Hi, I'm new to the forum and from San Diego. My husband and I are planning a road trip for early May. We've already done tons of road trips in the West and want to try new territory. By the way, my all-time favorite trip here is Hwy 395 along the eastern Sierras. Gorgeous! I've never been to the Southeast and was thinking of doing eastern Tennessee, the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I would also love to see Charleston and Savannah, but we've only got 10 days and can't fit in everything. My goal is backroads, pastoral country, hardwood trees -- stuff you don't see in SoCal anymore. Anybody got any suggestions? Thanks!

You might want to consider starting in the Smokies and taking the Blue Ridge Parkway like you mentioned. Continuing on the Skyline Parkway through Shendoah National Park.
Running from near Nashville, TN to Vickburg, Miss is the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Both of these have cities or towns in close proximity to the roads.

Couple of suggestions. Asheville, NC is a real nice town smack dab in the middle of your itinerary. Shame to miss it.
Second, it you enjoy reading, especially mysteries, look at a series of books by Sharon McCrumb, who actually lives in s.w.Virginia, but who uses the the Appalchian region as the backdrop to her stories. Should give a little taste of the area.
Also, you might google to see if there are any bluegrass festivals in the area during your time period. Even if you are not specifically into that type of music, the experience of just wandering around the grounds and watching/listening to the authentic sights and sounds of the area are interesting.

Charleston is a 4 hour drive down Interstate 26 from Asheville. I know you said you wanted scenic but I would spend the time on the road to get to Charleston.

The Low Country is beautiful and is a Do Not Miss.

As a resident of the Appalachians
( Michigan Transplanted ) I will attest to the beauty and splendor of the Blue Ridge Mountains as seen from the elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway. My wife and I drive it every summer ( several times ) and take little jaunts off the parkway into small towns scrounging for antiques, etc.

A word of advice. The Parkway is a scenic drive that limits your speed. It is meant to be a road traveled for the beauty and NOT to get to Point B from A in a hurry. The road is well marked, in great condition and safe. Filled with neat pull offs and scenic overlooks plan on packing several lunches for stops along the way. It is also filled with small tunnels which add to the charm.

Enjoy one of the greatest trips you can make in the Southeast. It's simply wonderful and scenic and the people of the region make it even more delightful as they are very hospitable.

Chris

Fly into Atlanta, don't stay. Head up north, go the Parkway, cut over to Williamsburg, VA, then head into the Outer Banks, work your way down to Charleston, Savannah, go back to Atlanta and fly home. You'll have a great trip with plenty to do and lots of backroads.

What city are you arriving in blubug? Are you leaving from that same city?

I agree w GoTravel

If an open-jaw ticket is not too expensive, i would fly into Asheville or Greenville, SC (connect through Charlotte or Atlanta), enjoy the backraods and Blue Ridge Parkway and the city of Asheville, meander over to 77 north of Charlotte, and then knock out a few hours drive on I77 and I26 til I got 30-40 miles outside Charleston, and then start doing backroads again.

You always amazes me how fabulously beautiful yet completely different both the mountains around Ashville and the beaches/marshes of the low country are...and only 4 hours apart.

Hi Everyone, thanks for the great tips. I've been planning for a month now and would like to share my itinerary. We leave San Diego in May to Nashville for 2 nights. Got tickets for the Grand Ole Opry! We rented a big, cushy car and will drive south along the Natchez Trace Parkway, maybe go to Shiloh. Will stay the night at Lairdland Farms B&B --check it out! Next day a toodle through Lynchburg (lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House), then through Wartrace and Bell Buckle, before we go to Chattanooga for two nights. Will see the local sights (Ruby Falls, Lookout Mtn., Tenn. Aquarium) and go for the Dixieland dinner riverboat cruise. Then we head to the Balsam Inn for two nights/days in the Great Smoky Mtns. After that, it's on to Asheville for two nights and a day at the Biltmore -- even got reservations for the river raft trip through the estate! Then a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with a night in a cabin at Valle Crucis (with a hot tub overlooking the mtns.! I will definitely bring a bottle of Biltmore estate chardonnay!) Then we head back to Tennessee with a night at the Eureka Hotel in Jonesborough. After that, we will have to travel Int. 40 to our last stop in Smithville, with a night at the Inn at Evin's Mill, a gorgeous property. I am looking so forward to this trip, and have to thank folks like yourselves who write their opinions into Fodors or Tripadvisor -- it helps so much for planning a great vacation!!

Sounds like a nice trip, hope y'all enjoy yourselves. Be sure and post a trip report after you return.

I would keep Asheville, drop one of the other towns from your itinerary and add Charleston. You are really doing a disservice to you and your husband by not seeing Charleston.

My favorite town along the Blue Ridge Parkway is Blowing Rock, NC. It's just south of Valle Crucis. It's a wonderful little town. Over the years it has been anti-development; as a result it has maintained its charm while managing to cater to visitors.

One word of caution about the Blue Ridge Parkway; the fog can get very dense so you might want to check the local conditions before you start out.

Sounds like a great trip. I wouldn't worry about trying to make Charleston - it is a nice place but I would save it for another trip. I hope you are planning on touring the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg. I have been twice and really enjoyed it. Even if you don't drink, it is worth the trip. The tour guides there do a great job.

I just visited Asheville for the first time and discovered a gem of a coffee house, Izzy?s Coffee Den. I was so impressed as a caffeine-addict, I had to write a review. First, the couple who owns the new cafe treated me incredibly well. I liked that they were young and hip without being pretentious. It?s rare to find that kind of service in today?s environment. I wasn?t surprised to learn they were recent transplants from New York. Second, I prefer the Italian espresso drinks and organic coffees to the chain stores. It was a relief as a tourist to find a substitute for Starbucks, someplace more local in feel. Third, my friend and I were starving when we happened upon Izzy?s after a day of shopping (great galleries, music shops and vintage clothing stores nearby) so were thrilled to find sandwiches with freshly baked bread and comfort food. It cracked us up they sold Coco Pebbles next to organic granola! Obviously, they don?t discriminate. I HIGHLY recommend anyone visiting the Lexington neighborhood in Asheville to duck into Izzy?s.

Izzy's Coffee Den
74 N. Lexington Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
#828-258-2004
Opened June 29, 2004
Owners - Jenée Navlin and Rob Ovitt

blubug, I live here in North Carolina, and I have to agree with you about Hwy 395 on the east side of the Sierras. It's one of my favorite drives in the world, and yet very few people know about it or drive it. Very wide open, rugged, spectacular scenery that runs the gamut from extreme desert to High Sierra over the course of just a few miles.