mackemlass46

We are wanting to tour both North and South Carolina in June 2011 and am landing at Atlanta airport. I need some ideas of which way to travel either North or South first but want to spend enough time to see historic sites eg Fort Sumpter. Not too much driving ie no more than 4 hours and each stay will be at least 2 nights and first and last night stay to be within 80 miles of Atlanta airport. Holiday is 14 days and we are senior citizens from the UK so would appreciate some ideas of an itinery. Thank you

suewoo

Do you want SC or NC first? What other historic sites besides Ft Sumter do you want to see? Charleston is a five hour drive after you leave the traffic in Atlanta. Why don't you schedule that first, since you know you want to see Ft Sumter? You could visit the plantations as well as some of the homes open to the public in Charleston.

bigbomoho

im sure your research will turn up many interesting sites.We lived in NC for 5 years,and have been in Atl for 25--itd be shame to not spend a few days in Atl as well--theres lots to see here.As to NC we loved Asheville to see biltomore hotel and stay at the Grove inn--Churchill styed there--its an old Vanderbilt estate, Ashevile that is.The outer bannks are interested--at the southern end of the banks is a town called Atlatic beach,which is right near Beaufort (NC not SC).i like to fish so frequent bait shops and the old guys who live in Atlanta beach have a combination British and southern accent--i used to sell real estate there and many of the older plots of land were land grants from the Queen of England, and her name shows up on the old titles.You can take a ferry to the banks from Atlantic beach..Of cours Hilton Head and Myrtle beach are interesting as well, as is raleigh, and Columiba SC--University of SC is very interesting,as is the Citadel--have fun in your research

suewoo

I think bigbohomo means the Grove Park Inn
http://www.groveparkinn.com/Leisure/
and the Biltmore
http://www.biltmore.com/

Asheville is a long way from the Banks. I agree that, if you like history you should go. The Wright brothers flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk. Stop in Raleigh on your way from Asheville to the Banks.

Littleman

I would drive E from Atlanta to Macon, GA for lunch and spend a few nights in Savannah, Ga. I would not miss Savannah, GA on a trip like this. Take # 17 N through Beaufort, SC for lunch and then spend several days in Charleston, SC. Drive N on # 17 to Pawley's Island and Murrell's Inlet. Skip Myrtle Beach. Continue to Beaufort, NC and the Outer Banks. Spend a night or two at OBX. Head W to Raleigh and then S to Charlotte. After a few days along this route you will be back in Atlanta.

bigbomoho

thanks suewoo--left out park. I was just trying to give then some spots to consider and Lilleman, Macon is South of Atlanta, off I75 South

mackemlass46

Thanks for all replies. We have done Atlanta some years ago and it was easier to travel to Harefield airport than either NC or SC but we don't get there till the evening after a long flight so just want a short drive stay overnight somewhere and then move on. I had looked at staying at Macon on the first night and so doing SC first and then on to stay somewhere inbetween Savannah and Charleston so we could do both but could do the other way NC first but do not know where to stay doing it that way. We are interested in the Civil War history and don't mind a shopping mall on the way. any more ideas please? Thanks

Gretchen

Since you have been to Atlanta you might do better coming to Charlotte instead, if you haven't already got your tickets. Most of the places you are visiting are on the coast of SC and NC and these are all about your "4 hour drive". USAirways has direct flights to London.

suewoo

I agree. If you do fly into ATL you could drive to Abbeville SC to spend the night.
http://www.abbevillecountysc.com/

My ancestors are buried there. Not far is Greenwood, SC, home of Park Seed Co. If you love plants, it's worth the trip. Charleston is @ 4 hours from there.

Do you have places in NC picked out?

mackemlass46

We already have our tickets as we live in the NE of UK (NEWCASTLE) and can fly from there via Heathrow to Atlanta with BA which is much easier for us and cheaper. We really don't have any places in NC picked out yet so am looking for any suggestions. Cannot get a state map or brochure sent to the UK so will try and get one from a bookstore here.We are quite flexible on where we go but don't like dashing about and missing things. Thanks

suewoo

If you see anybody in SC dashing about, you know they moved here from somewhere else

In NC I recommend Asheville, Raleigh, the Outer Banks and Wilmington. So you could either drive from ATL to Asheville, then to Raleigh then to the Banks, then to maybe Wilmington. From there to Charleston. Or vice versa.

Gretchen

You can google all the maps you need or want until you need to have one in hand. You need to see these distances.

Kwoo

Also visit Chapel Hill, NC; it's a very pretty town & about 20-30 minutes from Raleigh. Franklin St. is nice with shops & restaurants. Have a meal at Crooks Corner or one of the barbecue restaurants, such as Allen & Sons. The UNC campus is very pretty & the town of Carrboro, which borders Chapel Hill, is very nice with interesting shoppping (kind of artsy) & restaurants. This area is also home to the Haw River Winery Trail, if you like to sample wines at a vineyard. We went to Mebane & one more but I forget the name.

My daughters who have done a lot of traveling around the world told me that Asheville is one of the prettiest places they have ever seen. NC is a long state, I think the driving time from west to east is 8 - 9 hours.

Gretchen

EXtreme west to EXtreme east is a LONG way. Asheville to the coast is not so much. but it isn't an insignificant drive.