minimel89

Hi guys,

I've been planning this whole Southern-States Roadtrip for late August/September. We have the cities figured out - except for the last one.

So we are starting with Charlotte - Myrtle Beach - Savannah - Jacksonville - Panama City Beach - Mobile - New Orleans and then flying to Dallas to see some relatives. Flying to Nashville - Chattanooga - and the last two days somewhere in the Great Smoky Mountains before heading to CLT, and this is where I have no idea where to stay, what to do, where to eat.

So if you guys have suggestions on any of that - your help is greatly appreciated!

We are female 24 yrs. and male 25 yrs. from Germany with lots of US travel experience. We like to keep it simple though - not too fancy.

Thank you in advance.

onthego15

One of my favorite places in the Smokies is Cataloochee. It's a gorgeous valley totally surrounded by high mountains. And the Smokies elk herd can be seen there in the late afternoon/early evening a couple hours before sunset. It also has some nice trails, creeks and volunteers with the Elk Bugle Corp are around to answer questions and share great info. I went twice last year and have already been there this year.

cliff_rock

I have been there a couple times. I won't claim expertise, but this might help.

The most lodging/dining areas are in the Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge areas. Unfortunately, so are the most tourists and all the bad things that may come with them (i.e. tacky gift shops, Ripley's museum, etc.). That said, you can base day trips into GSMNP very easily and insulate yourself from the distraction as much as you care to.

I've also stayed in Townsend, TN which had much less commercial development but was a little less convenient for touring in the GSMNP.

Cherokee, NC may be a similar option but I have no experience.

Since you are continuing into NC, if you take the route near Clingman's Dome I would suggest stopping there and hiking to the top.

minimel89

This is all very helpful, thank you both!

I will look up some logding in that area. Any suggestions on guided tours you might've taken or activities that you recommend?

Thanks again!

djp98374

In looking at your itinerary...just something you should plan for....

August/September is still hurricane season along that part of the Atlantic and gulf coast you are visiting...if one happens you need to have backup plans and itinerary changes.

Its a near certainty there will be a tropical storm somewhere coming close enough to the coast to affect things during your visit (assuming about 2 weeks)...the issue is where it would happen.

what is your itinerary in terms of driving/staying in each city?

You really should spend a day exploring Chaleston, SC---which isnt part of your itinerary. i would spend time in Charleston/Savanah there over Jacksonville.

I would look at more at Cherokee/Asheville area over Pidgeon forge/Gatlinburg.

I would also have sugested including Memphis as part of your plans.

swag

Over on the NC side, the Deep Creek section of the National Park offers some pretty fun whitewater tubing.

http://www.greatsmokies.com/tubing.php

minimel89

Very helpful thank you! We do know about hurricane season. We have 3 weeks to do the tour, and a little extra time planned for everything. In case a hurricane would hit during the trip we might leave for my family in Dallas a little early and see how things are going.

We actually have 2 days in Savannah that we could split into 1-1 for a short visit in Charleston. It's just 1 day to rest in Jacksonville, we dont like to drive 6 to 7 hours a day. We wanted to keep the cities close too, in case something like a hurricane happens.

We kind of decided against Memphis, the City might be worth looking at, but we are close from where Elvis lived in Germany, so we have the hype every year, just not that interesting anymore. We love coutry music though, thats why we have 3 days planned for Nashville.

For the Smokies we def planned on staying in NC. I found a lot about Cherokee. I'll be looking a little more into that area! Thanks for the suggestions, I really appriciate them!

onthego15

First, a few more suggestions about the Smokies.

Above I mentioned the beautiful Cataloochee area and the elk herd. Another area I love to hike in is Big Creek. It has waterfalls, places to swim and in general it's a beautiful hike along a large rushing creek.
Since you will be coming in from Chattanooga, check out the Abrams Creek area for hiking and another lovely waterfall.
For guided hikes, consider:
https://sites.google.com/site/justgetoutdoors/
I haven't hiked with her yet, but I may be doing an excursion led by her later this summer. If I do, I will report back.
As has been noted above, both Gatlinburg and Cherokee are very, very, very touristy and tacky. But if you will be out and about all day and just want cheap accommodations, they could be okay. My recommendation is to find a nice Inn around Townsend if you want to focus on the west side of the Smokies. Since the east side of the Smokies is an easy day trip for me, I don't know much about accommodations on this side, though I am sure there are many lovely Inns and cabins to rent.
I would be wary of driving the Cades Cove Loop. It can be so congested that it basically becomes a long parking. And once you're on it, you are stuck in the traffic.
On the other hand, the Foothills Parkway on the west side of the Smokies is gorgeous and not crowded when I was there. It would be convenient for you, if you come in from Chattanooga.
Like djp98374 I recommend Charleston strongly. If, like you, I had only two days, I would spend them in Charleston, not Savannah. But as a Charleston native, I am a bit prejudiced, of course.
Is there a particular reason you are stopping in Myrtle Beach? It's another very, very touristy city and rather ugly, in my opinion. Charleston or some of the smaller towns on the SC coast would be much more beautiful.
If you are interested in natural excursions on the coast, check out:
http://www.coastalexpeditions.com/
I have been out with them many times on their Bull Island Ferry, and have enjoyed every trip.

minimel89

There is no special reason for Myrtle Beach, if you say Charleston is a must I will look up some tours and attractions that might intrest us and cancel MB out.
Our tour right now looks like this:

Charlotte, NC - 1 day (arriving late, so I booked a room)
Charleston, SC - 2 days (instead of MB and 2 days Savannah)
Savannah, GA - 1 day (I take alternatives - Saint Simons Island maybe?)
Jacksonville, FL - 1 day
Panama City Beach, FL - 2 days (beachy vacation kinda thing)
Mobile, AL - 1 day
New Orleans - 3 days
- flight to Dallas - 4 days - flight to Nashville
Nashville, TN - 3 days
Chattanooga, TN - 1 day
Great Smoky Mountains - 2 days
Charlotte - 1 day - flight back

The Bulls Island Ferry Expedition Tour looks amazing!

onthego15

Seeing your itinerary helps.
There is a lot to see in and around Charleston. One suggestion I have is do a walking tour with Michael Trouche:
charlestonfootprints.com
I'm a native, and I didn't know 80% of the information he shared.
Yes, Bulls Island is wonderful. Unless you have your own boat it's one of the only places you can have a six mile long beach virtually to yourself. And the wildlife is great. Take a stroll down Alligator Alley. Two caveats about Bulls Island:
The ferry only goes Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so it might not fit your schedule. Also, you don't want to go if the weather isn't good. There is just one small shelter, and it would be a real bummer if you had to spend your time in it because of rain, wind, heat.
Another suggestion, in Georgia, is Cumberland Island National Seashore. It is also accessible only by ferry. The ferry does go daily. I would recommend Cumberland Island over spending time in Jacksonville (though you could spend the night in Jacksonville after spending a day on Cumberland Island.
Jekyll Island, GA is another very nice island (but not as special as Cumberland).

MissJ

I would HIGHLY suggest Charleston over MB.

I'm from SC and could go on for hours about all the cities listed as I'm from the area and have spent a ton of time in all.... have lived in two.

Jacksonville - I wouldn't really want to be there as just a tourist. It's a decent city but it's not on beach, though it is nearby. A wonderful place nearby is Amelia Island. There are some lovely resorts there and you could get some great beach time in.

Panama City - not my favorite either. It's like MB but on a different body of water. I'd do St. George Island for a nice, peaceful beach trip or just go on to Gulf Shores to minimize the trip between there and Mobile.

Chattanooga - make sure you go to the aquarium

For the mountains - are you looking for a place in a town? A place with outdoor sports like hiking? A place on the water? Something remote and quiet like a cabin in the woods with a hot tub and a great view? Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Cherokee are tourist traps and I wouldn't spend my time there. I've been to all and would not bother stopping. if you want a city, go for Asheville. If you want solitude, I can point you to some lovely cabins.

Cumberland Island is very nice as mentioned above.

Do be aware that it will be hot... amazingly hot. I've lived in the deep south for decades and especially in places like Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans...I occasionally think "holy crap it's hot" even after all my years here.

Do you need any suggestions for activities, hotels or restaurants? I'm a little older than you though not a ton so I can give suggestions for activities where you won't be half the age of others there if you need for some cities.

As mentioned, hurricane season is no fun. Hopefully you'll get lucky but it's not just the big storms we worry about, it's tropical storms and tropical depressions that can dump a lot of rain and leave you with unreal humidity. We are currently getting storms every single day in Atlanta. Just be sure to know of a couple of indoor activities in the cities as well, not just walking around or hanging out on the beaches.

djp98374

CLT to charleston is about a 3 hr drive

charleston has alot of history from the Revolutionary war and the Civil War. Charleston and Savanah have alot of history around the area.

charleston to Savanah is about 2 hrs.

Savanah to JAx is about 2 hrs

Just north of JAX in Georgia is Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Jacksonville to New Orleans is about a long 8 hr drive.

What I suggest as a cost savings move.....

You will have beaches alll along the Atlantic coast.

What I would suggest to try and save on rental car costs is instead from Jacksonville to New Orleans is to drive up to Nashville.

With you itinerary....

day 1 Charlotte
day 2-3 Charleston
day 4 Savanah
day 5 Jacksonville
day 6 beach day
day 7 drive to Nashville with a stop in Chattanooga to see the aquarium.

day 8-10 In new orleans (fly)
day 11-15 Dallas (fly)
day 16-18 Nashville

You just book a 3 one way flights to go from Nashville to New Orleans to Dallas.

day 19-20 Smokeys
day 21-22 Charlotte


The thing is doing 2 one way car rentals will likey be expensive. Having the same car on a loop trip would be cheaper.


the reason I suggest Memphois isnt because of Elvis...its because its a music town just like New Orleans and Nashville.

With Hurricanes because of the coast its actually less likely to get hit by a hurricane in the Charleston-Jacksonville area then either north or south bvecause of the currents and weather patterns. they have gotten hit...but in the past the storms have usually turn to the north of Charelston and hit NC coast around Wilmington and the outer banks.

The other option with your trip is to do Wlimington and the outer banks of NC

onthego15

If you are still open to making changes to your itinerary, you should really spend some time here in Asheville. The weather is great that time of the year compared to the heat of the coast, and I can recommend a few dozen hikes and activities around here.
But if you're happy with what you have planned, then enjoy!

minimel89

Thanks a lot for all of your replies!
We actually might be near Asheville at the end of our trip, but that depends on my relatives health issues right now. They are living in Columbus, NC. So Asheville would be a good stop, and we really dont want to go for tourist traps. Hiking will be on our schedule, so go shoot some ideas

I will definetley keep the change of Jacksonville to Cumberland in mind. That might really work for us.

The rental car price is actually okay, so we dont mind the one-way expense. I think we get quite good rates from Germany with our tour operator discounts.

We changed MB to Charleston. Thank you all for pointing that out! We might book a plantation tour and a boat trip.

For the Smokies we are looking for a decent place that can give us a little guidance, it doesnt have to be a cabin, we just go there to sleep and freshen up. We really want to go hiking and see some waterfalls, maybe a zipline tour and go somewhere with a good few over the mountains. My boyfriend loves to fish, but that might take too much time from our schedule.

We have been to Texas and South Florida a couple of times in August, but until now we just had a bit of rain and tropical heat. I hope we are lucky. We can cancel our Hotels 24hrs in advance with no fees, so If we fear it could get too dangerous, we will be thinking about changing the tour and maybe fly somewhere like Memphis, but that would be an emergency plan. But in the middle of hurricane season it's good to have options.

Thank you MissJ for all of your suggestions. We will definetly look up some indoor activities too, in case it really should rain or be stormy. We appreciate any suggestion about food and activities! We got the hotel part mostly covered.

MissJ

Do make sure you read up on Cumberland to make sure it works for you. It's only accessible by ferry, no cars, number of visitors is limited and there's only one place to stay if you don't camp. Just making sure you know it's not a place you can just drive to or plan last minute. It's lovely though.