A road trip through some of the South

[nvestysly]

You're receiving lots of good information. As you see, there is too much to choose from.

+1 on visiting both Savannah and Charleston if you have time. If not on the same trip then plan to come back and see the other. As somebody said earlier on this thread - seeing one IS NOT like seeing the other - both are very different in many ways.

If you are near Atlanta be sure to check out not only Civil War history but Civil Rights history too. I've often wondered if any tour guides do such a tour as it would add context to both issues and so much of the history of the United States. Tours of Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta have quite a bit of history on a wide variety of people and events important to the old south as well as the new south.

+1 on Natchez Trace as well as Blue Ridge Parkway and let me add Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park if that hasn't been mentioned. There is a charge to drive on Skyline Drive and those fees are used in part to maintain the scenic overlooks. The scenic overlooks are not maintained on the Blue Ridge Parkway - you can actually see very little due to trees obscuring the view. Skyline Drive is the essentially the northern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If you go as far south as Florida be sure to check out the beaches in the panhandle near Destin/Fort Walton and surrounding area. The beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world - powder white sand, azure water, wonderful sunrises and sunsets. There is lots of history in north Florida too.

Best wishes on your trip planning.

 

[Chuckanut]

+1 on visiting both Savannah and Charleston if you have time. If not on the same trip then plan to come back and see the other. As somebody said earlier on this thread - seeing one IS NOT like seeing the other - both are very different in many ways.

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This is exactly the kind of advice that I am looking for and that makes this site so valuable. Thanks to all.

 

[frayne]

The Chattanooga area is rich with civil war history. Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga battlefields all have nice parks and you can literally spend days seeing the sights. Chickamauga was the second largest battle of the Civil war, second only to Gettysburg. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chickamauga

Spring and fall are the best times of the year to visit.

 

[LOL!]

Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is great.

You might check out the Civil Rights Trail which has bit and pieces througout the South. For instance, Charleston, SC is the site of the 2015 church massacre.

 

[flintnational]

Our favorites in no particular order.

Charleston
Asheville
Savannah - and the Georgia barrier islands
Nashville
Apalachicola and St. George Island - Fla panhandle
New Orleans

Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans all warrant a trip if time allows. All have great history, culture, architecture and fantastic food.

 

[Dtail]

Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is great.

You might check out the Civil Rights Trail which has bit and pieces througout the South. For instance, Charleston, SC is the site of the 2015 church massacre.

+1 on the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. We were there almost 3 hours and didn't see everything. Many smaller events/episodes we were not aware of.

 

[Dtail]

Our favorites in no particular order.

Charleston
Asheville
Savannah - and the Georgia barrier islands
Nashville
Apalachicola and St. George Island - Fla panhandle
New Orleans

Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans all warrant a trip if time allows. All have great history, culture, architecture and fantastic food.

Loved the food in New Orleans. The french quarter area is a little on the dirtier sometimes smellier side if one is used to cleaner cities. Plus it does get a little more dicey after midnight.

 

[gerntz]

An acquaintance has recommended a stop in Beaufort South Carolina. My initial pass indicates it's a small town with lots of grand old mansions and may be worth the stop.

Any thoughts on this place and its surrounding would be appreciated.

There once 10+ years ago. Pretty small. Not sure it adds anything to seeing Charleston & Sav.

 

[gerntz]

Our favorites in no particular order.

Charleston
Asheville
Savannah - and the Georgia barrier islands
Nashville
Apalachicola and St. George Island - Fla panhandle
New Orleans

Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans all warrant a trip if time allows. All have great history, culture, architecture and fantastic food.

+1

 

[Koogie]

There once 10+ years ago. Pretty small. Not sure it adds anything to seeing Charleston & Sav.

+1

Been there twice. Beaufort is beautiful and all and I am sure it is a great place to be from. But I don't feel in fairness that it has much to entice the casual visitor.

 

[Bamaman]

+1 on the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. We were there almost 3 hours and didn't see everything. Many smaller events/episodes we were not aware of.

I went to Memphis in 1968 for college and the music scene was exceptional in the 18 years I lived there. Many overlook the Stax Musuem which covers the hayday of Memphis music. And I understand it is well worth seeing.

 

[Souschef]

An acquaintance has recommended a stop in Beaufort South Carolina. My initial pass indicates it's a small town with lots of grand old mansions and may be worth the stop.

Any thoughts on this place and its surrounding would be appreciated.

We took a horse and carriage tour of the town. It was wonderful. Slow pace with narration. We also did one in Savannah. It is a great way to see these places.

 

[gcgang]

All those museums and historical sites sound great. But what I've always wanted to do is RV thru the SEC and see some big time college football. Anyone ever do that?

 

[Montecfo]

All those museums and historical sites sound great. But what I've always wanted to do is RV thru the SEC and see some big time college football. Anyone ever do that?

Yes but without the RV. My two stops this year are Columbia, SC and College Station Tx.

 

[RunningBum]

The scenic overlooks are not maintained on the Blue Ridge Parkway - you can actually see very little due to trees obscuring the view.

That's simply not true. There are a few where they've let the trees grow and obscure views, but most of the overlooks on the parkway are clear, and outstanding. I drive a 13 mile section a few times a month, cover half of Virginia's section over the course of the year, and have probably covered 80% or more of the parkway in the last 10 years.

 

[gerntz]

Yes but without the RV. My two stops this year are Columbia, SC and College Station Tx.

Just College Station for me. Been to all the others.

 

[Montecfo]

Saving the best game day experience for last. Good call!

 

[kitesurfer2]

That's simply not true. There are a few where they've let the trees grow and obscure views, but most of the overlooks on the parkway are clear, and outstanding. I drive a 13 mile section a few times a month, cover half of Virginia's section over the course of the year, and have probably covered 80% or more of the parkway in the last 10 years.

actually, that statement is very true. I ride the parkway on my bike, end to end every couple years and frequent other parts of the parkway on a more regular basis. the overlooks from Cherokee to way north of Asheville are mostly all over grown. the tree tops block all of the view. Closer to Va, the overlooks are not as bad and some have a partial view. The skyline dr is much more scenic and most if not all overlooks are clear.

 

[Dawg52]

Tomorrow I'm stopping by Vicksburg National Military Park before heading on out west. If anyone is this far south, it's worth a visit. As others have said, the Natchez Trace is a nice drive. I plan to drive some of it this Fall.

https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm

 

[RunningBum]

actually, that statement is very true. I ride the parkway on my bike, end to end every couple years and frequent other parts of the parkway on a more regular basis. the overlooks from Cherokee to way north of Asheville are mostly all over grown. the tree tops block all of the view. Closer to Va, the overlooks are not as bad and some have a partial view. The skyline dr is much more scenic and most if not all overlooks are clear.

Partially true at best. It's been a few years since I drove much on the south end so I'll have to take your word on that. On the north end it's not true. There's only one overlook I know of that they've let grow over, at about MP 3. In the last 2 years they totally cleared out another one that used to be blocked (MP 13), and now has a great view. I can also recall running by another and they were below the overlook clearing out some trees that were just starting to block it. I think the northern most 13 miles of the parkway have been views than the southern end of Skyline Dr, but that's just my opinion.

 

[gerntz]

Tomorrow I'm stopping by Vicksburg National Military Park before heading on out west. If anyone is this far south, it's worth a visit. As others have said, the Natchez Trace is a nice drive. I plan to drive some of it this Fall.

https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm

With those hills, basically had to starve them out. Which Grant did. Found the Natchez cotton plantation mansions interesting, particularly the incomplete Longwood. A select few lived very well.

 

[Chuckanut]

With those hills, basically had to starve them out. Which Grant did. Found the Natchez cotton plantation mansions interesting, particularly the incomplete Longwood. A select few lived very well.

Can you recommend a plantation that would make a good visit?

 

[gerntz]

Can you recommend a plantation that would make a good visit?

The mansions are in the city of Natchez. Most/all weren't on the plantations. Some 15-20 of various size/quality. Some still lived in. Tours' number vary by week of the year. They have several festival/tour weeks. Need to look up to see dates. There is a restored/re-created cotton plantation operation across the river in LA.

 

[Chuckanut]

This road trip is starting to gel. While we want to stay free to do whatever strikes our fancy while Down South, we also want to have some idea of what we want to see and do. We don't want to waste our time in the South figuring out why we are there.

The only area left with a planning hole in it is the great state of North Carolina. Given how much we like history, nature and cultural stuff, any suggestions?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Great Smoky Mountains come to mind, on the border with Tennessee. Asheville has the Biltmore House and is a great town for craft beer lovers. All the way on the other side of the state are the Outer Banks with beaches, the site of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, and the famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse.