Stay : Southern Highlights in Three Weeks
This itinerary proposes a three-week express trip linking most of the major sites of the Deep South. It is to be considered as a first approach which can be developed during later stays, either by devoting more time to the whole trip, or by focusing on a geographical area or a more precise theme.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
21 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : Southern Highlights in Three Weeks - 21 days
Day 1: Miami, Florida
Arrival in Miami and settling in South Beach.
Day 2: Miami Beach
Visit of Miami Beach and its Art Deco neighbourhood, relaxation on the beach, museums and parks, shopping. Outing in the evening on Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue.
Day 3: Everglades National Park, Florida
Discovery of the ecosystem, alone or with a guide, cycling or canoeing.
Day 4: Miami-Savannah, Georgia
Steps: Savannah
Walk along the Atlantic coast of the Sunshine State to Georgia. It takes 8 hours to reach Savannah from Miami. Between the two destinations, a stop to visit a Orlando amusement park will require an additional day on your trip.
Day 5: Savannah, Georgia
Steps: Savannah
Visit of the city and beautiful Antebellum residences. Taste soul food or seafood. In the evening, take the road to Charleston, at 2 hours from Savannah.
Day 6: Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston tells the life of the plantations and the American Civil War. Visit Fort Sumter, where the civil war began on April 12, 1861. There are many beautiful Antebellum houses. At the end of the day, take the road for Raleigh about 5 hours north of Charleston.
Day 7: University Triangle Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
It is in this triangle in central North Carolina that some of the most prestigious American universities are located.
Day 8: Asheville, North Carolina
Just at less than 4 hours drive from Durham, Asheville is the centre of the New Age Renaissance where the new American hippies meet.
Day 9: Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
To the east, Cherokee is the door of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, itself astride of North Carolina and Tennessee. Enjoy the wild beauty of the places before going to Gatlinburg (TN). A visit from Dollywood Park to Pigeon Forge (TN) will require 1 additional day to your itinerary. Sleep on site or visit Knoxville (TN) to spend the night.
Day 10: Nashville, Tennessee
Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and enjoy live music at the Ryman Auditorium. It's a 3-hour drive from Knoxville to Nashville (add 2 hours if you plan to stop in Oak Ridge, where the atomic bomb was researched, on your way from Knoxville).
Day 11: Memphis, Tennessee
At 3 hours and half east of Nashville, Memphis is the city of Elvis and the Blues. It is also the city where Martin Luther King was murdered. Visit Beale Street and the Sun Studio.
Day 12: Memphis, Tennessee
Visit Graceland today, but also the National Civil Rights Museum.
Day 13: Blues Highway, Mississippi
Steps: La Nouvelle-Orléans, Natchez, Vicksburg, Natchez, Indianola, Clarksdale
Highway 61, which runs along the Mississippi River from Memphis to New Orleans, is called the Blues Highway. Visit the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, and stop by the B.B. King Museum in Indianola. Further south, Vicksburg is the site of a historic Civil War battle. Even further south, Natchez has retained its antebellum splendor. Spend the night there. The drive from Memphis to Natchez is about 5 hours. Add an extra day to your trip if you want to visit Jackson, the state capital, which is located a little before Vicksburg.
Day 14: New Orleans, Louisiana
Steps: Natchez
Morning arrival in New Orleans located at 3 hours drive from Natchez. Visit of the city starting with the Old Quarter.
Day 15: New Orleans-Houston, Texas
Steps: Houston
Take the road the next day in the early afternoon to reach Houston at 6 hours away.
Day 16: Houston, Texas
Steps: Houston, Corpus Christi, Clear Lake City, Atlanta
The early birds will discover Houston through its Museum District by choosing one of its many museums. In the afternoon, departure for NASADowntown to close this first stage in Texas.
SPACE CENTER HOUSTON
Day 17: Austin, Texas
At 3-hour drive from Houston, Austin is the capital of Texas. The musical excitement there is impressive. Visit the city centre, its museums and its capitol and do not hesitate to in a local honky-tonkat in the heart of the country music.
Day 18: Austin, Texas
Steps: Austin
Enjoy the alternative atmosphere of Austin and its sympathetic bars.
Day 19: New Orleans, Louisiana
Steps: Houston, Kemah, Galveston, Austin
After Austin, go to New Orleans via Houston. Take the time to stop by the sea at Kemah or Galveston. It takes a 6-hour drive. Enjoy your last evening in New Orleans to listen to jazz in one of the many clubs in the city.
Day 20: Montgomery, Alabama
Steps: Montgomery, Mobile
Plan 5 hours to reach Montgomery in the heart of Alabama. Stop on the way in Mobile. Montgomery, the capital of the state, was one of the major centres of the struggle for civil rights. Martin Luther King was pastor there and fought for the equality of black Americans.
Day 21: Atlanta, Georgia
Steps: Atlanta, Montgomery
at 3 hours drive from Montgomery, Atlanta is the last stage of this itinerary. With one of the largest airports in the United States, this is your way out to the Deep South. You will see, among other things, the house where Martin Luther King of his childhood, but also where he founded, the High Museum of Art or the World of Coca-Cola, depending on the time you have before departure.
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