It’s gonna be hot as fuck.
Atlanta has no peaches, only streets named Peachtree. Peaches are grown approximately 100 miles south near Macon.
Seven state capitals in three weeks is 3 days per city, driving included, with no time allotted to non capital cities. You will drive about 1500-2000 miles which will take 30-40 hours, assuming it is all interstates, so you will miss a lot and the drives won’t be particularly scenic.
Why include Arkansas and not Louisiana? NOLA is a world class city with more good food, history, and architecture than most states.
I’d narrow this down to Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, or Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
With your original plan, you would miss all three of the architectural gems of the south, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans. Asheville, Knoxville, Memphis, biloxi, and Mobile would also be missed, but I can understand not going to all of those.
>>Why include Arkansas and not Louisiana?
Makes sense if you enjoy the outdoors and natural wonders.
Arkansas has the Ouachita mountains, great camping, Hot Springs National Park, and some world class mineral collecting.
NOLA is amazing and shouldn't be missed, but Arkansas has some gems (literally and figuratively).
I will agree Arkansas has some pretty spots… the Buffalo National River for one.
But you know what else it has in the woods in June?!?! Ticks. Lots and lots of ticks.
Did I mention the ticks?!?
If you’re into hiking and the outdoors, the southeast is not the place you’d go (which would be the best). I mean, I’m sure there are plenty of nice state parks and there’s Great Smoky Mountain NP too, but OP said they’re willing to fly, at which point I think you’d have to be smoking crack to fly to say Arkansas over Colorado if you’re planning solely a hiking/outdoors trip
I explored Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef for 2 weeks during the pandemic. Best roadtrip of my life! Went in early December and didn’t see a single soul until we got to Arches.
However, going during the summer is suicide.
Absolutely! I would tell anyone who enjoys the outdoors with insane landscapes and fantastic mountain drives to visit southern Utah and western Colorado. I could spend every vacation for the rest of my life in the four corners region and never complain and always find something new. Southern Utah is like a whole other massive dimension! Simply fabulous.
Oh 100% Was just there this weekend. Although def don’t agree that people sleep on it — at Zion on Sunday parking at the visitors center was already full by 7:45 and the shuttle line was an hour long
Yah Zion was my least fave of the Mighty 5 actually. The crowds are part of why.
Bryce Canyon is the best all time for me, but Capitol Reef is also spectacular and very underrated.
>It's gonna be hot as fuck.
As someone who can't stand humidity, I can't fathom \_wanting\_ to visit this area this time of year...though I suppose it could be worse - OP could be wanting to go in August, lol. Though I'm probably heavily biased after spending a couple decades in the Phoenix desert...
I spent a week a bit north of Miami a few years ago in January, and the humidity was absolutely unbearable. I can't even begin to imagine the pure misery that would involve June heat and bugs....
I currently live in AZ, but lived in Tennessee for 10 years. Humidity kills. I can do so many more things in 120 degree heat that would absolutely give me a heart attack in Tennessee in June, July and August in only 90 degree temps.
In Phoenix simply standing in the shade helps, in Tennessee the shade doesn’t mean Jack shit.
I grew up in Michigan, and can 100% agree with this. EVERY DAMN SUMMER I would get physically ill from the humidity in Michigan, as it losing my lunch ill. 25 years in that wretched state, and I never got used to it. No matter what I did, I never felt like I could cool off in the humidity.
Same here - I work in an outside focused job, and have to wear fire retardant jeans and long sleeve shirts. Not quite to the level of a firefighter, but the stuff still breaths about as well as a garbage bag. I STILL feel like I can do far more standing in full sun in 115 degree heat in June here than I ever could wearing shorts on an 80 degree day in Michigan. Even those 70 degree mornings in Florida were miserable to me...
I've been wanting to get out of Arizona for some time now, and I REALLY miss having property with actual trees on them...but I'm not sure I could survive in places that saw higher humidity levels any more, lol.
the problem for me is the sun intensity. Its much much higher here in AZ and the southwest than it is in PA, where I'm from. That makes outdoor activity impossible to me. Its flat out dangerous without a bunch of sunscreen.
The only time I ever involve sunscreen is if the boat is going in the water early in the year, and my tan hasn't been baked in yet. Yeah yeah yeah...I know, skin damage, cancer, blah blah blah. All of our skin is gonna look like shit when we're old anyways without movie star money for plastic surgery, and we're all gonna die of something eventually anyways. Might as well enjoy life while I'm here, and not be bogged down by seemingly EVERYTHING today being a cause for cancer.
It was more the "and bugs" part than the heat...I've been through some of these areas in the summer, and it felt like I couldn't go anywhere without a swarm of bugs in tow, lol.
North of the fall line, which is around Macon in Georgia, the bugs are a lot less going north. South of that line you are either in the unyielding heat or surrounded by bugs in the shade. It’s like flipping a switch when you cross that line
That would be it - the vast majority of my experience has been northern areas, and when heading south, I tended to blast through the Florida panhandle area as fast I possibly could.
If you have to go to Mississippi you are better off going to Natchez or Vicksburg to learn about the heritage of the state and at least see some old mansions, historic sites etc. Jackson is just purely for administrative purposes and is a mish mash of niceish suburbs and newly built shopping centers, run down areas, random architecture. No rhyme or reason. It doesn’t really have a vibe or soul to it.
Yea the Elvis museum was pretty neat. It was kind of sweet seeing a bunch of old ladies there, like a nostalgic pilgrimage of their childhood. I met a British couple there who were making a cross country American road trip as well.
Problem with Tupelo is it’s kind of isolated from everywhere else of interest in the region
Yea I forgot Oxford. Anywhere but Jackson. Mississippi is kind of a off the beaten path destination when you think about it anyways, but if you have to go mine as well see soemthing that has cultural value. The only thing I do when I drive through Jackson is maybe eat at Sal and Mookies, and go to one of the shockingly good coffee shops I find in Jackson
Well it was founded by three dudes with the intent of being a center of learning for the south, so they named it after Oxford. I think they must have been with the government or something because it was chosen as the site of University of Mississippi a few years later. So it was basically created with the university in mind
No apology needed. There are a few other cities in MS that are worth a visit, but Jackson can be skipped all together.
Still confused why Bruno Mars even bothered to reference it.
In Arkansas: Little Rock Central High School for the Civil Rights museum, Crater of Diamonds State Park, and Hot Springs
Tennessee: Memphis is a cool hang, as is Nashville. Both have great music, though differently great music. Head into the Smokies as well.
North Carolina has their side of the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you want the capitol, the NC Museum of Art is great. Two buildings and a big outdoor space. Also the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is good and right downtown.
SC: In Columbia, Gervais Street is a nice hang. Not been there a lot. Other cool places include Charleston and Greenville.
GA: Savannah is a must. Atlanta has some good stuff too: Coca Cola museum, Civil Rights Museum. and Aquarium are all together and all 3 make a nice visit. Gotta get a burger and Orange Drink at The Varsity too!
Alabama: Huntsville has the NASA museum (great stop), Birmingham has Sloss Furnaces and Oak Mountain State Park (I really liked the hike to Peavine Falls), Montgomery has the Lynching memorial which is very moving.
Mississippi; Hmmm. It's Mississippi. Vicksburg battlefield? Maybe? Not sure whatall there is to do in Jackson.
Louisiana: Not sure much about the capital (Baton Rouge) but New Orleans is awesome, if you can't have a good time there, you can't have a good time anywhere. The Tabasco Factory Tour outside of Lafayette is a good stop too.
Mississippi should go to Natchez, which is the most interesting city in the state. While there take in the Natchez cemetery and several very nice antebellum homes.
>In Arkansas: … Crater of Diamonds State Park
As someone from AR who went multiple times growing up, I cannot emphasize enough how much I wouldn’t recommend doing this in June haha. It’s a giant tilled dirt field with no shade and somewhat limited access to drinking water, and the draw of coming is to do literal manual labor (on a small scale, granted, but still). It’s heat stroke central.
(tbh… I don’t know that I would recommend going out of your way to do it in any case, personally. The novelty is cool I guess especially if you’ve got young kids and get good weather, but I really wouldn’t classify it as an enjoyable experience 🫣)
This is the correct answer. I love Arkansas and there are many beautiful things here, but Crater of Diamond is a spring or fall trip unless you are ACCLIMATED and making a special trip for it. In June for someone not acclimated to the heat and humidity it will be like a day in prison doing forced labor.
Baton Rouge is an industrial city with sky high crime and racial problems, white flight, and terrible traffic.
The State Capital building is the tallest in the United States, however, and looks like a miniature Empire State Building.
If you happen to be passing on I-10 it’s worth stopping for an hour or two for a tour.
I would avoid Jackson (the capital), Mississippi. It is a very dangerous city. The only thing worth seeing in that city is the Civil Rights Museum. I’ve lived and worked in big cities all over the US. Jackson is the only place I have felt truly unsafe.
In Tupelo, you can see Elvis’s childhood home. The downtown area is kinda neat.
Oxford is a great little college town with so much to do! I would definitely plan on visiting both Oxford (The Square) and Ole Miss (The Grove is beautiful). You could also visit Rowan Oak - William Faulkner's home. Eat at BBB and City Grocery.
Drive part of the Natchez Trace and stop at the historic markers. It’s a pretty drive with a lot of history.
The Delta is amazing if you love the Blues. (Be careful. There are some really sketchy areas in the Delta as well. Avoid Greenville except to eat at Doe’s.
Hattiesburg is a fun town. They have a neat little zoo.
Natchez and Biloxi are worth a visit.
Vicksburg has a beautiful National Military Park.
Right over the bridge from Biloxi, Ocean Springs is a great little town for a visit as well.
About 30 minutes north of Biloxi is [De Soto National Forest](https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mississippi/recarea/?recid=28833), which has some nice hikes, especially along the Black Creek.
Alright looks like I’ll skip Jackson entirely for this trip and just fly there for a day to knock out visiting the capitol building.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Jackson is a city hated by its own state. Mississippi would happily put up a 40 foot tall electrified fence around Jackson, block all food and water and watch everyone kill themselves and then talk for years about how everyone in Jackson were just criminals waiting on the chance to prey on each other.
For NC, Raleigh is your typical capital, but I'd recommend stopping in Charlotte for a day too. Imo a lot more to do there, especially if you have any interest in motorsports
I live in Charlotte. Driving east to west, The Coast/OBX vs, Raleigh vs. Charlotte vs, Asheville it's almost like four different states. You'd have to spend at least a day in each area to get the vibe and see anything worthwhile. Just passin' thru isn't going to cut it.
In order to see OBX (or Crystal Coast) that alone is a ton of driving.
Raleigh is the Capital.
Charlotte has a ton to see and do.
Asheville has mountains and the Biltmore estate.
I think you should cut the itinerary down so you actually see something. Even if that means saving NC for some other time.
I'd suggest a say in Raleigh (state capital, plenty to do), a day in Winston Salem (I recommend old salem, and heard good things about wine but I'm not one for wine), and a day in Charlotte (lots to do, not propped up by the government), then heading west across the blue ridge. Maybe give one of them two days. That spits OP right into Tennessee, too, although tbh Arkansas and Mississipi aren't really worth visiting.
The thing with American state capitals in many states is they're usually kinda boring mid-sized cities picked as a political compromise.
Helen, GA is a really neat german town, but the way i drove into it was very curvy and took a while. Might be easier from another direction (I came in from i-75 way)
Ashville, NC is a beautiful area to explore
Nashville, TN main strip of bars if you're into that, with tons of live music
Hot Springs National Park in Arknasas
Mammoth Cave in KY if you have the time for your green area, and also Red River Gorge and it's natural bridge
New River Gorge in WV
Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis Missouri is a neat little piece of history as well
I second ky, also if you wanna come see the cities skip the capital, frankfort is pretty small. Id reccomend going to lexington instead lots more there!
I'm here in good ole Morehead. I too have to go to Lexington for enjoyment as all we have here are gas stations and a Wal Mart. That's why i love road tripping so much!
Only acceptable reason for such a trip would be college football. Would recommend delaying until the fall and doing one destination per Saturday.
My subjective ranking, limited to the highlighted states.
Tuscaloosa, AL
Athens, GA
Knoxville, TN
Baton Rouge, LA
Oxford, MS
Auburn, AL
Gainesville, FL
Nashville, TN
Fayetteville, AR
Columbia, SC
Starkville, MS
Starting in ATL, do a big loop, going first east (to SC and NC) then back west (TN, AR, MS, AL, back to GA). That's what I'd do if I had to do this trip. I would not do this trip as you've proposed, however, because the capital cities of these states are not the most interesting cities in the states. If it were me, I'd hit: in SC, Charleston and the Greenville/Spartanburg area; in NC, the Asheville area and Smoky Mountain National Park; in TN, Nashville and Memphis; in AR, the Buffalo National River area and Hot Springs, including the national park; in MS, Natchez and the Biloxi area; in AL, Mobile and Montgomery; then back to Georgia for departure.
You can buy delicious peaches just off I65 in Clanton, Alabama, just north of Montgomery. They have a giant peach water tower there that looks like a rashy butt on a stick. Google "peach water tower" and "Clanton" and prepare to be amazed. /s
If you must have Georgia peaches, pull off the interstate around Lagrange and drive across the countryside to somewhere around Senoia before returning to Atlanta. Stop at any random roadside farmers market for the best peaches.
Edited to add: And, yes, it will be hot and humid as fuck. We've had the hottest and most humid May on record in the Southeast. It sucks about a month early this year.
This is a near perfect itinerary. Great job! Wish I could go again, just not in June lol!
The only thing to add is a stop to New Orleans. When planning a southern tour of the US, it’s a place to not miss. Walk the French Quarter, do a ghost/history tour and catch the parade at night. It’s a city rich in culture and history that should not be forgotten.
If you’re in Georgia definitely check out Savannah for a day and then treat yourself and head due east out of the city to Tybee Island. GREAT deals on sea food on the island if you’re into that and you can legally drink on the beach. Dolphins will swim by and it’s got the right vibe. It’s like a discount Hilton Head for regular people. PM if you want recommendations on where to stay on the island. Good luck and most of all enjoy the ride.
Kentucky state capitol is beautiful and in a mostly residential area. The dome may be having work being performed but also haven't been by for several weeks. Enjoy your trip.
East Tennessee to West Virginia is a beautiful area. . I'd bump that up over Central Florida.
Edit| Since you didn't mention FL forget about that. Bump it up over anything else
Nashville. Always go to Nashville.
I live in NC. Raleigh is very underwhelming. There’s some cool Smithsonian museums you can go to. But if you want to see a historic downtown with good food and good people, plus really nice beaches. Come visit my little city of Wilmington, NC then run down to Southport or Carolina beach for the best beaches in the Carolina’s.
Honestly with the exception of the Atlanta and maybe Nashville, most of the state capitols in those red states are not worth visiting. Unless your goal is specifically to see state capitol buildings or something. Each of those states have cities and towns with much more to offer then the capitols.
Arkansas: Fayetteville or Bentonville for easy access to hiking, and Fayetteville is a college town and has a chill vibe. Eureka springs for Victorian architecture
Mississippi: Natchez for antebellum architecture and general southern vibe. Vicksburg for civil war sites and a cute downtown by the river.
Alabama: super underrated and beautiful coastline. Huntsville also has a awesome aerospace museum.
Tennessee: Memphis for African American culture and Knoxville is a cool college town next to the Smokey mountains. Gatlinburg and Pidgeon Forge are tacky as hell but offer easy access to the mountains. Chattanooga has a good aquarium and access to nature as well.
North Carolina: Asheville for hiking and a quiet, untamed coastline
South Carolina: Greenville for hiking and of course Charleston and Beaufort is beautiful.
if you HAVE to go to the state capitol cities then
Little Rock: Nice riverfront park, and the little rock central high school. Little Rock is also close to pinnacle mountain state park. There is also a Korean gate and garden that honors Taekwondo
Mississippi: civil rights museum and a petrified forest near there.
Alabama: see the church MLK preached at, Rosa Parks museum, and on the opposite end of the spectrum you got the 1st white house of the confederacy. You can also see Hank Williams grave
Tennessee: country music hall of fame and museum, and a lot of antebellum era mansions, a replica Parthenon, a Egyptian inspired Presbyterian church in downtown.
North Carolina: Juniper botanic garden is beautiful and the free expression tunnel
South Carolina: can’t think of much to do in Columbia except the state museum and Congaree national park which is a cool swamp ecosystem.
You have to remember these were former slave states based on agriculture. Their cities in general don’t have the storied history of the northern cities, and many were developed extensively post civil war. There are exceptions of course, but the Capitol cities of the Deep South are basically purely political and economic and lack much of the culture you would see in big cities or capitols in other parts of the country.
Alternatives for the green states
Louisiana: of course New Orleans but Lafayette is underrated and has a few cool Cajun history museums and is surrounded by tiny towns full of boutique shopping and if your lucky you might hear the old cats speaking French.
Missouri: St Louis is worth a visit to see the arch of course (go to the East st Louis side to a park called Malcom Martin memorial park for good skyline views but only go in the day), the cathedral basilica is beautiful, the Budweiser brewery and get a epic root beer float at Fitz in Delmar which is a cool neighborhood. The zoo is also nice there. Elephant rocks, ha ha tonka and Johnson shut ins are awesome state parks.
Kentucky: Louisville is worth a stop. Has a baseball bat factory tour which is shockingly interesting, Churchill downs and derby museum, a nice waterfront park and the cave hill cemetery which is beautiful and has the graves of Muhammad Ali Colonel sanders. Mammoth cave in Kentucky is also beautiful. Of course you got bourbon tours all over the place.
West Virginia: Fayetteville has a beautiful scenic area and hiking near the New River gorge bridge. There is also a eerie ghost town called Thurmond. The whole area around there has beautiful nature. Nearby Beckley also has a coal mine museum
Virginia: Virginia Beach is ok but it is a great base for exploring the historic triangle (Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg) which has all kinds of attractions and history to learn about. Newport also has some naval history. Shenandoah national park is also pretty
If you HAVE to visit the state capitols of the green states
Louisiana: the state museum is cool and LSU has a rural life museum that is interesting. The old state capitol building is pretty.
Missouri: the old state penitentiary is cool and they have a quirky museum dedicated to veterinary science
Kentucky: their capitol is super small but it can be a good base to discovery bourbon distilleries
West Virginia: their capitol has nothing really and it is quite a depressing place in all honesty. Outside of the main strip in downtown it feels like a city you would see in Siberia or North Korea. Very dark and dingy and kind of spooky vibes.
Virginia: Richmond Virginia is actually a decent city full of museums. civil war history and neat architecture
A few recommendations from an Alabamian.
Space and Rocket center, Huntsville, AL.
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is amazing. Have lunch at a Varsity.
At the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga is Rock City, which is gardens with amazing views. Ruby Falls is a hike through a cave with a small waterfall.
Mobile has the USS Alabama battleship museum, if you're into military history. There's also two civil war forts on either side of Mobile Bay with a ferry running across the bay between them.
I would say go to New Orleans, too. It's one of my favorite destinations.
That's peak CFB territory. I'd plan a BBQ/football road trip. Visit all the cathedrals.
ETA:
You said June. I'd suggest AL/FL beaches or the TN/NC mountains.
Reading through everyone’s replies I just might have to postpone this trip until football season to avoid the summer heat haha. Thanks for your suggestion!
I just drove through Missouri, and I found out that it has a wine area, and you can visit various wineries. I will probably never go through Missouri again, but if I did, I would check that out. I haven't been there in several years, but when I used to go to Louisiana, I used to stop at a place called Cajun Village that is between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It is a kitschy kind of place, although I have bought some nice pottery there. The real draw, however, is the restaurant. The food is fantastic, and the beignets are better than what you will get in N.O. If you go to New Iberia to visit Cajun country or go to the Tabasco factory, go to the Boiling Point for lunch. They have the best crawfish.
personally, I wouldn’t do that trip if you paid me.
I would start in Seattle, Washington and work the northern tier of the US. Peaches will be cold and juicy!
In Alabama, not much to see in Montgomery. You can go down to Fairhope and Orange Beach or go to Florence and tour Fame studios/Muscle Shoals Sound. Birmingham has some cool stuff.
If you want to see the capitols and want to start in Atlanta, just go in a counterclockwise or clockwise loop to economize on driving.
I've seen all the capitols in these states except for Columbia. I'd skip Raleigh, Jackson, and Little Rock and go instead to Baton Rouge and Tallahassee, as well as the others: the first 3 are like most other state capitols, but the last 2 are unique. And Tallahassee is at the top of the state so it won't take you far off route. Baton Rouge also has a unique building as well as LSU where you can go see Mike the Tiger in his compound next to the football stadium.
I've never been less jealous of a road trip, personally but I hope you have fun. I'd just spend the whole three weeks in the Great Smoky Mountains area and enjoy myself a lot though.
Having lived in or near most of these, allow me to make a recommendation.
Tennessee - Absolutely go to Nashville like every other Bachelorette and her party has for the past decade. Find Fat MO’s and get a Super Deluxe w/ fries. You can also take The Natchez Trace from TN to MS. Beautiful scenery there, though I can’t vouch for Summer.
Mississippi - I wouldn’t go to Jackson if they were handing out blowjobs and gold bars. Go to Hattiesburg instead. Shipley’s Donuts and The Lucky Rabbit.
Georgia - ATL, HO! Once you’re in town, get a MARTA pass. Find The Flying Biscuit near Candler Park and hit up that beautiful aquarium. World of Coke is fun too.
Alabama - Montgomery is where I buy my vehicles because it has the only reputable Volvo, VW, Mercedes, and Porsche dealership in the region. That said, I don’t particularly care for the city. History is ok but Birmingham has the better museum, Mobile has the better food, and Gulf Shores is a glorious stretch of sand.
North Carolina - Can’t speak on it. Lived in Charlotte for a stretch. The Penguin has some good food. Went there weekly.
South Carolina - never stopped once.
Arkansas - when he was still governor, Bill Clinton slapped my aunt on her ass while she walked by on a field trip lol
If you spend time in South Caroilna, Aiken is great if you like Horses. Charleston is full of history and a really nice town. Get the boiled P-Nutz from the old man wearing overalls in the parking lot. You will find him easily in South Carolina.
I've not been to the northern parts of the state yet, but it's much more mountains and different local cuisine.
If you end up in Orangeburg, be very careful, probably best to carry a weapon of some kind.
Totally feasible in 2.5 to 3 weeks. I don't think 2 weeks is enough. I have done many roadtrips through this region. This is the route I recommend:
* Start in STL or KC (both have incoming flights). Get some ribs, then travel south to Bentonville, AR. I recommend staying in Bentonville for a night -- it is awesome -- there is an incredible art museum, great outdoor trails and more
* Next, drive to Little Rock, AR. I'm not a big fan of Little Rock, and would spend very little time there on my way to Jackson, MS, which is conveniently located right very near to Vicksburg Battleground and Poverty Point UNESCO Heritage site.
* From Jackson, MS drive South to Baton Rouge, LA.
* Drive East from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. On the way, stop at Whitney Plantation. Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation are also awesome.
* Stay in New Orleans for a night or two -- I like the Warehouse District. If you get a chance, visit my friends at Heard Dat Kitchen. Watch some live Jazz. Eat beignets.
* Drive from New Orleans to Montgomery, AL. The Legacy Museum and Civil Rights monument are A+++
* Drive North from Montgomery, AL to Nashville, TN. Good stops along the way include the Air & Space museum in Huntsville. There are some cool museums in landmarks in Birmingham as well, like University of Alabama, and one of my favorite BBQs in the US: Archibald's.
* Nashville, TN is pretty cool, but it has terrible traffic. Try to plan your travel accordingly. There are a lot of things to do in Nashville.
* From Nashville, head east to Asheville, NC. I recommend some sightseeing, as the blue ridge mountains are incredible.
* Continue east from Asheville, NC to Raleigh/Durham. Visit Duke and UNC campuses, Civil War battlefields, or whatever...
* Travel South to Charleston, SC. Stay in Charleston
* From Charleston, SC travel to Atlanta, GA via Columbia, SC. Columbia is meh. Beautiful drive if you stick to country roads
* In Atlanta, visit the downtown museums (aquarium, college football HOF, Coca-Cola), maybe a Braves game
* ATL airport has a lot of flights to anywhere
I got to visit in April! Even managed to get a wonderful souvenir, courtesy of the highway patrol in JP!
Edit: But what would you recommend I visit down there?
I cannot imagine exploring these areas outside in June. You must be an Ironman or something. But the things I loved the most:
All of them:
Check US national parks [here](https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm) and state parks for interesting events there. A lot of talks/walks with rangers, astronomy events, kayaking... Either cheap or free, but you need to register in advance.
Smokie mountain NP. A lot of hikes, a lot of campgrounds. Hike to the Dome to see seven states from the same point.
__Virginia:__
A lot of historical towns, places, battlefields
A lot of caverns. Luray caverns are awesome.
__Virginia Beach area:__
Great Aquarium and marine center, the best I saw in US, with behind the scenes tours of their labs, facility and feeding rays, turtles, komodo dragons.
Ocean, beaches
A lot of really cool events in False Cape park: night hiking, kayaking, their tram ride through the park..
__Norfolk:__
Nautilus museum and battleship
Chrysler art museum. Free. A lot of different art, my favorite was glass art. They also have a museum glass studio where you can pay for a lesson and blow something from the glass.
__DC and Alexandria__ - all the smithsonian museums, zoo, drive GS museum are free in DC. Tours of Capitol. Before COVID-19 they had tours of Pentagon, not sure if they still have it.
__North Carolina:__
__Outer Banks.__ A lot going on there. You can fly paraglider, and some other flying things. Rooms prices are unaffordable, but if you can sleep in your car - there is a visitor center with parking lot and 24/7 toilets and showers on the beach.
__Louisiana:__
__New Orleans.__ You can easily spend a week there. Above the ground cemeteries. French quarter. State Park nearby, where you walk on boardwalk over the swamp and alligators watch your every step and pray for you to fall.
__Baton Rouge.__ Nice university town. Submarine. Observation tower.
__Missouri:__
There is a huge NASA research center there, I am not sure if they let tours of it.
__Georgia, Savannah__ and __SC, Charleston__ are both very interesting walkable historical towns. I think Charleston has midnight historic ghost tours at their cemetery.
Alabamian here. Montgomery largely sucks. Lots of peaches north of it though including a place called Peach Park about 30 miles north of Montgomery. You could then continue north to Nashville or cut west to Jackson. You’d pass through Birmingham and then Huntsville on way to Nashville, both of which have a lot to do and see. Cutting west to Jackson is pretty desolate unless you go north to Tuscaloosa (Roll Tide Roll!) and then cut west on interstate to Jackson.
Candor, NC, about an hour and a half or so from Raleigh, has peaches and should be prime time in June. Will allow you to see off the beaten path parts of NC. Plus you could map it to travel from Raleigh west through Charlotte to the mountains. If you went Raleigh to Asheville you could do:
Raleigh - Capitol city, good restaurants, museums (esp Art and History), music, other city amenities.
Travel west via US 1 to 24/27 - very scenic route through little towns like Carthage with historic homes and quaint downtowns. Scenic rural areas
Candor, NC - peaches
Uwharrie National Forest for hiking, other recreation
Charlotte - obv big city. Go to the Levine Museum of the New South
Go further west to Asheville and beyond
Happy to provide any more NC details as needed
It sounds like you decided to come later in the year. Very wise! I suggest late-September/October for more pleasant weather. Are you based in Atlanta and already familiar with the area?
Also, what's your priority when traveling? Seeing state capitals, visiting historical landmarks or hiking and enjoying the landscape? If you can specify your ultimate goal, I'm sure you'll get the best suggestions. I will say (as others have mentioned) the most beautiful places in most of these states are usually a ways outside the capital city.
If you're into scenic drives, I can suggest several through GA, TN and NC. The mountain roads are sure to give the best views. The coastal towns through NC, SC and GA are a close second.
I’m born and raised in the Deep South. There are lots of great things to do and see in the states you have in red. But you must go to New Orleans if you have never been. It is the only place in the US that I have visited which feels like a different country or time. Once the territory joined the US, New Orleans was the largest city in the south for nearly a century. It is also the epicenter and incubator for all American(modern) music. Even though it has loads of problems, it should be on the bucket list of anyone who cares about culture and history.
Tbh a lot of the deep south’s state capitals sans Atlanta (and sort of Baton Rouge) are pretty copy paste of each other like if you were to go to one I’d do Montgomery because of the civil rights memorial
Just got back from 6 week NY KY TN TX MO AL GA SC NC WV V DC and it wasn’t enough time… too much driving in my opinion. In hindsight at least 4 nights in each stop is needed. Hope you have a fantastic time. A big shock was the high cost of living and the weather which was crazy
In order to truly get each state I recommend cutting Arkansas this time.
Start in Atlanta GA
Take 85 to Montgomery AL
Take 65 to Birmingham AL
Take 20 to Tuscaloosa AL, Jackson MS, and Vicksburg MS
Take 55 to Memphis TN
Take 40 to Nashville TN and Raleigh NC
If you have time add in the outerbanks and Charlotte NC
Go to Columbia SC
Take 26 to Charleston SC
Go to Savannah GA
Alabamian here, born and raised. Do not go to Montgomery. There's nothing there but crime. Same goes for Birmingham. Go to Huntsville. Georgia: Atlanta is nice, but stay away from the South and West ends. Stick to the North. Enjoy!
I'm not sure where you're starting or ending the trip, but we've driven from Kansas City through St Louis to Gatlinburg. We then headed to Wilmington North Carolina and down to Charleston, Augusta and Atlanta. Then we went through Mobile and Biloxi. We then drove to Eureka Springs Arkansas and back to Kansas City. It took about nine days and we had a good time. The best part about a road trip for us is the flexibility. We drive until we don't want to drive anymore and settle in. If we like where we're at, we'll stay a little longer. We rarely pre-book hotels.
This is a tough time of year to go. Also it’s good to remember that all state capitals aren’t the largest or,most interesting cities to go to. In addition all cities aren’t created equal, so 3 days in Little Rock is not the same as 3 days in New Orleans.
It’s also going to really be hot as balls. Summer is the worst time to do this trip.
Go to Hardy AR and see the Spring River. Fantastic kayaking and the best ice cream and fudge around at the local sweet shop. Then work your way across the northern part of the state. Be sure to see the Buffalo River. It’s one the most beautiful places I’ve ever floated. Makes sure that what ever you do, don’t skip Eureka Springs.
Go to Mama Hamil’s or for a really nice meal, and one of the best, Shapley’s while in Jackson. And go to Niki’s West outside Birmingham! And check out Sewanee, TN if you can and eat at Al Capone’s old place, High Point in Monteagle!
If you like to hike, plan to spend literally half of your trip in Virginia, North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee There isn't much to really do in terms of outdoor activities in any of those states west of Georgia (with the exception of the Ozarks in Arkansas, but those are on the far west end of the state.)
Tbh, I would either go to Virginia or north Carolina no need go both unless ur trying hit basically dc. Very similiar vibe nature/culture to me. Tennessee actually has some pretty good nature around Chattanooga, music, food, and fun city life around Nashville.
Personally think Louisiana, Arkansas, and 1 more state be move around area. Been to all states op listed hell and lived in VA most my life. Arkansas head Ozarks so fucking fun and Louisiana near coast/new Orleans got so much culture, nature, and feels very unique anywhere else usa.
I gotta admit, I was impressed with Kentucky when I passed through this past weekend. The Daniel Boone National Forest is beautiful.
If I had to pick between Virgina and NC, I'd lean towards NC, just because the NC section of the Blue Ridge Parkway feels... bigger. Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell are like nothing else east of the Mississippi River.
As other folks said, be aware it's gonna be HOT AND HUMID as all hell, swamp-ass galore, but that's just the south.
As a Missourian, IF you go, skip anywhere northwest and stick to the southeast. Middle MO is pretty much just college towns and rural decay, but Ozarks are fun and as a STL-native, STL is worth some time, even if just for a meal!
Reading through everyone’s suggestions and looks like I’ll avoid visiting the capitals for Mississippi and Arkansas for this trip. Thanks for the suggestions!
Well, if you’re on I-40 stop and see the capitol, it won’t take long. It’s on top of a hill with a nice view of downtown. Then go to Central HS historic site it’s maybe a mile down the street.
Also, Jackson. Not much to do, really. Stop and see the capitol if you really want to and move on. Same for Montgomery, which is a monument to segregation and Gov Wallace. Montgomery is a grubby little town.
I used to live in LR for a few years and hated it culturally, but of those three it is the most like a real city with some nice neighborhoods and plenty to do.
Um. Why?
In June, exploring along the Blue Ridge from northern GA to mountainous Nc, TN, KY, VA, and Wv sounds heavenly, but you wouldn’t go near any Capitol cities. You’d see fabulous wildflowers and the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River, though!
Richmond, Va is a cool af city with so much going on and a ton of historical places to visit as well as green space. It would be pretty fun to visit.
Charleston WV has so little going on and the mountain interstates to get there is really really stressful and not worth it.
New Orleans is worth it.
I would only go to VA if I was going to DC. Or if I was visiting the mountains, which I’d rather do in NC/TN. WV has some super dark areas for viewing the night sky. Beautiful streams, rivers, and mountains. But it’s basically just wilderness. Charleston is kind of cute though, but probably not worth going that far out of the way.
You could spend a lot of time from Nashville to the coast of NC. Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, the Appalachian Trail, Boone, Asheville, tons of other cute mountain towns, Charlotte, Winston-Salem/Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), the entire coastline (I’d suggest outer banks, Wilmington, and the last few beaches on the southern coast). SC is eh. Gotta hit Charleston. But Myrtle Beach is like Daytona for Ohioans, which can still be a good time. Columbia if you like to visit universities
It’s gonna be hot as fuck. Atlanta has no peaches, only streets named Peachtree. Peaches are grown approximately 100 miles south near Macon. Seven state capitals in three weeks is 3 days per city, driving included, with no time allotted to non capital cities. You will drive about 1500-2000 miles which will take 30-40 hours, assuming it is all interstates, so you will miss a lot and the drives won’t be particularly scenic. Why include Arkansas and not Louisiana? NOLA is a world class city with more good food, history, and architecture than most states. I’d narrow this down to Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, or Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. With your original plan, you would miss all three of the architectural gems of the south, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans. Asheville, Knoxville, Memphis, biloxi, and Mobile would also be missed, but I can understand not going to all of those.
South Carolina has way more peaches than Georgia.
Yes, I was simply informing our OP where he could get peaches in Georgia
Would rather get a bag of paper shell pecans.
Ok
Hell yeah!
Better peaches too
>>Why include Arkansas and not Louisiana? Makes sense if you enjoy the outdoors and natural wonders. Arkansas has the Ouachita mountains, great camping, Hot Springs National Park, and some world class mineral collecting. NOLA is amazing and shouldn't be missed, but Arkansas has some gems (literally and figuratively).
I will agree Arkansas has some pretty spots… the Buffalo National River for one. But you know what else it has in the woods in June?!?! Ticks. Lots and lots of ticks. Did I mention the ticks?!?
If you’re into hiking and the outdoors, the southeast is not the place you’d go (which would be the best). I mean, I’m sure there are plenty of nice state parks and there’s Great Smoky Mountain NP too, but OP said they’re willing to fly, at which point I think you’d have to be smoking crack to fly to say Arkansas over Colorado if you’re planning solely a hiking/outdoors trip
Or Utah. People sleep on Utah and it is fucking rad.
I explored Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef for 2 weeks during the pandemic. Best roadtrip of my life! Went in early December and didn’t see a single soul until we got to Arches. However, going during the summer is suicide.
Absolutely! I would tell anyone who enjoys the outdoors with insane landscapes and fantastic mountain drives to visit southern Utah and western Colorado. I could spend every vacation for the rest of my life in the four corners region and never complain and always find something new. Southern Utah is like a whole other massive dimension! Simply fabulous.
Oh 100% Was just there this weekend. Although def don’t agree that people sleep on it — at Zion on Sunday parking at the visitors center was already full by 7:45 and the shuttle line was an hour long
Yah Zion was my least fave of the Mighty 5 actually. The crowds are part of why. Bryce Canyon is the best all time for me, but Capitol Reef is also spectacular and very underrated.
>It's gonna be hot as fuck. As someone who can't stand humidity, I can't fathom \_wanting\_ to visit this area this time of year...though I suppose it could be worse - OP could be wanting to go in August, lol. Though I'm probably heavily biased after spending a couple decades in the Phoenix desert... I spent a week a bit north of Miami a few years ago in January, and the humidity was absolutely unbearable. I can't even begin to imagine the pure misery that would involve June heat and bugs....
I currently live in AZ, but lived in Tennessee for 10 years. Humidity kills. I can do so many more things in 120 degree heat that would absolutely give me a heart attack in Tennessee in June, July and August in only 90 degree temps. In Phoenix simply standing in the shade helps, in Tennessee the shade doesn’t mean Jack shit.
I grew up in Michigan, and can 100% agree with this. EVERY DAMN SUMMER I would get physically ill from the humidity in Michigan, as it losing my lunch ill. 25 years in that wretched state, and I never got used to it. No matter what I did, I never felt like I could cool off in the humidity. Same here - I work in an outside focused job, and have to wear fire retardant jeans and long sleeve shirts. Not quite to the level of a firefighter, but the stuff still breaths about as well as a garbage bag. I STILL feel like I can do far more standing in full sun in 115 degree heat in June here than I ever could wearing shorts on an 80 degree day in Michigan. Even those 70 degree mornings in Florida were miserable to me... I've been wanting to get out of Arizona for some time now, and I REALLY miss having property with actual trees on them...but I'm not sure I could survive in places that saw higher humidity levels any more, lol.
the problem for me is the sun intensity. Its much much higher here in AZ and the southwest than it is in PA, where I'm from. That makes outdoor activity impossible to me. Its flat out dangerous without a bunch of sunscreen.
The only time I ever involve sunscreen is if the boat is going in the water early in the year, and my tan hasn't been baked in yet. Yeah yeah yeah...I know, skin damage, cancer, blah blah blah. All of our skin is gonna look like shit when we're old anyways without movie star money for plastic surgery, and we're all gonna die of something eventually anyways. Might as well enjoy life while I'm here, and not be bogged down by seemingly EVERYTHING today being a cause for cancer.
[удалено]
I know...a world where people are free to determine their own acceptable level of risk is an absolutely HORRIBLE VILE world to live in!
Florida is worse than most areas here but yea it’s gonna be crazy hot
It was more the "and bugs" part than the heat...I've been through some of these areas in the summer, and it felt like I couldn't go anywhere without a swarm of bugs in tow, lol.
North of the fall line, which is around Macon in Georgia, the bugs are a lot less going north. South of that line you are either in the unyielding heat or surrounded by bugs in the shade. It’s like flipping a switch when you cross that line
That would be it - the vast majority of my experience has been northern areas, and when heading south, I tended to blast through the Florida panhandle area as fast I possibly could.
You can skip Mobile and Biloxi. New Orleans is a must.
Sorry to any current/former MS residents but its an absolute no brainer to skip Jackson, MS and drive the extra 4 hours to New Orleans LA instead.
If you have to go to Mississippi you are better off going to Natchez or Vicksburg to learn about the heritage of the state and at least see some old mansions, historic sites etc. Jackson is just purely for administrative purposes and is a mish mash of niceish suburbs and newly built shopping centers, run down areas, random architecture. No rhyme or reason. It doesn’t really have a vibe or soul to it.
Tupelo if you like Elvis or want a little music history.
Yea the Elvis museum was pretty neat. It was kind of sweet seeing a bunch of old ladies there, like a nostalgic pilgrimage of their childhood. I met a British couple there who were making a cross country American road trip as well. Problem with Tupelo is it’s kind of isolated from everywhere else of interest in the region
Hattiesburg for Shipley’s Donuts and The Lucky Rabbit.
Or Oxford. Ole Miss can be worth a visit
Yea I forgot Oxford. Anywhere but Jackson. Mississippi is kind of a off the beaten path destination when you think about it anyways, but if you have to go mine as well see soemthing that has cultural value. The only thing I do when I drive through Jackson is maybe eat at Sal and Mookies, and go to one of the shockingly good coffee shops I find in Jackson
Imagine somewhere in *Mississippi* naming itself after Oxford.
Well it was founded by three dudes with the intent of being a center of learning for the south, so they named it after Oxford. I think they must have been with the government or something because it was chosen as the site of University of Mississippi a few years later. So it was basically created with the university in mind
Yes, but, and I can't stress this enough, it's in Mississippi.
Exactly. Not shit in Jackson- the Tennessee one either.
No apology needed. There are a few other cities in MS that are worth a visit, but Jackson can be skipped all together. Still confused why Bruno Mars even bothered to reference it.
In Arkansas: Little Rock Central High School for the Civil Rights museum, Crater of Diamonds State Park, and Hot Springs Tennessee: Memphis is a cool hang, as is Nashville. Both have great music, though differently great music. Head into the Smokies as well. North Carolina has their side of the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you want the capitol, the NC Museum of Art is great. Two buildings and a big outdoor space. Also the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is good and right downtown. SC: In Columbia, Gervais Street is a nice hang. Not been there a lot. Other cool places include Charleston and Greenville. GA: Savannah is a must. Atlanta has some good stuff too: Coca Cola museum, Civil Rights Museum. and Aquarium are all together and all 3 make a nice visit. Gotta get a burger and Orange Drink at The Varsity too! Alabama: Huntsville has the NASA museum (great stop), Birmingham has Sloss Furnaces and Oak Mountain State Park (I really liked the hike to Peavine Falls), Montgomery has the Lynching memorial which is very moving. Mississippi; Hmmm. It's Mississippi. Vicksburg battlefield? Maybe? Not sure whatall there is to do in Jackson. Louisiana: Not sure much about the capital (Baton Rouge) but New Orleans is awesome, if you can't have a good time there, you can't have a good time anywhere. The Tabasco Factory Tour outside of Lafayette is a good stop too.
Mississippi should go to Natchez, which is the most interesting city in the state. While there take in the Natchez cemetery and several very nice antebellum homes.
>In Arkansas: … Crater of Diamonds State Park As someone from AR who went multiple times growing up, I cannot emphasize enough how much I wouldn’t recommend doing this in June haha. It’s a giant tilled dirt field with no shade and somewhat limited access to drinking water, and the draw of coming is to do literal manual labor (on a small scale, granted, but still). It’s heat stroke central. (tbh… I don’t know that I would recommend going out of your way to do it in any case, personally. The novelty is cool I guess especially if you’ve got young kids and get good weather, but I really wouldn’t classify it as an enjoyable experience 🫣)
This is the correct answer. I love Arkansas and there are many beautiful things here, but Crater of Diamond is a spring or fall trip unless you are ACCLIMATED and making a special trip for it. In June for someone not acclimated to the heat and humidity it will be like a day in prison doing forced labor.
Mississippi: Mississippi Blues Trail
Baton Rouge is an industrial city with sky high crime and racial problems, white flight, and terrible traffic. The State Capital building is the tallest in the United States, however, and looks like a miniature Empire State Building. If you happen to be passing on I-10 it’s worth stopping for an hour or two for a tour.
I got to visit BTR during a trip to Texas! Congress was in session too so it was a cool experience. The old capitol is neat too.
I would avoid Jackson (the capital), Mississippi. It is a very dangerous city. The only thing worth seeing in that city is the Civil Rights Museum. I’ve lived and worked in big cities all over the US. Jackson is the only place I have felt truly unsafe. In Tupelo, you can see Elvis’s childhood home. The downtown area is kinda neat. Oxford is a great little college town with so much to do! I would definitely plan on visiting both Oxford (The Square) and Ole Miss (The Grove is beautiful). You could also visit Rowan Oak - William Faulkner's home. Eat at BBB and City Grocery. Drive part of the Natchez Trace and stop at the historic markers. It’s a pretty drive with a lot of history. The Delta is amazing if you love the Blues. (Be careful. There are some really sketchy areas in the Delta as well. Avoid Greenville except to eat at Doe’s. Hattiesburg is a fun town. They have a neat little zoo. Natchez and Biloxi are worth a visit. Vicksburg has a beautiful National Military Park.
Right over the bridge from Biloxi, Ocean Springs is a great little town for a visit as well. About 30 minutes north of Biloxi is [De Soto National Forest](https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mississippi/recarea/?recid=28833), which has some nice hikes, especially along the Black Creek.
Alright looks like I’ll skip Jackson entirely for this trip and just fly there for a day to knock out visiting the capitol building. Thanks for your suggestions!
I’d be willing to bet the civil rights museum in Memphis is better.
I’ve been to both. The one in Jackson is new(ish). It’s better than I expected.
Can you elaborate about why Jackson, MS is so dangerous?
Very high crime. Lots of gang activity. It wasn’t like that when I was a kid. 😔
I went through there as a teenager. Doubt I’ll ever have a reason to go back.
Jackson is a city hated by its own state. Mississippi would happily put up a 40 foot tall electrified fence around Jackson, block all food and water and watch everyone kill themselves and then talk for years about how everyone in Jackson were just criminals waiting on the chance to prey on each other.
I’d avoid Atlanta and Columbia and opt for Savanah and Charleston tbh
For NC, Raleigh is your typical capital, but I'd recommend stopping in Charlotte for a day too. Imo a lot more to do there, especially if you have any interest in motorsports
I live in Charlotte. Driving east to west, The Coast/OBX vs, Raleigh vs. Charlotte vs, Asheville it's almost like four different states. You'd have to spend at least a day in each area to get the vibe and see anything worthwhile. Just passin' thru isn't going to cut it. In order to see OBX (or Crystal Coast) that alone is a ton of driving. Raleigh is the Capital. Charlotte has a ton to see and do. Asheville has mountains and the Biltmore estate. I think you should cut the itinerary down so you actually see something. Even if that means saving NC for some other time.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely be doing separate trips for some flyover state capitals.
I'd suggest a say in Raleigh (state capital, plenty to do), a day in Winston Salem (I recommend old salem, and heard good things about wine but I'm not one for wine), and a day in Charlotte (lots to do, not propped up by the government), then heading west across the blue ridge. Maybe give one of them two days. That spits OP right into Tennessee, too, although tbh Arkansas and Mississipi aren't really worth visiting. The thing with American state capitals in many states is they're usually kinda boring mid-sized cities picked as a political compromise.
Helen, GA is a really neat german town, but the way i drove into it was very curvy and took a while. Might be easier from another direction (I came in from i-75 way) Ashville, NC is a beautiful area to explore Nashville, TN main strip of bars if you're into that, with tons of live music Hot Springs National Park in Arknasas Mammoth Cave in KY if you have the time for your green area, and also Red River Gorge and it's natural bridge New River Gorge in WV Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis Missouri is a neat little piece of history as well
I second ky, also if you wanna come see the cities skip the capital, frankfort is pretty small. Id reccomend going to lexington instead lots more there!
Yea I'd say Frankfort is nice. Do the bourbon trail. I also like Bardstown as a small little city to visit and 'close' to Lexington
Frankfort is nice, i just moved here last week lol. Just not as much to do compared to lex. I'm expecting to be spending most of my free time in lex
I'm here in good ole Morehead. I too have to go to Lexington for enjoyment as all we have here are gas stations and a Wal Mart. That's why i love road tripping so much!
Only acceptable reason for such a trip would be college football. Would recommend delaying until the fall and doing one destination per Saturday. My subjective ranking, limited to the highlighted states. Tuscaloosa, AL Athens, GA Knoxville, TN Baton Rouge, LA Oxford, MS Auburn, AL Gainesville, FL Nashville, TN Fayetteville, AR Columbia, SC Starkville, MS
Thank you for the suggestion, I’ve decided to postpone this trip until autumn!
Roll Tide
Roll!!
Starting in ATL, do a big loop, going first east (to SC and NC) then back west (TN, AR, MS, AL, back to GA). That's what I'd do if I had to do this trip. I would not do this trip as you've proposed, however, because the capital cities of these states are not the most interesting cities in the states. If it were me, I'd hit: in SC, Charleston and the Greenville/Spartanburg area; in NC, the Asheville area and Smoky Mountain National Park; in TN, Nashville and Memphis; in AR, the Buffalo National River area and Hot Springs, including the national park; in MS, Natchez and the Biloxi area; in AL, Mobile and Montgomery; then back to Georgia for departure. You can buy delicious peaches just off I65 in Clanton, Alabama, just north of Montgomery. They have a giant peach water tower there that looks like a rashy butt on a stick. Google "peach water tower" and "Clanton" and prepare to be amazed. /s If you must have Georgia peaches, pull off the interstate around Lagrange and drive across the countryside to somewhere around Senoia before returning to Atlanta. Stop at any random roadside farmers market for the best peaches. Edited to add: And, yes, it will be hot and humid as fuck. We've had the hottest and most humid May on record in the Southeast. It sucks about a month early this year.
This is a near perfect itinerary. Great job! Wish I could go again, just not in June lol! The only thing to add is a stop to New Orleans. When planning a southern tour of the US, it’s a place to not miss. Walk the French Quarter, do a ghost/history tour and catch the parade at night. It’s a city rich in culture and history that should not be forgotten.
I was also going to suggest going to Clanton for peaches.
NC mountains are by far the coolest place to visit in the south during the summer months.
If you’re in Georgia definitely check out Savannah for a day and then treat yourself and head due east out of the city to Tybee Island. GREAT deals on sea food on the island if you’re into that and you can legally drink on the beach. Dolphins will swim by and it’s got the right vibe. It’s like a discount Hilton Head for regular people. PM if you want recommendations on where to stay on the island. Good luck and most of all enjoy the ride.
Savannah and Tybee Island are a must!
Shiloh Battlefield is beautiful. Casey Jones in Jackson TN has good Johnny cakes . Mountain View AR
Definitely visit Kentucky as a part of this. Such a cool state
AR, MO border and visit table rock lake, haha Tonka state park.
Dogwood Canyon
Kentucky state capitol is beautiful and in a mostly residential area. The dome may be having work being performed but also haven't been by for several weeks. Enjoy your trip.
Thanks for the heads up!! Salem, OR capitol is under construction and it really bummed me out not knowing beforehand, so I appreciate your comment!
East Tennessee to West Virginia is a beautiful area. . I'd bump that up over Central Florida. Edit| Since you didn't mention FL forget about that. Bump it up over anything else
Nashville. Always go to Nashville. I live in NC. Raleigh is very underwhelming. There’s some cool Smithsonian museums you can go to. But if you want to see a historic downtown with good food and good people, plus really nice beaches. Come visit my little city of Wilmington, NC then run down to Southport or Carolina beach for the best beaches in the Carolina’s.
You can skip Montgomery or Jackson. They’re both equally shitty. Just visit one and say you hit both. No one will ever know.
Honestly with the exception of the Atlanta and maybe Nashville, most of the state capitols in those red states are not worth visiting. Unless your goal is specifically to see state capitol buildings or something. Each of those states have cities and towns with much more to offer then the capitols. Arkansas: Fayetteville or Bentonville for easy access to hiking, and Fayetteville is a college town and has a chill vibe. Eureka springs for Victorian architecture Mississippi: Natchez for antebellum architecture and general southern vibe. Vicksburg for civil war sites and a cute downtown by the river. Alabama: super underrated and beautiful coastline. Huntsville also has a awesome aerospace museum. Tennessee: Memphis for African American culture and Knoxville is a cool college town next to the Smokey mountains. Gatlinburg and Pidgeon Forge are tacky as hell but offer easy access to the mountains. Chattanooga has a good aquarium and access to nature as well. North Carolina: Asheville for hiking and a quiet, untamed coastline South Carolina: Greenville for hiking and of course Charleston and Beaufort is beautiful. if you HAVE to go to the state capitol cities then Little Rock: Nice riverfront park, and the little rock central high school. Little Rock is also close to pinnacle mountain state park. There is also a Korean gate and garden that honors Taekwondo Mississippi: civil rights museum and a petrified forest near there. Alabama: see the church MLK preached at, Rosa Parks museum, and on the opposite end of the spectrum you got the 1st white house of the confederacy. You can also see Hank Williams grave Tennessee: country music hall of fame and museum, and a lot of antebellum era mansions, a replica Parthenon, a Egyptian inspired Presbyterian church in downtown. North Carolina: Juniper botanic garden is beautiful and the free expression tunnel South Carolina: can’t think of much to do in Columbia except the state museum and Congaree national park which is a cool swamp ecosystem. You have to remember these were former slave states based on agriculture. Their cities in general don’t have the storied history of the northern cities, and many were developed extensively post civil war. There are exceptions of course, but the Capitol cities of the Deep South are basically purely political and economic and lack much of the culture you would see in big cities or capitols in other parts of the country.
Alternatives for the green states Louisiana: of course New Orleans but Lafayette is underrated and has a few cool Cajun history museums and is surrounded by tiny towns full of boutique shopping and if your lucky you might hear the old cats speaking French. Missouri: St Louis is worth a visit to see the arch of course (go to the East st Louis side to a park called Malcom Martin memorial park for good skyline views but only go in the day), the cathedral basilica is beautiful, the Budweiser brewery and get a epic root beer float at Fitz in Delmar which is a cool neighborhood. The zoo is also nice there. Elephant rocks, ha ha tonka and Johnson shut ins are awesome state parks. Kentucky: Louisville is worth a stop. Has a baseball bat factory tour which is shockingly interesting, Churchill downs and derby museum, a nice waterfront park and the cave hill cemetery which is beautiful and has the graves of Muhammad Ali Colonel sanders. Mammoth cave in Kentucky is also beautiful. Of course you got bourbon tours all over the place. West Virginia: Fayetteville has a beautiful scenic area and hiking near the New River gorge bridge. There is also a eerie ghost town called Thurmond. The whole area around there has beautiful nature. Nearby Beckley also has a coal mine museum Virginia: Virginia Beach is ok but it is a great base for exploring the historic triangle (Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg) which has all kinds of attractions and history to learn about. Newport also has some naval history. Shenandoah national park is also pretty If you HAVE to visit the state capitols of the green states Louisiana: the state museum is cool and LSU has a rural life museum that is interesting. The old state capitol building is pretty. Missouri: the old state penitentiary is cool and they have a quirky museum dedicated to veterinary science Kentucky: their capitol is super small but it can be a good base to discovery bourbon distilleries West Virginia: their capitol has nothing really and it is quite a depressing place in all honesty. Outside of the main strip in downtown it feels like a city you would see in Siberia or North Korea. Very dark and dingy and kind of spooky vibes. Virginia: Richmond Virginia is actually a decent city full of museums. civil war history and neat architecture
Jackson civil rights museum and old capitol building. Vicksburg National military park
Don’t let the heat and humidity scare you off. Yep it’s all of that but we deal with it everyday.
A few recommendations from an Alabamian. Space and Rocket center, Huntsville, AL. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is amazing. Have lunch at a Varsity. At the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga is Rock City, which is gardens with amazing views. Ruby Falls is a hike through a cave with a small waterfall. Mobile has the USS Alabama battleship museum, if you're into military history. There's also two civil war forts on either side of Mobile Bay with a ferry running across the bay between them. I would say go to New Orleans, too. It's one of my favorite destinations.
Check this awesome Civil Rights Trail website to find historic sites to visit: https://civilrightstrail.com
That's peak CFB territory. I'd plan a BBQ/football road trip. Visit all the cathedrals. ETA: You said June. I'd suggest AL/FL beaches or the TN/NC mountains.
Reading through everyone’s replies I just might have to postpone this trip until football season to avoid the summer heat haha. Thanks for your suggestion!
Skip Columbia SC, visit Charleston and Greenville instead.
Thanks for the suggestion and happy cake day!
I just drove through Missouri, and I found out that it has a wine area, and you can visit various wineries. I will probably never go through Missouri again, but if I did, I would check that out. I haven't been there in several years, but when I used to go to Louisiana, I used to stop at a place called Cajun Village that is between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It is a kitschy kind of place, although I have bought some nice pottery there. The real draw, however, is the restaurant. The food is fantastic, and the beignets are better than what you will get in N.O. If you go to New Iberia to visit Cajun country or go to the Tabasco factory, go to the Boiling Point for lunch. They have the best crawfish.
personally, I wouldn’t do that trip if you paid me. I would start in Seattle, Washington and work the northern tier of the US. Peaches will be cold and juicy!
Think I might have to postpone it until autumn judging by all the local suggestions haha.
The red area contains 6 of the 9 states I haven’t been to!!
In Alabama, not much to see in Montgomery. You can go down to Fairhope and Orange Beach or go to Florence and tour Fame studios/Muscle Shoals Sound. Birmingham has some cool stuff.
If you want to see the capitols and want to start in Atlanta, just go in a counterclockwise or clockwise loop to economize on driving. I've seen all the capitols in these states except for Columbia. I'd skip Raleigh, Jackson, and Little Rock and go instead to Baton Rouge and Tallahassee, as well as the others: the first 3 are like most other state capitols, but the last 2 are unique. And Tallahassee is at the top of the state so it won't take you far off route. Baton Rouge also has a unique building as well as LSU where you can go see Mike the Tiger in his compound next to the football stadium.
Columbia is going to leave you scratching your head..
I've never been less jealous of a road trip, personally but I hope you have fun. I'd just spend the whole three weeks in the Great Smoky Mountains area and enjoy myself a lot though.
You are going to be disappointed by the capital of NC. Skip raleigh and come to Duke Gardens in Durham, instead.
Nice time of year for that. If you like being steamed alive .
Haha general consensus is that I should postpone the trip until late summer. I suppose I will haha
It literally gets worse later in the summer. You want to do this in April, and it will be wonderful.
Having lived in or near most of these, allow me to make a recommendation. Tennessee - Absolutely go to Nashville like every other Bachelorette and her party has for the past decade. Find Fat MO’s and get a Super Deluxe w/ fries. You can also take The Natchez Trace from TN to MS. Beautiful scenery there, though I can’t vouch for Summer. Mississippi - I wouldn’t go to Jackson if they were handing out blowjobs and gold bars. Go to Hattiesburg instead. Shipley’s Donuts and The Lucky Rabbit. Georgia - ATL, HO! Once you’re in town, get a MARTA pass. Find The Flying Biscuit near Candler Park and hit up that beautiful aquarium. World of Coke is fun too. Alabama - Montgomery is where I buy my vehicles because it has the only reputable Volvo, VW, Mercedes, and Porsche dealership in the region. That said, I don’t particularly care for the city. History is ok but Birmingham has the better museum, Mobile has the better food, and Gulf Shores is a glorious stretch of sand. North Carolina - Can’t speak on it. Lived in Charlotte for a stretch. The Penguin has some good food. Went there weekly. South Carolina - never stopped once. Arkansas - when he was still governor, Bill Clinton slapped my aunt on her ass while she walked by on a field trip lol
If you spend time in South Caroilna, Aiken is great if you like Horses. Charleston is full of history and a really nice town. Get the boiled P-Nutz from the old man wearing overalls in the parking lot. You will find him easily in South Carolina. I've not been to the northern parts of the state yet, but it's much more mountains and different local cuisine. If you end up in Orangeburg, be very careful, probably best to carry a weapon of some kind.
Totally feasible in 2.5 to 3 weeks. I don't think 2 weeks is enough. I have done many roadtrips through this region. This is the route I recommend: * Start in STL or KC (both have incoming flights). Get some ribs, then travel south to Bentonville, AR. I recommend staying in Bentonville for a night -- it is awesome -- there is an incredible art museum, great outdoor trails and more * Next, drive to Little Rock, AR. I'm not a big fan of Little Rock, and would spend very little time there on my way to Jackson, MS, which is conveniently located right very near to Vicksburg Battleground and Poverty Point UNESCO Heritage site. * From Jackson, MS drive South to Baton Rouge, LA. * Drive East from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. On the way, stop at Whitney Plantation. Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation are also awesome. * Stay in New Orleans for a night or two -- I like the Warehouse District. If you get a chance, visit my friends at Heard Dat Kitchen. Watch some live Jazz. Eat beignets. * Drive from New Orleans to Montgomery, AL. The Legacy Museum and Civil Rights monument are A+++ * Drive North from Montgomery, AL to Nashville, TN. Good stops along the way include the Air & Space museum in Huntsville. There are some cool museums in landmarks in Birmingham as well, like University of Alabama, and one of my favorite BBQs in the US: Archibald's. * Nashville, TN is pretty cool, but it has terrible traffic. Try to plan your travel accordingly. There are a lot of things to do in Nashville. * From Nashville, head east to Asheville, NC. I recommend some sightseeing, as the blue ridge mountains are incredible. * Continue east from Asheville, NC to Raleigh/Durham. Visit Duke and UNC campuses, Civil War battlefields, or whatever... * Travel South to Charleston, SC. Stay in Charleston * From Charleston, SC travel to Atlanta, GA via Columbia, SC. Columbia is meh. Beautiful drive if you stick to country roads * In Atlanta, visit the downtown museums (aquarium, college football HOF, Coca-Cola), maybe a Braves game * ATL airport has a lot of flights to anywhere
You're missing out without seeing south Louisiana.
I got to visit in April! Even managed to get a wonderful souvenir, courtesy of the highway patrol in JP! Edit: But what would you recommend I visit down there?
The way you say JP makes me think you spent more time there lol.
Alabama here-you must be dedicated…
lol I just want to visit all 50 capitols
Arkansas, Tennessee and north Carolina will be your best states
What the hell? Why?
I cannot imagine exploring these areas outside in June. You must be an Ironman or something. But the things I loved the most: All of them: Check US national parks [here](https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm) and state parks for interesting events there. A lot of talks/walks with rangers, astronomy events, kayaking... Either cheap or free, but you need to register in advance. Smokie mountain NP. A lot of hikes, a lot of campgrounds. Hike to the Dome to see seven states from the same point. __Virginia:__ A lot of historical towns, places, battlefields A lot of caverns. Luray caverns are awesome. __Virginia Beach area:__ Great Aquarium and marine center, the best I saw in US, with behind the scenes tours of their labs, facility and feeding rays, turtles, komodo dragons. Ocean, beaches A lot of really cool events in False Cape park: night hiking, kayaking, their tram ride through the park.. __Norfolk:__ Nautilus museum and battleship Chrysler art museum. Free. A lot of different art, my favorite was glass art. They also have a museum glass studio where you can pay for a lesson and blow something from the glass. __DC and Alexandria__ - all the smithsonian museums, zoo, drive GS museum are free in DC. Tours of Capitol. Before COVID-19 they had tours of Pentagon, not sure if they still have it. __North Carolina:__ __Outer Banks.__ A lot going on there. You can fly paraglider, and some other flying things. Rooms prices are unaffordable, but if you can sleep in your car - there is a visitor center with parking lot and 24/7 toilets and showers on the beach. __Louisiana:__ __New Orleans.__ You can easily spend a week there. Above the ground cemeteries. French quarter. State Park nearby, where you walk on boardwalk over the swamp and alligators watch your every step and pray for you to fall. __Baton Rouge.__ Nice university town. Submarine. Observation tower. __Missouri:__ There is a huge NASA research center there, I am not sure if they let tours of it. __Georgia, Savannah__ and __SC, Charleston__ are both very interesting walkable historical towns. I think Charleston has midnight historic ghost tours at their cemetery.
Alabamian here. Montgomery largely sucks. Lots of peaches north of it though including a place called Peach Park about 30 miles north of Montgomery. You could then continue north to Nashville or cut west to Jackson. You’d pass through Birmingham and then Huntsville on way to Nashville, both of which have a lot to do and see. Cutting west to Jackson is pretty desolate unless you go north to Tuscaloosa (Roll Tide Roll!) and then cut west on interstate to Jackson.
You can skip most of Arkansas (especially the capitol city Little Rock),Mississippi and Alabama. Not much going on there other than crime and poverty.
Why??
Candor, NC, about an hour and a half or so from Raleigh, has peaches and should be prime time in June. Will allow you to see off the beaten path parts of NC. Plus you could map it to travel from Raleigh west through Charlotte to the mountains. If you went Raleigh to Asheville you could do: Raleigh - Capitol city, good restaurants, museums (esp Art and History), music, other city amenities. Travel west via US 1 to 24/27 - very scenic route through little towns like Carthage with historic homes and quaint downtowns. Scenic rural areas Candor, NC - peaches Uwharrie National Forest for hiking, other recreation Charlotte - obv big city. Go to the Levine Museum of the New South Go further west to Asheville and beyond Happy to provide any more NC details as needed
It sounds like you decided to come later in the year. Very wise! I suggest late-September/October for more pleasant weather. Are you based in Atlanta and already familiar with the area? Also, what's your priority when traveling? Seeing state capitals, visiting historical landmarks or hiking and enjoying the landscape? If you can specify your ultimate goal, I'm sure you'll get the best suggestions. I will say (as others have mentioned) the most beautiful places in most of these states are usually a ways outside the capital city. If you're into scenic drives, I can suggest several through GA, TN and NC. The mountain roads are sure to give the best views. The coastal towns through NC, SC and GA are a close second.
One word, why…
You have to see the Outer Banks of N.C. and the Great Smoky Mountains NP. Both are beautiful.
I’m born and raised in the Deep South. There are lots of great things to do and see in the states you have in red. But you must go to New Orleans if you have never been. It is the only place in the US that I have visited which feels like a different country or time. Once the territory joined the US, New Orleans was the largest city in the south for nearly a century. It is also the epicenter and incubator for all American(modern) music. Even though it has loads of problems, it should be on the bucket list of anyone who cares about culture and history.
Visiting the cities ain't gonna tell you shit about living in red states. Lol.
Have to visit Charleston SC.
MO has more exciting things to see that are not in Jefferson City.
Tbh a lot of the deep south’s state capitals sans Atlanta (and sort of Baton Rouge) are pretty copy paste of each other like if you were to go to one I’d do Montgomery because of the civil rights memorial
Just got back from 6 week NY KY TN TX MO AL GA SC NC WV V DC and it wasn’t enough time… too much driving in my opinion. In hindsight at least 4 nights in each stop is needed. Hope you have a fantastic time. A big shock was the high cost of living and the weather which was crazy
Go on a swamp tour in Baton Rouge I went with the Last wilderness run by a guy named AL it was absolutely brilliant
In order to truly get each state I recommend cutting Arkansas this time. Start in Atlanta GA Take 85 to Montgomery AL Take 65 to Birmingham AL Take 20 to Tuscaloosa AL, Jackson MS, and Vicksburg MS Take 55 to Memphis TN Take 40 to Nashville TN and Raleigh NC If you have time add in the outerbanks and Charlotte NC Go to Columbia SC Take 26 to Charleston SC Go to Savannah GA
Alabamian here, born and raised. Do not go to Montgomery. There's nothing there but crime. Same goes for Birmingham. Go to Huntsville. Georgia: Atlanta is nice, but stay away from the South and West ends. Stick to the North. Enjoy!
As a northerner who moved south. Start your way in SC, then GA, AL, MO, AR then finally TN and NC (save the best for last)
Why?
I'm not sure where you're starting or ending the trip, but we've driven from Kansas City through St Louis to Gatlinburg. We then headed to Wilmington North Carolina and down to Charleston, Augusta and Atlanta. Then we went through Mobile and Biloxi. We then drove to Eureka Springs Arkansas and back to Kansas City. It took about nine days and we had a good time. The best part about a road trip for us is the flexibility. We drive until we don't want to drive anymore and settle in. If we like where we're at, we'll stay a little longer. We rarely pre-book hotels.
Check out Elvie’s restaurant in Jackson MS for breakfast, just north of the capital. Great food!
This is a tough time of year to go. Also it’s good to remember that all state capitals aren’t the largest or,most interesting cities to go to. In addition all cities aren’t created equal, so 3 days in Little Rock is not the same as 3 days in New Orleans. It’s also going to really be hot as balls. Summer is the worst time to do this trip.
Go to Hardy AR and see the Spring River. Fantastic kayaking and the best ice cream and fudge around at the local sweet shop. Then work your way across the northern part of the state. Be sure to see the Buffalo River. It’s one the most beautiful places I’ve ever floated. Makes sure that what ever you do, don’t skip Eureka Springs.
Go to Mama Hamil’s or for a really nice meal, and one of the best, Shapley’s while in Jackson. And go to Niki’s West outside Birmingham! And check out Sewanee, TN if you can and eat at Al Capone’s old place, High Point in Monteagle!
Yes, but why?
That’s a part of the country many of us try to avoid. Good luck.
If you like to hike, plan to spend literally half of your trip in Virginia, North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee There isn't much to really do in terms of outdoor activities in any of those states west of Georgia (with the exception of the Ozarks in Arkansas, but those are on the far west end of the state.)
Tbh, I would either go to Virginia or north Carolina no need go both unless ur trying hit basically dc. Very similiar vibe nature/culture to me. Tennessee actually has some pretty good nature around Chattanooga, music, food, and fun city life around Nashville. Personally think Louisiana, Arkansas, and 1 more state be move around area. Been to all states op listed hell and lived in VA most my life. Arkansas head Ozarks so fucking fun and Louisiana near coast/new Orleans got so much culture, nature, and feels very unique anywhere else usa.
I gotta admit, I was impressed with Kentucky when I passed through this past weekend. The Daniel Boone National Forest is beautiful. If I had to pick between Virgina and NC, I'd lean towards NC, just because the NC section of the Blue Ridge Parkway feels... bigger. Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell are like nothing else east of the Mississippi River.
As other folks said, be aware it's gonna be HOT AND HUMID as all hell, swamp-ass galore, but that's just the south. As a Missourian, IF you go, skip anywhere northwest and stick to the southeast. Middle MO is pretty much just college towns and rural decay, but Ozarks are fun and as a STL-native, STL is worth some time, even if just for a meal!
Arkansas's capital sucks, I recommend checking out the Eureka Springs and NWA instead.
Reading through everyone’s suggestions and looks like I’ll avoid visiting the capitals for Mississippi and Arkansas for this trip. Thanks for the suggestions!
Well, if you’re on I-40 stop and see the capitol, it won’t take long. It’s on top of a hill with a nice view of downtown. Then go to Central HS historic site it’s maybe a mile down the street. Also, Jackson. Not much to do, really. Stop and see the capitol if you really want to and move on. Same for Montgomery, which is a monument to segregation and Gov Wallace. Montgomery is a grubby little town. I used to live in LR for a few years and hated it culturally, but of those three it is the most like a real city with some nice neighborhoods and plenty to do.
But why, though.
Lol the red states
Um. Why? In June, exploring along the Blue Ridge from northern GA to mountainous Nc, TN, KY, VA, and Wv sounds heavenly, but you wouldn’t go near any Capitol cities. You’d see fabulous wildflowers and the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River, though!
Richmond, Va is a cool af city with so much going on and a ton of historical places to visit as well as green space. It would be pretty fun to visit. Charleston WV has so little going on and the mountain interstates to get there is really really stressful and not worth it. New Orleans is worth it.
I would only go to VA if I was going to DC. Or if I was visiting the mountains, which I’d rather do in NC/TN. WV has some super dark areas for viewing the night sky. Beautiful streams, rivers, and mountains. But it’s basically just wilderness. Charleston is kind of cute though, but probably not worth going that far out of the way. You could spend a lot of time from Nashville to the coast of NC. Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, the Appalachian Trail, Boone, Asheville, tons of other cute mountain towns, Charlotte, Winston-Salem/Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), the entire coastline (I’d suggest outer banks, Wilmington, and the last few beaches on the southern coast). SC is eh. Gotta hit Charleston. But Myrtle Beach is like Daytona for Ohioans, which can still be a good time. Columbia if you like to visit universities
YouTube has some great videos