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I camped on a lake on the TN/GA border that was amazing. Another neat place near Asheville.
Stay in hostels too.
I'm on the Mississippi coast now and much of it is incredibly dull, especially after Katrina destroyed everything. Ocean Springs is nice.
I found the blue ridge to be a pain to drive. Slow and meandering which I wasn't looking for at the time. Pretty though.
Regardless, stay off the larger highways if you want a more interesting and scenic trip.
Oh yeah, red bluff in west MS is supposed to be cool.

>>1217111
Thanks for the tip about Red Bluff. Looks awesome!

>>1217084
>Nashville TN

when you go to the Opryland Hotel to walk around the massive indoor atriums (obligatory visit for anyone coming to Nashville), bring your swimsuit. You can walk to the pool, change in the locker room and lock your stuff up, and use the pools and hot tub for free, they don't check whether or not you're a guest (if you're discrete or if you go in the evening, I've been stopped once before when it was a busy time of year with a group of friends, but I found a key card on the ground and kept it from the last time and showed the worker, and he left us alone)

for the best view of the city, check out Love Circle by Vanderbilt, only locals or college students know about it for the most part

>restaurants
Pharmacy Burger (East Nashville) for burgers
Five Points Pizza (East Nashville) for pizza, they won some international competition
The Pancake Pantry (Vanderbilt area) for breakfast

12 South is where to find the coolest local eateries as well

>parks

spend time wandering around the riverfront parks, they're massive and quite pleasant

centennial park has a full-scale replica of the Parthenon, a must-see

bicentennial park is really neat too, the farmer's market is right there and worth a visit as well

>night life

2nd avenue and Broadway downtown is lit as fuck all the time, especially in the summer

public transport is shitty though, be prepared to pay for parking. Although if you're exploring downtown and don't mind walking, you can park on the street for free in Germantown, which is directly adjacent to the bicentennial mall

t. grew up in Nashville

>>1217084
(1/2)
Im from south MS, but have been to alot of these places and can recommend a few things down in my area.

The couple of things I can recommend :

in Memphis got to interstate BBQ (the one on stateline rd) and get some BBQ nachos.

In New Orleans go to central grocery and get a muffuletta. (and don't stop for anyone trying to bet you on where you go your shoes at) Otherwise hit usual stuff. Also go to Drago's and get some charbroiled oysters.

I see you're going to gulf Island National Seashore in MS? Here's a tip. Skip the part on land and take the ferry out to Ship Island. Go on weekday and its not so crowded. You could spend a half day out there if you want to get away from people on a beach. The island is a couple miles long and is pretty deserted for the most part while kids are in school. Bring some shade though. (there is a small snack bar on the island that has decent prices for simple food, beer, and drink). Besides the old fort and a few buildings there is no shade so keep that in mind.

If you want a true hole in the wall local place in Gulfport/Biloxi go to Ben's deli. Its a poboy/asian food stop on pass road. Cash only. Get a shrimp poboy. Or in Pass Christian go to Pirates Cove.

Can I recommend a couple of detours on your trip?

From New Orleans, take hwy 90 going east. Its the old way and slower but you go through alot more off the beaten path stuff on the MS coast. (I10 is boring except if you are out to see stennis)

Go to mobile but do it in a more round about way to go see Pensacola too. From I10 before you hit mobile take the exit then go to dauphin Island (little town on its own island) and then take the ferry across the bay to Fort Morgan. Visit Fort Morgan and enjoy the drive on coast to Pensacola. Hit Flora-bama or Seville Quarter's piano bar for a drink or two that night.
Camp out at Fort Pickens while there. Then drive back to Mobile and continue on your way.

>>1217663
(2/2)

If you go through foley al on the way back to mobile eat at Lamberts but only if you are REALLY hungry portions sizes are huge and the literally throw food at you. No joke, they throw rolls.

In mobile the nightlife is pretty tame compared to New Orleans so I doubt you'll be going there for that. USS Alabama is neat if you are into that stuff.

Also while you are in the Cajun south (LA and south MS), go somewhere that you can get boiled blue crabs or crawfish. Its kinda the local delicacy. You'll know if they are cooked correctly or for tourists by the spice. Your lips should be burning after the first few bites. Bland is not the way locals eat them. Desporte & Sons Seafood in Biloxi might be a good place for this.

>>1217644
>>1217667

Awesome tips guys. Gave me a lot to investigate.

>>1217084
From Atlanta I'd head south until I reached I-10 and then go through NW Florida to New Orleans. That stretch of driving will have better sights and pitstops versus going through rural Alabama (as someone who lives on the Gulf Coast.) It won't add too much time to your trip, either.

If you're interested in checking out some awesome architecture, btw, there's a Hindu temple in Georgia that should be on your way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_Atlanta
It won't take long to go through the tour (it's self-guided) and they have an awesome gift shop. If you want to see the statues of the gods, which are kept locked away except during prayer times, you'll have to check out their schedule.

>>1219150
Forgot to mention that Stone Mountain is near the mandir so you can hit both places in an afternoon. Stone Mountain Park has a lot to offer in terms of camping, hiking, kayaking, etc., but most people go just to ascend the big ass rock.