stone Mountain, etc.

And honestly, I can't understand for a minute why someone would prefer to go to Knoxville and Chattanooga INSTEAD of Memphis and Nashville. Go to Memphis and Nashville! Visit Graceland!

You have it right in MS: definitely skip Jackson and visit Vicksburg and Natchez, with a stop in Greenville if you can (an absolute must-see for any blues fan). A stopover in Biloxi between NO and Seaside would be well worth the visit also. (If you want to see the most extreme Katrina damage, take a trip along Highway 90 from Biloxi to Pass Christian, which is only about 20 minutes, but it's eye opening, to say the least.)

Please, skip Macon.

If you want to start and end in Charleston, how about this?

Charleston (3 nights)
Savannah (2)
Atlanta (2)
Nashville (2)
Memphis (2)
Natchez (1)
New Orleans (4)
Destin (or Seaside or other FL beach town) (2)
Jacksonville (1)
Charleston (1)

With a minimum of 2 nights in places, that keeps you from driving long trips every day, which you really won't want to do.