Travelling the Deep South
 

Hello!

I'm from the UK and graduated university earlier this year. I have since been working as a freelancer writer and journalist from the comfort of my own home. It's great being able to work to my own schedule, so I thought there would be no better time than now to take this opportunity of flexible working freedom and plan my long-anticipated trip to explore the Southern States of America.

I hope to travel to New York January 2015 and explore/live in the city for around 5 months (question no.1 : as a UK citizen I can apply for a Visa Waiver Program to stay in the US for up to 90 days… can I stay for 89 days, go for a brief trip to a country outside of the US and apply for another 90 days? Or do I have to return to the UK in order to re-apply?)

I love New York and want to maximise my time there. I lived in Sydney, Australia, last year for 6 months as part of a student exchange and loved the experience of getting to know a city, rather than sticking to the tourist traps that would inevitably accompany a quick NY holiday.

I am a 23 year old female and will be travelling alone. My rough plan so far is:

From NY fly to Virginia. Rent a car and drive to North Carolina, through to Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, fly to NO in Louisiana, then drive to Texas (I want to spend a large chunk of my time here too), then fly to LA where I will meet friends to explore more of California before making my way to Vancouver. I want to end my trip with a solo expedition in Alaska for a couple of weeks.

Coming from a small island it is hard to comprehend how large the United States is. I have currently set aside 2 months to get myself from NY to LA (not including traveling around CA, VA or Alaska). I have various places that interest me along the way, and in some states I want to visit various places for a few days each, i.e. in Tennessee I'd like to visit Gatlinburg (DOLLYWOOD WOHOO), Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson, which could potentially take one week in total. Do you think that this is a reasonable amount of time to set aside? Other states, for example North Carolina, I would only wish to spend a couple of days. In Texas, I think 1.5-2 weeks would be a good amount of time. I'm also keen to drive by little areas of the Appalachian Trail whilst I'm heading through Virginia & North Carolina, perhaps to do a day or so of trekking before returning to the car (note: I do not want to camp - I'd be far too scared ha!)

Basically I only have a skeleton plan right now, but I want to get more ideas on how much time I should allow. I've read other forums and seen that some people travel the South in 3 weeks - in which case, is 2 months rather a long time to be travelling alone?

I travelled around New Zealand alone last year and that took me 2 weeks - I now look at the size difference between NZ and the US and realise I have no idea what I'm doing here. All help, suggestions and tips would be warmly welcomed!!

Many Thanks!

I don't know the details of rules that apply for traveling to the US - you need to check that with the appropriate authorities. But my understanding is that up to 90 days is allowed under the visa waiver program for tourists - and that for anything more than 90 days you will need a specific visa - that you have to qualify and apply for. You need to contact the US embassy and get the details and figure out how to qualify.

As for heading to NYC in January - the prices will be low then since it;s the dead of winter - and the northern US is much colder than the UK. You need to be prepared for snow (perhaps a lot), sleet, ice and cold temps then. Given the choice at that time of year I would start in the south and head north to get to NYC when the weather is better. (March will not be as bitterly cold and while snow is still possible it;s less likely - although the blizzard of '88 dumped more than 2 feet of snow in late March).

Finally, traveling around the country at that time of year you need to expect travel delays due to weather and allow for that by not scheduling things too tightly together.

Also - you really need to start building a zero based budget. Assume you will be trying to spend as little as possible and costs can definitely add up - even if you stay in hostels and try to eat picnics (not so easy when the weather is bad).

Suggest you look at the Let's Go Student guides and the Thorn Tree section of the Lonely Planet web site to get detailed info for student/budget travelers.

You're bouncing around a lot, going from Georgia and Alabama to Tennessee. We might be able to help you plan better if you could identify the cities and major attractions you want to see.

Some thoughts:
1. North Carolina: Great Smoky National Park. This includes some of the Appalachian Trail. However, winter is not a good time for this trip as some of the roads may be closed. If the weather is bad, you might want to take Interstate 77 down to Interstate 20, which will take you to Atlanta and Birmingham, since you mentioned Georgia and Alabama.
http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/appalachiantrail.htm

2. Tennessee: Dollywood is pretty much closed for the winter. http://www.dollywood.com/themepark/c...cid=ppc_000195

3. I'm not sure why Knoxville and Jackson are important to you as I can't think of much in the way of tourist attractions. However, if you are driving through TN, you will be on I40 which goes to Little Rock, Arkansas. There you can see the President Clinton Museum, which gives an interesting overview of the presidency, and the Civil Rights Museum which tells the story of integrating Little Rock Central High--a seminal event in the Civil Rights struggles of the 60s. Then take I30 from Little Rock to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

4. Texas: The most popular destinations are San Antonio and what is called the "hill country" near Austin. SA is every Texan's favorite city because of the river and the general ambiance (try to stay in a B&B in the King William District near downtown). The Hill Country is where President Lyndon Johnson was from and you can visit his ranch.

5. Five months is a long trip. I can't imagine spending more than three or four weeks in the Southeast. After you leave Texas, instead of flying to LA you could drive to New Mexico (Santa Fe) and Arizona (Grand Canyon).

6. Carefully research the "drop charge" you will pay for renting a car one place and returning it to another.

You mentioned distance compared to the UK: We live in Hot Springs, Arkansas 300 miles from Dallas. My SIL's parents moved from Newcastle-on-Tyne to Bristol some years ago and it's 300 miles. If you look at a US map and compare our 300 miles to yours, you'll see how big this country is. However, we can easily drive to Dallas while they fly to Newcastle because of the traffic congestion.

Texas alone is roughly three times the size of the UK--almost a thousand miles north-south and a thousand east-west at its widest points. The map distances are truly misleading compared to how you read a map. I used to teach graduate students from Europe (NATO pilots, no less) who thought they could leave Texas on a long weekend for a short trip and found that they couldn't get out of the state and back in that time. They just couldn't comprehend the scale. Our petro is cheaper than yours but you'll also use a lot more of it.

This might be easier to make an itinerary if you do so State by State. Try to get a feel for what you want from each state and if it is just a drive-through to the next destination or a visit. For instance, Georgia has mountains (north) to beaches (southeast).

But other states (VA, NC, UT) have more interesting mountains. The most unique part of GA (to me & I live here) is the Southeastern. The islands (the Golden Isles for reference purposes & Cumberland) and the city of Savannah.

A logical route there would be coming down from SC and Charleston. Maybe you need to study the map and chose a central or a coastal route because one can't truly explore each of those states in a few days. Why Alabama? Why Tennessee? What are you looking for in those states? While southern Miss and the Natchez trail is a nice drive etc. I don't find anything else for tourists in Mississippi.

Your interests need to dictate where you go since no way can you cover the South. There are some map realated books for tourists (check the libraries) that lay out itineraries for The South, and The West etc. and they are a good starting point. Are you interested in the history of the South? Just pretty drives? the Southern cuisine? Read a few of the current Southern writers...

Also, try searching here because others before you have done this and maybe they left a trip report...and why did you exclude Florida?

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-road-trip.cfm

check out what rickydicky another UKer says and click on his name to find all of his posts and info.

I am not at all sure WHY you want to see Dollywood and Gatlinburg!! The Great Smoky Mtn Park is a treasure--these are warts on it!!
How long do you anticipate this trip to be--you say 5 months in NYC.
If you are coming to the mountains after 5 months in NYC, then hiking could happen. Get a map of the Blue Ridge Parkway and find hiking near that.
You have left out perhaps the most charming southern city--Charleston. You could go to the Smokies, and then drive down to Charleston. I am not clear about the Tennessee, Georgia Alabama desire unless you have some specifics. Wintersp and I seem to have the same bent.
And I would not be too upset with your desires that Florida is left out.
You will not want to fly to Virginia from NYC--just take the train or the Megabus.
Or take the Megabus to Charlotte.
You have also left out Washington DC--many people do, and it is a shame. It is a beautiful and wonderful capital city.
I'd suggest, as others, a map.
You have omitted the American west--the mountains. It is unrivalled in the world, IMO.
So that is some ideas. 2 weeks in Texas might be a lot--to me, and DD lived in San Antonio.

The distance from Beaumont, Texas, to El Paso is 825 miles, not 1000.

Oh for pete's sake. SO helpful.

I am guessing based on your mention of Dollywood and Nashville that you are a fan of country music; in that case, Nashville should be your primary stop in Tennessee, and it will not disappoint, especially if you go to the Grand Ole Opry, hit some honky tonks and all the museums. There is great southern food in Nashville, and the city itself is charming and friendly.

No one has mentioned yet, I think, that you are not 25, meaning you will have an extra charge for renting a car here. That is not insurmountable, unless you are on a tight budget.

As far as planning the rest of your southern trip, maybe focus on food, music, architecture and/or historical sites for your planned stops (or whatever your interests are), and that will help with your decisions.

I would agree that starting south in January and ending north might make a lot more sense and save you from some serious weather headaches. In fact, I would do Los Angeles and the south west plus Texas in January/February, then the southeast in March, then up to Washington, D.C. and NYC, and then fly from NYC to Vancouver, B.C. and on to Alaska, because weather is going to be a huge consideration for your plans in Alaska, depending on what you hope to accomplish.

This is an ambitious undertaking, but it can be done with a lot of research and planning.

While San Antonio is a popular tourist attraction and worth seeing, a 23 year old will have a lot more fun in Austin.

Under the VWP (be sure to apply for your ESTA for pre-clearance) you have 90 days before you have to leave North America so you cannot do a "visa run" to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean Islands. Maybe Central America? Otherwise apply for the regular B1/B2 tourist visa which is good for 180 days.
You are covering a lot of territory, hope you have the funds for this trip as the US is expensive. Have fun.

Gretchen, are you the person here who is constantly sniping about "accuracy?" Yeah, I thought so, too.

I'm confused about timing...

So your plan is to LIVE in NYC for 5 months when you first arrive... THEN start your cross country trip (through the southern states, then heading west to Texas, California and Alaska)?

I think your timing is OK if that's what it is: Live in NYC for 5 months, then hit the road and take 2 months to go thru the east coast southern states then head west thru TX on to CA. Plus 1 more month for California and Alaska? So 8 months total you'd be in the USA?

If were planning this trip for myself (more than specific time allotments) I would first focus on:

1) What is the necessary paperwork to allow you to spend so much consequtive time in the US?
2) $$$ financing the trip. the trip you describe is quite expensive.
3) How you are going to get around? If you are renting car(s) the entire time when/where will you pick them up and return them? Flights? Train?
4) What exactly are you doing for your "solo expedition" in Alaska?

Suze has really hit the exact points. It will be REALLY expensive.
I'm not getting the timeline at all.
Agree about Austin vs. San Antonio.
And Dukey, have it your way whatever that may be.

A book to look at is "National Geographic Scenic Highways & Byways. The 275 Best drives in the United States". It's a starting point for recommended drives when driving. Could also help you make a 'skeleton' for where you want to go. We don't have the great buses and train routes as Europe does so transportation will take a lot of information gathering.

Not to mention how much it costs to rent even a teeny-weeny studio apartment in NYC for 5 months. Minimum will be around $15,000-25,000 for your rent alone... and you haven't even gone anywhere yet!

The OP really needs to clarify her plans for people to be able to help. Staying in NYC for 5 months (f that is the plan) is tricky - since it's way too long for hotels. too short for a regular rental (never mind that the OP won;t have proof of landlords financial requirements) and corporate monthly rentals are no bargain (I'm sure more than $3K per month for a studio anyplace in Manhattan).

<<From NY fly to Virginia. Rent a car and drive to North Carolina, through to Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, fly to NO in Louisiana, then drive to Texas (I want to spend a large chunk of my time here too), then fly to LA where I will meet friends to explore more of California before making my way to Vancouver. I want to end my trip with a solo expedition in Alaska for a couple of weeks.>>

Take the train to DC and then drive south. Probably less expensive than a flight to Richmond.

Why fly from Alabama to New Orleans? If you're going through Mobile, you'll be a two-hour drive away.

Why Jackson TN? Probably better to visit Chattanooga for historical and aesthetic reasons. And Jackson is #4 in the country for violent crime for cities of 60-100K people.

I hope you're loaded - your travel list would put a dent in the Queen's finances: NYC for five months, Alaska (hideously expensive), LA, six-plus months on the road.

<I'm sure more than $3K per month for a studio anyplace in Manhattan.>

That's probably true. I was just trying to throw some $$$ at the plan.

Because unless she's working with a trust fund or inheritance, I'm not sure how a "regular person" of that age would be able to afford to travel for 8 months to some very expensive places (living in NYC, the "expedition" in Alaska, etc.)