How to spend winter vacation weeks traveling by car in US
Aug 6th, 2009, 06:02 AM
#21
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I think you have a myriad of great suggestions here that likely doesn't fit your pre-conceived agenda. So, are you really looking for suggestions, or validation ? As mentioned by several people, if it is warmer weather you seek, then the only real answer (w/any certainty) is south Fl. & the Keys.
Aug 7th, 2009, 11:15 AM
#22
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The newest issue of Nat'l Geo Traveler (sept 09) has an article America: 20 Great Road trips. It mentions Charlottesville to Gettysberg, the Blues Highway, the Bourbon Trail, and the Land of the Navajo and Hop, among others. There aren't many details for each but it might be worthwhile for ideas.
Aug 7th, 2009, 12:12 PM
#23
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Low key and interesting? Civil War sites?
Did you say where you are flying in from? It's probably cheapest to fly into Atlanta from most places outside the US.
Rent a car in ATL and then loop through the Deep South, stopping along the way for a quick meal, overnight or for 3-4 days, depending on your interests. If you have six weeks you could go a lot of places:
Atlanta - fly in, rent the car, see aquarium
Chattanooga, TN (pretty mountain town)
Nashville, TN (lots of music)
Memphis, TN (Elvis and more music)
Clarksdale, MS (quick stop if you're a blues fan)
Vicksburg, MS (Civil War sites, plantation homes)
Natchez, MS (not far from V'burg -combine visits)
New Orleans, LA (stay awhile, lots to see)
Biloxi, MS (if you want to gamble at the many casinos)
Destin, FL (nice beach but will probably be too cold)
Jacksonville/St. Augustine, FL (historic)
Orlando, FL (if you like theme parks and Disney)
Miami/Keys, FL (if you want warm weather, beaches)
Savannah, GA (historic and pretty)
Charleston, SC (stay awhile)
Atlanta, GA - return the rental car and fly home
It won't be truly warm beach weather, but it shouldn't be too cold either (although you could see snow in GA or TN). Spend more time in south FL if you want truly warm weather.
Did you say where you are flying in from? It's probably cheapest to fly into Atlanta from most places outside the US.
Rent a car in ATL and then loop through the Deep South, stopping along the way for a quick meal, overnight or for 3-4 days, depending on your interests. If you have six weeks you could go a lot of places:
Atlanta - fly in, rent the car, see aquarium
Chattanooga, TN (pretty mountain town)
Nashville, TN (lots of music)
Memphis, TN (Elvis and more music)
Clarksdale, MS (quick stop if you're a blues fan)
Vicksburg, MS (Civil War sites, plantation homes)
Natchez, MS (not far from V'burg -combine visits)
New Orleans, LA (stay awhile, lots to see)
Biloxi, MS (if you want to gamble at the many casinos)
Destin, FL (nice beach but will probably be too cold)
Jacksonville/St. Augustine, FL (historic)
Orlando, FL (if you like theme parks and Disney)
Miami/Keys, FL (if you want warm weather, beaches)
Savannah, GA (historic and pretty)
Charleston, SC (stay awhile)
Atlanta, GA - return the rental car and fly home
It won't be truly warm beach weather, but it shouldn't be too cold either (although you could see snow in GA or TN). Spend more time in south FL if you want truly warm weather.
Aug 7th, 2009, 12:19 PM
#24
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Oh, I left out Texas. From New Orleans, you could drive across LA, stop in Lake Charles, to Houston or Galveston. Depending on how much time you have, Austin is a great place to visit. But if you make this whole loop, that is a lot of driving.
Aug 7th, 2009, 01:30 PM
#25
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Let's get past your somewhat crabby and ungracious to people trying to help you and look at your original post in light of some of the responses.
1. You appreciate scenery. Well, except for right along the coast, the vegetation is going to be dead from November to mid-March, so that limits you to a coastal trip like the one BetsyinKy described.
2. You are interested in culture but not in big city crowds. Well, one of the things that makes the south different from NY or NE is that the population, even in big cities, isn't very dense. Traffic in places like Atlanta can be awful, but the sidewalks are not crowded. So pick a category (art museum, historical museum) and do a little research on cities that have stuff like that. Unfortunately, cultural sites aren't particularly dense, either. You are not going to find multiple museums in single cities, with the exception of Ft Worth, which has three absolutely fabulous museums within lasso distance of each other.
3. You like "surprising spots". What does that mean to you? Would you drive 100 miles out of your way to see a bottle tree? Eat a great BBQ sandwich? Eat a great fish plate? See a winter training baseball game? Would you stay in a mom and pop motel where you park the car outside your room? Etc. If you want good answers, you have to help the people you ask.
1. You appreciate scenery. Well, except for right along the coast, the vegetation is going to be dead from November to mid-March, so that limits you to a coastal trip like the one BetsyinKy described.
2. You are interested in culture but not in big city crowds. Well, one of the things that makes the south different from NY or NE is that the population, even in big cities, isn't very dense. Traffic in places like Atlanta can be awful, but the sidewalks are not crowded. So pick a category (art museum, historical museum) and do a little research on cities that have stuff like that. Unfortunately, cultural sites aren't particularly dense, either. You are not going to find multiple museums in single cities, with the exception of Ft Worth, which has three absolutely fabulous museums within lasso distance of each other.
3. You like "surprising spots". What does that mean to you? Would you drive 100 miles out of your way to see a bottle tree? Eat a great BBQ sandwich? Eat a great fish plate? See a winter training baseball game? Would you stay in a mom and pop motel where you park the car outside your room? Etc. If you want good answers, you have to help the people you ask.
Sep 18th, 2009, 06:12 PM
#26
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I don't see Mobile, AL or Birmingham, AL on the list, but they are both good destinations, especially for historic sites. Mobile is an old Spanish and French settlement (visit Fort Conde); is home to the battleship USS Alabama; and is the birthplace of Mardi Gras (visit the Carnival Museum). Stop at a restaurant on the Causeway bridge (part of I-10) for fresh seafood on your way in from Florida. Stay 40 minutes south of Mobile in Dauphin Island for a change of scenery and laid-back, tiny-island vibe (ride a rented bike all over the island; birdwatch at one of the top bird sanctuaries in the southeast; and visit the DI estuary).
Bham has a number of civil rights monuments, including the 16th Street Baptist Church. It's got a variety of attractions in addition to historical sites.
Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores, AL (1hr from Mobile) are two great beach towns/cities. Stay at a cabin in Gulf Shores State Park.
The Mobile/Dauphin Island/Gulf Shores visits can be done on your way from the Florida panhandle to New Orleans.
Also, Seaside, FL is an illylic, picturesque town (where The Truman Show was filmed) worth visiting, and is near the panhandle.
Bham has a number of civil rights monuments, including the 16th Street Baptist Church. It's got a variety of attractions in addition to historical sites.
Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores, AL (1hr from Mobile) are two great beach towns/cities. Stay at a cabin in Gulf Shores State Park.
The Mobile/Dauphin Island/Gulf Shores visits can be done on your way from the Florida panhandle to New Orleans.
Also, Seaside, FL is an illylic, picturesque town (where The Truman Show was filmed) worth visiting, and is near the panhandle.
Sep 18th, 2009, 07:32 PM
#27
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drfapa -
You have not said WHEN you plan to visit. That can make a big difference in temperature in the areas that interest you. I think of "winter" along the upper Gulf Coast (where I grew up) as late December through early February. Generally, December is pleasant - it could easily be 70 degrees between Christmas and New Year's Day, Or it could be 40 degrees - less likely but possible. By the end of February it often is back to the 70's again, but in between the temperature can be highly variable (it can be 50-60 one week, then 30-40 the next). Of course, it will be cooler the farther north/inland you go.
Camellias will be blooming in late December and January (and even February some places). Azaleas follow behind them. You might consider a stop at Bellingrath Gardens and Home near Mobile, AL (http://www.bellingrath.org/).
Pensacola, the largest city in the Florida Panhandle, has a lot to commend it as well - great seafood, beautiful beaches, old forts, the National Museum of Naval Aviation, and several smaller museums that highlight local history, architecture and art (the Spanish attempted a settlement there in 1559). Check out http://www.visitpensacola.com/visitors/ for more info.
If your intent is to visit in February and March, when the North (where I now live) is still frozen, then the weather will be pretty good along the coast (although still cooler inland). There are two things you will need to watch out for, though.
One is spring break in March (affecting mainly the beach areas). The other is Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Nobody has mentioned it yet, but Mardi Gras is February 16, 2010. Personally, I would avoid New Orleans in the first half of February, as Mardi Gras is crazy there. But note that the first parade is January 6, and there are parades every weekend from January 17 until Fat Tuesday itself. Hotels might be hard to come by in New Orleans during that time and have multi-day minimum stays, especially the closer the date is to February 16.
As bamabelle15 said, Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. They also have parades starting in January, but they are much less rowdy than in New Orleans. See http://www.mobile.org/vis_mardigras_sched.php for details.
There are also many antebellum plantations between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that are worth visiting. One of my favorites is Nottoway (http://www.nottoway.com/Tours.html). At $20 the tours are pricy, but the house is stunning. This site lists many historic places in SE Louisiana (http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/louisiana/sitelist.htm).
Mississippi, especially Natchez, also has many antebellum homes. If your trip spills into March, the Natchez Pilgrimage starts March 6. Pilgrimage features tours of homes, many - but not all - of them private residences open only during Pilgrimage (http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/spring.htm). It is in March because before early March weather and flowers/trees are not that great in Natchez (or Vicksburg, Jackson, Montgomery, Birmingham, etc.). Likewise, Charleston and Savannah will be much prettier in March.
You have not said WHEN you plan to visit. That can make a big difference in temperature in the areas that interest you. I think of "winter" along the upper Gulf Coast (where I grew up) as late December through early February. Generally, December is pleasant - it could easily be 70 degrees between Christmas and New Year's Day, Or it could be 40 degrees - less likely but possible. By the end of February it often is back to the 70's again, but in between the temperature can be highly variable (it can be 50-60 one week, then 30-40 the next). Of course, it will be cooler the farther north/inland you go.
Camellias will be blooming in late December and January (and even February some places). Azaleas follow behind them. You might consider a stop at Bellingrath Gardens and Home near Mobile, AL (http://www.bellingrath.org/).
Pensacola, the largest city in the Florida Panhandle, has a lot to commend it as well - great seafood, beautiful beaches, old forts, the National Museum of Naval Aviation, and several smaller museums that highlight local history, architecture and art (the Spanish attempted a settlement there in 1559). Check out http://www.visitpensacola.com/visitors/ for more info.
If your intent is to visit in February and March, when the North (where I now live) is still frozen, then the weather will be pretty good along the coast (although still cooler inland). There are two things you will need to watch out for, though.
One is spring break in March (affecting mainly the beach areas). The other is Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Nobody has mentioned it yet, but Mardi Gras is February 16, 2010. Personally, I would avoid New Orleans in the first half of February, as Mardi Gras is crazy there. But note that the first parade is January 6, and there are parades every weekend from January 17 until Fat Tuesday itself. Hotels might be hard to come by in New Orleans during that time and have multi-day minimum stays, especially the closer the date is to February 16.
As bamabelle15 said, Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. They also have parades starting in January, but they are much less rowdy than in New Orleans. See http://www.mobile.org/vis_mardigras_sched.php for details.
There are also many antebellum plantations between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that are worth visiting. One of my favorites is Nottoway (http://www.nottoway.com/Tours.html). At $20 the tours are pricy, but the house is stunning. This site lists many historic places in SE Louisiana (http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/louisiana/sitelist.htm).
Mississippi, especially Natchez, also has many antebellum homes. If your trip spills into March, the Natchez Pilgrimage starts March 6. Pilgrimage features tours of homes, many - but not all - of them private residences open only during Pilgrimage (http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/spring.htm). It is in March because before early March weather and flowers/trees are not that great in Natchez (or Vicksburg, Jackson, Montgomery, Birmingham, etc.). Likewise, Charleston and Savannah will be much prettier in March.
Sep 21st, 2009, 03:47 PM
#33
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I definitely think these are come excellent lists and will come in handy for myself, definitely.
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans and plan to return every 5 years on or around our anniversary. We went for our 5th and since our 10th isn't terribly far off, I am starting to think about planning. For our 5th, we spent several days in New Orleans and then rented a car and headed out to Cajun Country for several more days - had a fabulous time. So we've decided that in addition to visiting NOLA every 5 years, we will combine a trip with NOLA and somewhere else in the south - sort of using that city as a spring board.
So long way of saying it - I really appreciate the input people have had on this thread
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans and plan to return every 5 years on or around our anniversary. We went for our 5th and since our 10th isn't terribly far off, I am starting to think about planning. For our 5th, we spent several days in New Orleans and then rented a car and headed out to Cajun Country for several more days - had a fabulous time. So we've decided that in addition to visiting NOLA every 5 years, we will combine a trip with NOLA and somewhere else in the south - sort of using that city as a spring board.
So long way of saying it - I really appreciate the input people have had on this thread
Oct 1st, 2009, 06:04 AM
#34
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While searching for trips from new york to the south in winter, I found this blog. Love It! So, I am a new Fodorite, and totally appreciate the responses on this topic! I have traveled to Florida and Texas for the past 5 years looking for a place to retire. Mostly in January and February, visited Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Lakeland, Fort Myers Beach, and in Texas South Padre Island. We fly down and rent a car so we can travel around the area. Each area has so much to do, the weather is always better than upstate N.Y. winter!
Oct 1st, 2009, 06:22 AM
#35
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Here's my report on South Texas hope it helps. January 2, flew from Syracuse, New York to McAllen Tx. When we boarded the plane temp. 2 degrees above zero at 8 am. Landed in Texas that evening 75 degrees, o.k now I am happy! Drove to the Island in the dark lots of road constuction but it was fine. The weather was beatiful, we rode horses on the beach, ate wonderful meals, traveled to Mexico 3 times, drove up to King Ranch (took all day). All the winter texans where really nice, the food is inexpensive and good. I don't think I could stay there longer than a few days though.
Oct 6th, 2009, 02:57 PM
#36
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Are you golfers?
Are you on a budget?
If I had that much time I would drive down from NY (so I had my own car.) I would stop in DC then somewhere along the NC coast. I would spend a week in Charleston with possible day trips to Hilton Head, Savannah and the Congaree National Park.
I would spend the night in Jekyll Isand in route to Florida spending a week there then come back via I-75 to Atlanta.
Staying one week at several destinations would allow you to rent a villa at a good price so you would have a kitchen and washing machine. I utilize villa rentals by owner frequently. www.vrbo.com.
Are you on a budget?
If I had that much time I would drive down from NY (so I had my own car.) I would stop in DC then somewhere along the NC coast. I would spend a week in Charleston with possible day trips to Hilton Head, Savannah and the Congaree National Park.
I would spend the night in Jekyll Isand in route to Florida spending a week there then come back via I-75 to Atlanta.
Staying one week at several destinations would allow you to rent a villa at a good price so you would have a kitchen and washing machine. I utilize villa rentals by owner frequently. www.vrbo.com.
Nov 19th, 2010, 10:56 AM
#37
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Can you give me any suggestions that you learned from your road trip? My husband and I also like to travel by car, and not necessarily staying in one place for an extended time. We live in Ohio, plan to travel the southern route (Rt. 10 or Rt 20)ending up south of Las Vegas, Nevada in January and February. Thanks for any info you think would be helpful.
