Southern USA Driving Holiday

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ValiantHardtop

ValiantHardtop

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Hey guys,

My wife and I are planning on spending a month or so driving across the South around August next year. I've drawn up a rough plan for it and I was wondering what you guys thought of the places we're planning on driving to.

We've never been to the States before, but we're really looking forward to it. We're both really in to blues music, history etc so you'll see I've noted some of the places we're planning on visiting.

If there's anywhere on there you reckon is overrated or if we're driving past something awesome and I don't know about it, it would be awesome if you could post up.

My main concern with the trip is that it's a lot of driving, but I hear the interstates over there are good with reasonable speed limits, and we both enjoy driving so I think it'll be fine.

Mileage figures are from Google Maps. Here's a map of the route...

Any advice at all would be appreciated!! (Next job is convincing my wife to let me spend $x0,000 on a Mopar to drive on the trip and then ship home...)

Thanks

Nick

Day 1

Miami, Florida - Key West, Florida (160 miles)

- Scenery, water etc.

Day 2

Key West, Florida – Miami, Florida (160 miles)

- Ernest Hemingway’s House

Day 3

Miami, Florida

- Everglades National Park

Day 4

Miami, Florida - Daytona Beach, Florida (260 miles)

- Daytona Speedway/Museum
- Trip to SeaWorld Orlando

Day 5

Daytona Beach, Florida – Savannah, Georgia (230 miles)

- Daytona Speedway

Day 6

Savannah, Georgia

- Architecture, old city

Day 7

Savannah, Georgia – Macon, Georgia (166 miles)

Day 8

Macon, Georgia

- Antebellum trail

Day 9

Macon, Georgia – Atlanta, Georgia (90 miles)

- Martin Luther King Jnr Museum

Day 10

Atlanta, Georgia – Nashville, Tennessee (250 miles)

Day 11

Nashville, Tennessee

- Country Music Hall of Fame
- Music Row
- Grand Ole Opry
- Bluebird Café

Day 12

Nashville, Tennessee

Day 13

Nashville, Tennessee – Memphis, Tennessee (210 miles)

- Detour to Shiloh (Civil War battlefield)

Day 14

Memphis, Tennessee

- Beale St
- WC Handy Museum
- Civil Rights Museum
- Stax Records
- Graceland
- Sun Studios

Day 15

Memphis, Tennessee

Day 16

Memphis, Tennessee – Greenwood, Mississippi (134 miles)

- Visit Clarksdale (Robert Johnson/Tennessee Williams)
- Greenwood Blues Museum

Day 17

Greenwood, Mississippi – Jackson, Mississippi (100 miles)

- Stop in Canton (heaps of films made there, scenery)

Day 18

Jackson, Mississippi – New Orleans, Louisiana (190 miles)

Day 19

New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 20

New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 21

New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 22

New Orleans, Louisiana – Lake Charles, Louisiana (200 miles)

- Cajun food
- Delta, scenery

Day 23

Lake Charles, Louisiana – Houston, Texas (150 miles)

- San Jacinto Battleground
- NASA

Day 24

Houston, Texas – Dallas, Texas (240 miles)

Day 25

Dallas, Texas
 
You have covered it all old buildings,senery,race tracks,swamps,blues,gambling,texans and lots of driving. The Everglades area has airboat rides,indian reservations,parks and miami area has great fishing,beaches. Don't know much about the rest of them i'm sure there are some civil war areas in georgia and tenn. and all of the areas have excellent food choices from barbq to cajun and every thing in between you may gain a few pounds. Have fun.
 
It will be a great trip...there's no way to see everything but I think you would really enjoy at least a day or two in St. Augustine, Florida. Also don't underestimate the need to wear your coolest clothing, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
 
An ac car would be a huge plus. August is unbearable in the deep south.
 
Goldfish is right on target when he advised you to pack for the heat. Unfortunately Macon, Ga. just lost our Georgia Music Hall of Fame. There is still some interesting music history sites to see, though. Most connected with southern rock (Capricorn Records). Savannah has a beautiful historic district, you will definitely enjoy that.
Depending upon the days you come through there may be a car show around that you could take in.
C
 
Hello, Nick,

It looks like you'll be driving a lot on I-10. There is major construction going on in Slidell and Lake Charles, LA, but I hope it will be finished before your trip next year. I live just north of Beaumont, TX. The posted speed limit is 70 m.p.h. most of the way, but I've always driven at 79-80 without a problem (radar detector is a help, however).

I noticed that you will be visiting the San Jacinto battleground. Right there is the U.S.S. Texas, a battleship launched in 1912 and upgraded for WW II. It was the only old battlewagon to have kept the steam piston engines as the others converted to turbines. Quite a sight and bit of history, if you are into it.

Also, Mobile, AL has the U.S.S. Alabama, a fast battleship of WWII vintage, on permanent display along with a WWII submarine, both in perfect condition. There is also a nice air museum on site. A good place to stop for the night is a town on the east side of Mobile Bay, Daphne, AL. Right on the interstate.

Also, Chattanooga, TN is a good place to visit. The nearby Civil War battlefields, Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga, are nicely preserved.

Have fun and keep us informed of your whereabouts.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys! Has been a long time in the planning, I think it's a pretty good itinerary. We'll be spending a week in New York beforehand too (blah blah blah shopping blah apparently!).

Would love to buy something old and big block and bring it home, but it's a lot of driving and then I'd have to ship it from Dallas to LA to go on a boat, major hassle. Also air-con will be a plus. Will probably end up buying either a Crown Vic or an 80's Camaro...

Will definitely keep you all updated - hoping to grab some parts for the Scamp to ship home while I'm there, catch some car shows etc.
 
If your Nashville - Memphis leg somehow brings you a little further north, it would be an honor to meet you. My shop's a few hundred feet off 45E between Milan and Martin, Tennessee (Zip Code 38230). Hot rods, projects, probably some cool parts in progress, and I can cook too.

Please keep in mind each city you're planning to visit probably has an online Chamber of Commerce page which will feature local attractions, special events, restaurants, etc. It's usually a valuable resource when planning a trip.

I hope you have a fantastic time! But have to admit I'm a little jealous. It's been awhile since I had a vacation. :-D
 
Thanks a very agressive schedule but it sounds like fun. Just remember when driving down here - nobody uses blinkers, no one understands the rules of right away and the left lane is the cell phone, makeup and general lolly-gaging lane.... :)
 
when in the Orlando, Fl area if passing through Ocala, Fl you my want to stop at "Big Daddy Don Garlitts musuem, lots of mopar racers. Also would love to have you come through Alabama. I might suggest looking into AAA which has some great maps of all the states you may visiting. It will list attractions and maybe help you decide where you can get the most out of your visit, keep us posted and enjoy your visit here, Joe
 
stumper said:
Thanks a very agressive schedule but it sounds like fun. Just remember when driving down here - nobody uses blinkers, no one understands the rules of right away and the left lane is the cell phone, makeup and general lolly-gaging lane.... :)
Click to expand...

Man, it sounds just like home!!!
 
red67gts said:
when in the Orlando, Fl area if passing through Ocala, Fl you my want to stop at "Big Daddy Don Garlitts musuem, lots of mopar racers. Also would love to have you come through Alabama. I might suggest looking into AAA which has some great maps of all the states you may visiting. It will list attractions and maybe help you decide where you can get the most out of your visit, keep us posted and enjoy your visit here, Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the Don Garlitts museum - that's a must!

The only fault I can find with the plan so far is that we totally miss Alabama... There didn't seem to be a sensible solution to that yesterday without doubling back, but I had a better look today and now have a revised plan that takes us Atlanta-Birmingham-Nashville rather than just Atlanta-Nashville. Still means we miss the coast, but there's a limit to what we can do.

Really appreciate all the advice and good wishes, guys!!
 
just keep us posted as plans are made to be changed
 
Sounds like a plan.
We're in Franklin, TN., about 20 miles south of Nashville, which is a great place to come visit. It's the scene of a huge 1864 Civil War battle, called the Battle of Franklin appropriately enough, and the town is a great place to spend a day.
Feel free to look us up when you get over this way.
 
Disney Orlando. Pop Century resort is very interesting and affordable in comparison to the others. From there Disney provides bus, monorail, or waterway transportation from one park or resort to the next, all free. Lots of sight seeing without ever entering a park.
Worlds largest collection of toasters can be seen just outside of Columbia SC. You would have to slow down and leave the beaten path to se those sort of things.
Just depends on what you would find interesting.
You may find Daytona disapointing when there isn't a race. Infact if you're not accustom to high heat combined with high humidity you may not enjoy the south at all in August.
I've found mid October the best time of year to travel anywhere.
 
If you pass up the coast of FL, I would recommend the Kennedy Space center in Cape Canaveral if you are interested in the space program. After that you could head west on SR528 and head to the Don Garlitts museum, then back east to St Augustine.
 
I'm from Queensland, Australia - we know ALL about heat and humidity... Would prefer to travel later or earlier, but we're a bit trapped by when I can get time off from work...

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys - Particularly the world's largest collection of toasters. Awesome
 
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