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Old Sep 10th, 2015 | 10:09 PM
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Road trip through the south and more

My husband and I are taking a two week road trip in a Cruz America from the end of Sept into October. we fly into Orlando Florida and plan on driving through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, possibly Tennessee, North and South Carolina. Any advice on must see places? We are in our 30's but we are open to must things. We camp a lot, I love botanical gardens, arts districts, music, food, drinks you name it. We have a major variety of interest so any tips would help. Also any good hook up spots for over night stays in our RV.
Robinbird is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 03:25 AM
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I take it a Cruz America is a travel RV? You need to get a directory of places to camp. It will also perhaps complicate your life when visiting cities for parking.
For two weeks to enjoy your trip, I think you'll need to pare down the destination states. Or destinations within the states.
Do you return to Orlando? That will be a real consideration of some sort of loop itinerary.
I would make a list of cities/places you want to see and connect the dots.
Charleston would be a must see and 3 days to do it.
Do you want to go to a beach?
Many questions.
Gretchen is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 07:22 AM
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It's Cruise America, the junior senator from Texas has no relation to the company, and Gretchen - it is an RV.

Here's a tip: figure out what SEC teams are playing and where on the Saturdays of your trip and go to a football game. That would be a blast.

Most of Mississippi off the coast is dumpy or swampy or both. I wouldn't go anyplace in that state that's not on the Gulf.
BigRuss is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 11:25 AM
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8 states in two weeks with a slow moving RV is too much, you need to cut at least a third if not more of those.
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Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 12:07 PM
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Concur with Gretchen et al that you need to pare your itinerary.

If I had two weeks and a big vehicle, I'd probably do Florida--a day in the Tampa Bay area (mainly St. Petersburg) then back to Cape Kennedy and up the Atlantic coast to Charleston (stopping at St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, Jekyll and St. Simons Islands, Savannah), then across to Asheville and the Smokey Mountains. This will keep you out of the big cities for the most part.

One week along the coast and one in the mountains.

BTW--there's a lovely campground on the Atlantic just south of Charleston--Edisto Beach--as well as lots in the Smokey Mountains.

As to BigRuss's suggestion: it would be difficult to get a ticket to most SEC football games unless you plan way in advance and settle for seeing a totally lopsided early season game.. . .or hope that the University of Florida continues to languish in mediocrity and try to pick up tickets outside the stadium on game day. Seriously, I'd give any place that had an SEC or ACC university a wide berth on game day.
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Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 12:23 PM
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>

What a dud. And a factually inaccurate dud at that.

College football games are great and you won't get a more atmospheric experience than that. If you can score tickets to Alabama-Georgia in Athens on October 3, I'd do that in a heartbeat (whoops, so much for dwd's ignorant blather about lopsided early season games, especially considering late September and early October are pushing into the middle (weeks 4 and 5) of the season). Arkansas at Tennessee (Knoxville) the same day would be cool too.

And on September 26, Tennessee-Florida and Mississippi St-Auburn are on tap in Gainesville and Auburn, respectively. I'm skipping over games west of the Mississippi River.

ACC games are less fun because the teams are not as good and the rivalries aren't as heated, but Atlanta, Raleigh, Blacksburg,
VA and (especially) Clemson, SC all host decent-to-good games on 10-3.
BigRuss is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 01:24 PM
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Yes I am seeing that we will have to cut some places out. A few of the states we will just be driving through to get to another state. I for sure have to see lousianna, Georgia and South Carolina. Florida is the hub for picking up our RV so we have no choice but to see it.
I should of mentioned that we are not sports people at all haha! I'm sure that sounds crazy to people outside of California. I'm looking for cool museum suggestions, restaurants, good antique shops, thrift stores and hole in the wall bars.
Robinbird is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2015 | 06:08 PM
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You may think that states are just a pass through--but they are DISTANCES.
Still think you need to do my connect the dots game on a map and see what you can do.
So if it is Charleston, New Orleans, Atlanta (not sure why sort of but you say "Georgia") then you have a good part of 2 weeks by the time you get back to Orlando
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Old Sep 14th, 2015 | 09:59 AM
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BigRuss--Well yes, if you can score tickets to UGA-Alabama, get them for sure. But around my Atlanta office (full of Georgia fans and even "blessed" with an Alabama fan or two), they're very scarce and cost an arm and leg--not worth it for any but hard-core SEC football fans.

I didn't mean all early season games were going to be duds--I meant that it will be easier to get tickets to them and that's what the OP should try for if her family is interested in seeing a college football game. But it appears there is no interest.

Robin, Gretchen is right that two of your "must-see" states are at opposite ends of the region and so will take a lot of driving with little payoff.

So do the first half of what I suggested above--ending in Charleston, S.C. then drive back across country to NOLA. According to Google, that will take around 12 hours if you take interstates all the way. You'd go through Columbia, S.C. (a very nice smaller city), Atlanta, Montgomery, Mobile, and finally NOLA.) Each of those offers something of interest. If you could drop the RV in NOLA and fly back, you'd have more time, but if not, take I-10 back to Florida.

An inordinate amount of time will be taken up in driving, however, (nine hours from NOLA to Orlando airport per Google)
dwdvagamundo is offline  
Old Sep 15th, 2015 | 05:41 AM
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You mentioned botanical gardens as an interest: Bellingrath Gardens, southeast of Mobile, Alabama.

Lovely setting that I enjoyed on a road trip from Atlanta to New Orleans & Cajun country, with stops in in Tunica, MS and Mobile, Alabama.
travelottie is offline  
Old Sep 15th, 2015 | 11:55 AM
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concur on Bellingrath Gardens.

Robin--it would be a good idea to do an on-line search for the things you are interested in. Or get a good guide-book or two. I like Fodor's, but there are many others that will cover the interests of most people.
dwdvagamundo is offline  
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