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This place seems an unexpected goldmine for holiday tips. So perhaps you can give me suggestions for a trip I'm planning for October to hire a car and drive from Washington DC to New Orleans over several weeks.
The basic idea is to drive to Richmond (check out some Zwift sights😉) and down the Blue Ridge Parkway on to Nashville, Memphis then through Mississippi to New Orleans. Just me and Mrs R - no children.
Any advice or recommendations would be very welcome. Thanks
Atlanta is a nice place to see a big sports game (doesn't really matter which, it's all atmosphere). Walking around the CNN studios was pretty interesting. Going to the Coca Cola tour sounds a bit dull and corporate. Lots of good comedy clubs in Atlanta. Athens is supposed to be a nice college town.
Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham AL + massive Soviet style metal sculpture at overlook of city + 5 Points district
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge TN - kitsch so get into it!
Habitat for Humanity museum in Americus, GA
There's white water rafting around there but it might be too cold for many tours to be running. I reckon the weather will be very nice.
Possibly controversial and maybe I'm getting old but I think most US cities are not nice at night, and getting around is a drag.
Edit: ignore me, all these places aren't on your route!
The places I have been, and would highly recommend, aren't on your route. (Okefenokee swamp in south Georgia and Buffalo River, AR - both multi day canoe trips).
Great Smoky Mtns NP and surrounding forests could be really busy if you hit autumn colours and the elk rut. But stunning. And the bears can be a problem, because of people's habits / rubbish issues. There is a huge amount of broadleaf woodland and mountains and plenty of places to get away from the crowds, but obviously the best views and 'scenic drives' get busy. Walk 10 minutes from the car parks though and you'll find plenty of space - you'll zig zag across the Appalachian Trail and lots of other great walking. It's amazing to realise that all of the primary forest was logged and this is all re-planted, but the wildlife is still there.
I think if you're following the more coastal route along the east coast, there are some cypress forests and blackwater swamps in N Carolina with canoe trails and amazing, remote beaches. But I've not visited - yet!
Do be aware many rural south and central areas can feel quite red-neck, you'll pass through the whole political spectrum. And some cities like Memphis have a reputation for not being particularly safe in the suburbs. I have visited Atlanta and liked it, for such a big city, the centre was walkable and MLK monument interesting, and I felt safe walking around in the day on my own.
Thank you konagirl and PCA.
Things to do in DC: the Pentagon tour, several Smithsonian museums (the air & space one is excellent).
The NRA museum was worth popping in if you are passing.
Spoiler alert, there are alot of guns.
It is in the basement of the NRA headquarters, which looks like a bond villain lair- ironic.
I did a race in Virginia and we passed it on the way back.
I wouldn't go again, but it gave an insight into why Americans LOVE their guns so much culturally. Despite guns killing so many people each year. Unsurprisingly the museum was silent on current guns deaths/ mass shootings and vocal about the wild west
And it's free so you don't have to give the Mrs any cash
Thanks for those suggestions. I’ve been to the excellent Smitsonian air museums, but the Pentagon and the NRA are things I’d never thought of. 🤔
probably my favourite holiday ever was about 20 years ago when me and the now wife flew to Chicago, had 4 days there, got on Amtrak train down to Memphis for a few days then continued on that train track to New Orleans - great, leisurely way to trundle through nearly 1000 miles , from memory it was about 20 hours on train (Memphis was about half way) - the trains there are far more comfortable than what you get in UK
At the time there were no direct flights back to UK from New Orleans so we got a connecting flight to Cleveland and spent a night there (utter dump, best avoided)
If I was to do trip again would probably hire a car and go back via Texas (e.g. Houston, Austin, Dallas) but that might be too much for even 3 weeks
I didn’t really rate Washington DC when I visited on a separate holiday, a day would have sufficed there.
If I was driving down that way I'd want to take in a bit of live Cajun/Zydeco music like at the Floyd Country Store.