You've got the right idea about taking in The Smokies. But there's nothing I'd rather not do as taking Hwy 61 up to Clarksdale.
That part of Mississippi is like a third world country--completely devoid of industry and jobs. People along Hwy 61 are not just poor, they're some of the poorest counties in the United States. I began traveling down there for work in 1974, and things are no better now than then--except for the few Tunica casinos still in business.
We have the Natchez Trace going through our county. The 50 mph speed limit is strongly enforced, and I seldom travel on the road--boring.
And people in many places in the U.S. are still undergoing hard times, and they're still singing the blues.