Cherokee is tatty. Gatlinburg is tattier still. Tat can be wonderful if it is tat abroad rather than in your back garden. I wouldn't miss Palace Pier in Brighton, but I wouldn't visit if it were just down the street.

You could spend the entire holiday in Asheville and touring from it as your center. Thus I would recommend that you skip the whole thing on this trip. There is another good trip of about the same length that would begin with you in Washington, DC, from there to Asheville, from Asheville to Charleston, SC, and thence up the Atlantic coast, ultimately back to Washington.

It will be interesting to see the next iteration of your itinerary (!)

Yes, Cherokee IS, but you basically have to go through it from the NC side of the Park--and the Indian museum there IS worthwhile, especially to those not from America.
And the GSMNP IS worth visiting.

You had asked upthread about when the New Orleans Saints play at the Superdome. You can find out the nfl schedule here:

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2012/REG1

It looks like the regular NFL season starts on 5 September and the Washington Redskins play the Saints in New Orleans at 1:00 on Sunday, 9 September.

Here is the preseason schedule:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...aints-on-aug-5

In the Smokies -- and if by any chance money is not an issue -- check out www.blackberryfarm.com. Very expensive but lodging, food, service and Smoky Mountain views are amazing.

The well-written book "A Walk in the Woods" by Bryson (about a hike on the Appalachian Trail by hiking novices) is worth reading, and has an apt description of Gatlinburg.

I second the recommendation of Bluebird Cafe for authentic music in a small venue. True songwriters -- good ones -- play their own stuff.

Since you'll be in Nashville and like music, be sure to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum downtown.

You mentioned rodeos -- a bull-riding show will be in downtown Nashville on Sept. 7 and 8 in the evenings. Here's a description from the venue website:


The Professional Bull Riders announced that the Top 35 bull riders in the world will compete against the best bucking bulls on the planet when the PBR Built Ford Tough Series returns to Bridgestone Arena for the Jack Daniel’s Invitational on Sept. 7-8.

Leading the way into Music City will be home state favorite and Top 25 rider Cody Nance from Paris, Tenn.

Fans will witness thrilling 8-second rides and jaw-dropping wrecks throughout the adrenaline-soaked performance as the PBR’s insanely brave cowboys risk it all against monstrous animal athletes that can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.


A football game at the Grove at Ole Miss in Oxford, MS is always a fun experience. Or I should say TAILGATING before the game is always fun.

Have a great trip!

If you want to try the best Clarksdale has to offer have an early lunch at Ground Zero which is owned by Morgan Freeman and two of his friends. Get a plate lunch or sandwich but eat light. The Blues Museum is next door. Before you leave Clarksdale, MS go to Hick's and get another light lunch of BBQ and tamales. This way you get the best of Clarksdale. Morgan owned Madidi’s but it’s closed now. There's an old neat store that sells a lot of junk across the street from Madidi's and plenty of places for the wife to purchase items to take home. I wish you could visit Oxford, MS. If not then plan 6/7 hours in Clarksdale. Have an early lunch at GZ, visit the Museum, walk around downtown and shop, get some tamales at Hick's. After lunch head back S on Sunflower by the river and stop at Hick's just to visit. Take a right on Highway 61 which is State St. Go across the river and Hick's is on the right in nice red brick building. Go in visit and get a cold drink. Talk to Eugene and look at his pictures when President Clinton visited. On your way N stop at The Ranchero and get a cold drink. Charlie Conerly who was a famous QB for the NY Giants lived in Clarksdale and there are all kinds of old sports photo's there of Conerly and some of his old buddies. It's a fun place and the food is outstanding.
I really hope you find time to visit Oxford. It's my favorite town in Mississippi. If so head N on State St. to Highway 278/6 E to Batesville/Oxford. It's about 60 miles to Oxford. You should be there around 3PM. When you get to Oxford you will come to a red light and Jackson Ave. going to the left. Go straight ahead and get off at the first Exit which is Coliseum Dr. Get off on right but turn back left and cross the highway. Take your first right by the Basketball Practice Facility on Hill Drive. You will see the football stadium straight ahead. Go to dead end at All American Drive turn right and go past N end of stadium. You will run into the Grove. Go to the left on University Ave. and you will go past the Grove on your right and run into the Circle. Go around the circle and you will see The Lyseum which is the oldest building on campus. The James Meredith riot started in the Circle. There's a monument of him behind the Lyseum. The street you came in on at The Grove is University Ave. Take it back E all the way to Lamar. Take a right on Lamar and go about 6 blocks and take a right on Old Taylor. Go about 3 blocks and you run dead into Faulkner's home. You can drive up the gravel road in front and park and go in and visit. Go back to Lamar and go N past University Ave. two blocks and park. You are now on The Square. The building on your left is Square Books which is very famous. John Grisham has a home in Oxford. You passed it on the right just before you got to town. It sits off to the right on a hill and it's easy to see. It's just before the car dealership before you get to the first red light. He's a frequent visitor to Oxford.

Park and walk around the Square. City Grocery is two doors down W of Square Books. Neilson's to your right on the Square is a nice department store. If you walk past City Grocery on the left you will see Waltz Restaurant after you pass the Pizza joint. Going around the Square you will find Ajax which is a good country food joint. There are a couple of nice ladie's shops on that side of the Square. Downtown Grill is on N side of Square. They have a nice bar upstairs. There's a Rebel junk store around on the N side if you want to buy a Rebel souvenir to take home. Go N on Lamar and Lenora's is on the left. Have dinner at City Grocery. CG has a nice bar upstairs and you can sit outside if you like. Tell Jim Weems the manager with a beard that Henry McCaslin said hello. He will take good care of you. If Jim is not there then a cute young lady named Lauren will take care of you. I hope you have a great trip.

City Grocery @ 152 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS. 662 - 232 - 8080.
http://www.citygroceryonline.com/

If you have time stop by Greenwood, MS where you will find some outstanding casual local dining at Lusco's, Crystal Grill and Giardinia's. Giardinia's is in The Alluvian Hotel which is a 4 * hotel owned by Viking Range. The Crystal has good plate lunches, seafood and steaks. Giardinia's and Lusco's both have outstanding seafood and steaks. Lusco's is old style in a fairly rough neighborhood but safe with lots of history and famous names that have been there. Everyone dines in a booth with a curtain same as Giardinia's. Spend the night at The Alluvian and dine at Giardinia's or Lusco's for dinner.
Alluvian Hotel @ 318 Howard Street, Greenwood, MS 662 - 451 - 1500.
http://www.thealluvian.com/
Crystal Grill @ 423 Carrollton Ave.,Greenwood, MS 662 - 453 - 6530.
Giardinia's @ 314 Howard St., Greenwood, MS 662 - 455 - 4227.
http://www.thealluvian.com/restaurants.html
Lusco's @ 722 Carrollton Ave., Greenwood, MS 662 - 453 - 5365.
Stop in Greenville, MS if you have time for dinner at Doe's Eat Place. Greenville, MS is W of Greenwood, MS on Highway 82. Doe's Eat Place is not to be missed. You enter the restaurant through the kitchen where you can watch the steaks being prepared. In the center of the main dining room there are stoves at which the fries are made and salads are prepared there as well. In most cases, one steak there easily feeds two.
Doe's Eat Place @ 502 Nelson Street, Greenville, MS 662 - 334 - 3315.
http://www.doeseatplace.com/
You can head S on Highway 49 to Yazoo City and take Highway 3 to Vicksburg, MS. If you are in Greenville, MS you can go S on Highway 61 to Vicksburg, MS.

In Vicksburg you could tour the old antebellum homes and the Vicksburg National Military Park.
Have lunch/dinner @ Rusty's River Front Grill @ 901 South Washington St., Vicksburg, MS 601 - 638 -2030.
or @ Walnut Hills @ 1214 Adams Street, Vicksburg, MS 601 - 638 - 4910‎ for southern cooking.
Stop in Greenville, MS if you have time for dinner at Doe's Eat Place @ 502 Nelson Street
Greenville, MS 662 - 334 - 3315.
http://www.doeseatplace.com/

Rosswood is a great B&B between Vicksburg and Natchez. Be sure and stop at Old Country Store in Lorman for an outstanding country lunch.
Rosswood Plantation @ 2513 Red Lick Road, Lorman, MS 601 - 437 - 4215.
http://www.rosswood.net/
Old Country Store @ 18801 Hwy 61, Lorman, MS 601 - 437 - 3661.


I would definitely stop in Natchez and spend a day touring the plantation homes there. Monmouth is an oustanding place for the night. The dining room there is superb. I would also check out The Carriage House Restaurant at Stanton Hall for a wonderful lunch.
http://www.stantonhall.com/
http://www.monmouthplantation.com/

Realize that from Atlanta, the Smokies are about 3.5 to 4 hours away. The most scenic way to go is up I-985. You will be going through Cherokee on the East side of the park. There are a few small hotels by the creek in Cherokee which are cute. They aren't fancy, but they are nice.

When you are driving over the Smokies, it would be nice if you could stop in Cade's Cove. Google it to get more information.

Also, I think college football games are way more fun than professional games.

As others have said, be prepared for very hot and humid weather.

I'd try to see a college football game more than an NFL game in the South. The Saints are a different species - their fans are notoriously nuts and you'll see a lot of banners and protestations relating to their recent scandals - but you will pay HUNDREDS to get a crap seat at the Superdome on September 9. That's the season and home opener for the Saints and the debut of the Deadskins' new quarterback, who is from Texas.

College football is a religion in the South and every school treats its games like a border war. The lone problem is that you'll be there in September when the schools tend to schedule against weak teams instead of playing the difficult conference schedule of late September to November. One major college team that stump missed above is UT, which is in Knoxville (e.g., right at the foot of the Smokie Mountains) and usually puts out a better product than Vanderbilt (which is the smallest school in the conference and the only one that is a private college).

The only SEC intra-conference games during your trip that could be accessible to your itinerary are South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (Nashville, 8-30-12) or Auburn @ Mississippi State (Starkville, 9-8-12). The latter is a better game from a hate standpoint (Tottenham-Fulham level, not quite Tottenham-Arsenal) and that helps make it fun. The best game to see would be Auburn-Clemson in Atlanta on 9-1-12, but you'll be on the road then in all likelihood.

If you go to the plantation homes in Mississippi, don't also do plantations outside New Orleans and vice versa. Pick one set.

There should be concerts all around but ultimately your love of musical anything is off by about 1.5 weeks - on 21-23 Sept, the Deluna Festival will be held in Pensacola and on 21-22 Atlanta will host Music Midtown festival. Many acts are going to both.