sarahpoppet27

I originally posted about this months ago but can't find my OP. maybe it's just the iPad playing up...anyways.

I could do with your help on a route and some attractions in the Deep South. We're flying from London to stay in a cabin near Asheville, then have to be in New Orleans 11 days later (mid September). We'd also like a couple of days on the gulf coast. What route would you recommend to see small, sleepy southern life?

Lots of people recommend Charleston but is it too much of a detour, ie what would we see in between there and Gulf coast?

Others recommend Juliette or Athens in GA to fulfil my sleepy porches and town squares fantasy(!). Some say head up to Nashville & Memphis after Asheville. I'd say we prefer history and nature to country music and clubs.

Any nice lunch stops, little afternoon sightseeing or quirky roadside America also appreciated. X

suewoo

Here's your old thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-your-help.cfm

It's an easy trip from Asheville to Charleston, but it's not right on the way to New Orleans. If you like nature and history you'll love Charleston.

I've done the trip from Charleston to NOLA. I cut through Georgia, down to I10 and drove across that way. I grew up in a small town so I didn't have the need to stop. The Blue Willow in Social Circle, GA, might help you with your porch thing.
http://www.bluewillowinn.com/

I did the drive in 2 days. I spent the night in Biloxi. If you want Gulf beach time you could stay along the FL panhandle.

This link can help you with the quirky stuff:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

Gretchen

Glad Sue found the old thread 'cause it would be 'way too much to recreate!!
As I recall you changed your flight just so you might be able to do this better than flying into Atlanta.
DO go to Charleston. It is a US treasure, I think. VERY walkable, wonderful history, food, atmosphere. And then you'll have the NOLA experience. You can use the same words, but the "experience" is so different!!

denisea

Charleston is lovely and Beaufort,SC is as well. These are out of the way if New Orleans is your final destination. You could go through Columbia, SC to get there.

There is a decent beach in Biloxi, a Hard Rock casino/hotel, but it isn't a real favorite of mine. I do love New Orleans but don't focus on Bourbon St (unless you are 19).

You could go to Greenville, SC, then on to Atlanta, Montgomery, Al and Mobile, Al. then on to NOLA Mobile is nice, Montgomery is not worth a stop, IMO.

sarahpoppet27

Thanks all, and for finding the original post. Looks like Charleston it is!

suewoo

I don't think you'll regret it.
http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/

Gretchen

Don't miss Charleston!! As I said.
AND by the bye, in Montgomery is the most beautiful and moving monument to the Civil Right movement, designed by Maya Lin, and WELL worth visiting IF you are near Montgomery. But that suggeste route, missing Charleston, gets you to NOLA with little in between.

frautoasty

I suggest you go to Destin, Florida for your Gulf Coast beach experience. Gorgeous sugar white sand beaches and somewhat more relaxing than Pensacola or Biloxi.

richmond706

In between Myrtle Beach S.C. and Pawley's Island, S.C. is Brookgreen Gardens, the property and art collection formerly owned by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. It is over 9,000 acres of what is so beautiful on the southern coast, hundreds of Live Oak trees,gardens filled with sculpture, ponds and fountains as well as flowers. It is so beautiful and peaceful. You will be amazed as you walk around.You should spend at least 5-8 hours here if possible.
http://www.brookgreen.org/brookgreen_overview.cfm

Charleston has really nice county parks unlike some cities. Look those up in addition to state parks. We rode miles of bike trails in some pretty county parks.

The cities along the coast in Georgia in addition to Savannah: Darien, Brunswick, St. Mary's were all here by 1730 (my ancestors)so the bottom half of Georgia is rich in history.

My husband is a University of Georgia Bulldog and I can say Athens, Washington, Milledgeville areas are a lot of pine trees, yet pretty homes, quaint diners, farmers chatting at the local hardware store etc. Athens is more cultural of course with the University there.

If you do like nature, you may want to see Okeefenokee Swamp as you travel west across Georgia.
http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/
Fancy city chicks might not like it, but you don't have swamps, moss and gators in England, right? So it would be neat to check out something so different. There are private websites with boat tours too and I think canoeing.

The whole panhandle of Florida is beautiful. Look at Florida state parks websites. We have gone to beautiful natural springs with clear water, hiked and canoed through really pretty places between I-10 and the ocean. Ponce De Leon State Park is a popular one but we went to a lesser known springs about 45 minutes away that was even prettier but I will have to find the name.

Two lovely beach areas are the Beaches of Walton County which include Seaside (look up some photos) and Rosemary Beach etc. You can ride bikes, eat ice-cream, listen to concerts outdoors and see all of the stars in the sky away from the big cities. Also look at Fort Morgan in Alabama. There is a fort there (duh) and you can take a ferry over to Dauphin Island to another fort. This just gives you some old southern history. Pensacola has neat museums but compare the beaches because that is a big bay and an Air Force Base. NO ONE I knew in Alabama went to Pensacola for our beach trips. We went to Gulf Shores/Fort Morgan in Alabama or Destin, Grayton Beach and surrounding or Panama City in Florida.

Fairhope, Alabama is a small town below Mobile that might have some neat charm for you as well as Mobile.

I would definitely hang around Florida and even Alabama state parks longer than the Delta in Mississippi. My brother was an FBI agent in the Delta and he thought it was depressing. In Mississippi, there is the Vicksburg Battlefield and beautiful Civil War homes in Natchez I would pick if I were you. Their beaches don't compare to Alabama and Florida and those of us north of there head to Al or Fl for beaches. There is a cute B&B on the river in Natchez we stayed in a long time ago.

There are a lot of neat caves you can visit in Alabama (Desoto Caverns, Rickwood Caverns and more)and some areas in north Alabama are at the base of small mountains (Lake Guntersville).

I grew up in Georgia, lived in Alabama and now am in Memphis.
I would skip Memphis. We have Beale St. (bars, drunks, drugs) Pink Palace Museum, the zoo, and Mud Island but not much history. (yes of course Graceland and Sun Studios)It simply wasn't settled as soon as Ga and S.C. were so we have no 1785 homes. Since so many people move here from the north, it isn't nearly as southern as the lower south.

We thought driving around Baton Rouge and New Orleans was beautiful but do you really need 3 days?

Sorry.....I love the lower south.

richmond706

I shoulbe doing housework-what is wrong with me!
Here is a Georgia visitors guide to historic towns along the antebellum trail/architecture.
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Archit...tebellum-Trail

I know you have your share of beaches but I felt bad leaving out Jekyll Island and St. Simon's Isand and Cumberland Island. Even rich northerners like to vacation there. We just can't afford it. haha

Augusta, Ga is also an old city but their tourism board just doesn't work hard enough. There are old mansions and museums there too and it is on the Savannah River.

suewoo

Well done! You must be like me: putting off the chores at all cost.

Gretchen

I will second Brookgreeen--may already have suggested it, BUT you do not need to spend a whole day there. You will be wowed by even a couple of hours. Just trying not to discourage a visit by the amount of time.

sarahpoppet27

Well here we go! I'm sat on the plane waiting to take off from London, so thanks for all the help and suggestions over the past few months.

suewoo

Be sure to tell us how you do.