Deep South Road Trip

[markibak]

Hi all,
As the title suggests we (My wife and I) have been planning a road trip in this area.
Originally we had it booked for September 2020 then moved it to May 21 but we are likely to move it to November as that (hopefully) gives us the best chance of a holiday abroad this year.
Or plan is as follows and it is open to change.

Flights booked with BA.
Fly to New Orleans and stay for 5 nights, pick up a hire car and drive to Pensacola beach for 4 nights.
Drive to Natchez for 2 nights then up to Memphis for 3 nights before driving to Nashville for 7 nights and flight home!
It does seem like a lot of driving but I enjoy it so not an issue!

The weather looks reasonable for early November as well.

As I said we are open to change so if anyone has done a similar trip or has any other ideas they would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Mark.

[toffeeman0]

We did similar journey a good 20 years ago and loved it.we did Nashville Memphis Natchez New Orleans and Chattanooga You will love Natchez try and plan more than 2 nights there if possible and take a night or two off NO we planned 2 nights and stayed 5 try and drive on Natchez trace parkway for some of your route if you can

[tracy99]

For me I would take 3 nights of Nashville and 1 night off New Orleans and see if there’s anywhere you can distribute those nights.
As suggested a few mote nights at nantchez or I would continue on to the smokey mountains and fly home from Knoxville.
Personally for me 7 nights in Nashville is too long.
Our last trip taking in Nashville,Memphis and New Orleans was in Oct 2019.
We really lucked out with the weather,I had to buy a cardy in target and never had it off lol!
The day we went to Graceland was torrential rain and New Orleans when we went on the swamp tour was freezing.
Halloween in NO we were dressed up but it was cold lol!
But we went the same time about 15 years ago and the weather was glorious which is why we chose the same time,so just think we were unlucky.
Enjoy your planning
Tracy x

[WileyCoyote]

Op, have you looked at the website called trippy ? That suggests possible stop offs en route between places that might break up the Pensacola - Natchez drive. I’ve used it for a few of our road trips.

We love New Orleans and have travelled around a bit of Louisiana - it’s a fascinating place so I’d be all for keeping more time there 😂
I loved Memphis and wish we’d had one extra night there. Nashville was not so much to our liking but we aren’t huge country fans. Definitely an experience !

Deep South such an interesting area. Beautiful places . Sounds like an amazing trip.

[YorkshireT]

As above go to Smokies and not so much Nashville.

[catherinesian]

We did a combined Deep South road trip and Disney stay in September 2019. It was amazing.

We flew into New Orleans and did New Orleans > Memphis > Nashville > smoky mountains > Atlanta > Waycross > Orlando.

We did 2 nights in each place except Waycross. The only place I wished we had more time was in the smokies. And maybe Nashville actually. And Disney of course

We did the following at each place;
New Orleans - 1 day exploring the city, beignets for breakfast and lovely dinner at a local restaurant. Then the next day picked the car up and headed to Oak alley plantation on our way to Memphis. This is where they filmed Django.

Memphis - Graceland is fab. Not much else there unless you want to visit Sun Studios IMO.

Nashville - Jack Daniels distillery is well worth a visit. We also took a trip to the American pickers store Antique Archeology as we love the show. We also did a steamboat show and took a trip to the Old Opry.

Smokies - we relaxed a bit here. Went tubing which was so much fun, highly recommend. Had a whole afternoon for $10 tube hire! We rented a cabin in the woods which was absolute bliss.

Atlanta - went to the Coca Cola museum and a general wander. Lovely dinner in some place that I've forgotten the name of now!

Waycross - this was a 1 night stopover to break up the driving from Atlanta to Disney. We did however go to the Okenofee Swamp park which was really good. We did a swamp airboat ride there.

Then we went for a 10 day stay at Disney

I do have an almost entirely written trip report that I am still trying to finish that I am happy to share with you if you like.

[Disneybear]

Originally Posted by catherinesian

We did a combined Deep South road trip and Disney stay in September 2019. It was amazing.

We flew into New Orleans and did New Orleans > Memphis > Nashville > smoky mountains > Atlanta > Waycross > Orlando.

We did 2 nights in each place except Waycross. The only place I wished we had more time was in the smokies. And maybe Nashville actually. And Disney of course

We did the following at each place;
New Orleans - 1 day exploring the city, beignets for breakfast and lovely dinner at a local restaurant. Then the next day picked the car up and headed to Oak alley plantation on our way to Memphis. This is where they filmed Django.

Memphis - Graceland is fab. Not much else there unless you want to visit Sun Studios IMO.

Nashville - Jack Daniels distillery is well worth a visit. We also took a trip to the American pickers store Antique Archeology as we love the show. We also did a steamboat show and took a trip to the Old Opry.

Smokies - we relaxed a bit here. Went tubing which was so much fun, highly recommend. Had a whole afternoon for $10 tube hire! We rented a cabin in the woods which was absolute bliss.

Atlanta - went to the Coca Cola museum and a general wander. Lovely dinner in some place that I've forgotten the name of now!

Waycross - this was a 1 night stopover to break up the driving from Atlanta to Disney. We did however go to the Okenofee Swamp park which was really good. We did a swamp airboat ride there.

Then we went for a 10 day stay at Disney

I do have an almost entirely written trip report that I am still trying to finish that I am happy to share with you if you like.

See more...

This sounds amazing and is similar to what I have provisionally planned for our next big trip (whenever it comes). Would love to see your trip report

[markibak]

Thanks for all the useful information folks . We are staying positive it will happen 🤞

catherinesian:
Would be great to read your trip report as that sounds like a brilliant holiday!

[aly]

We loved Natchez and spent a day at Melrose house an old antebellum estate, the guide was brilliant we stayed at the Natchez Grand right on the Mississippi. We also stayed in Mobile Alabama and went on the USS Alabama which is another great day out and not a million miles away from Pensacola. We did Nashville and Memphis and Chattanooga, also went to Shiloh Battlefield

[smithlane]

Originally Posted by catherinesian

We did a combined Deep South road trip and Disney stay in September 2019. It was amazing.

We flew into New Orleans and did New Orleans > Memphis > Nashville > smoky mountains > Atlanta > Waycross > Orlando.

We did 2 nights in each place except Waycross. The only place I wished we had more time was in the smokies. And maybe Nashville actually. And Disney of course

We did the following at each place;
New Orleans - 1 day exploring the city, beignets for breakfast and lovely dinner at a local restaurant. Then the next day picked the car up and headed to Oak alley plantation on our way to Memphis. This is where they filmed Django.

Memphis - Graceland is fab. Not much else there unless you want to visit Sun Studios IMO.

Nashville - Jack Daniels distillery is well worth a visit. We also took a trip to the American pickers store Antique Archeology as we love the show. We also did a steamboat show and took a trip to the Old Opry.

Smokies - we relaxed a bit here. Went tubing which was so much fun, highly recommend. Had a whole afternoon for $10 tube hire! We rented a cabin in the woods which was absolute bliss.

Atlanta - went to the Coca Cola museum and a general wander. Lovely dinner in some place that I've forgotten the name of now!

Waycross - this was a 1 night stopover to break up the driving from Atlanta to Disney. We did however go to the Okenofee Swamp park which was really good. We did a swamp airboat ride there.

Then we went for a 10 day stay at Disney

I do have an almost entirely written trip report that I am still trying to finish that I am happy to share with you if you like.

See more...

Would love to read the report!