Hello!

My friend and I (I'm Canadian & she's British) are planning on driving around USA for 2 months next summer (2010) from San Diego up to New York, via: Texas, Georgia, Virginia, etc...

There are a few questions I have:

1. To Rent or to buy... I know that this has been asked (and I have read them).
- We have found a car agency that allows unlimited miles across all USA (www.novacarhire.com) = $1200 EACH. This includes everything; insurance - we'll be 24, so still underage, milage, and 24h roadside assistance... but it's a chevy aveo. I've always associated american cars with junk, (& we know Chevy Aveo only get's 34miles/gallon)

So do we:
- Rent this car
- Buy & insure a car in Canada, but if the car breaks down CAA won't help us there...
- Buy a car in the USA through our friends and get us added to their insurance... is this possible even? (we haven't asked our friends yet)

Questions about area specific things:
While driving from Baton Rouge to Charleston, via Nashville... What are some particularily interesting/great things to see.
Intersts include:
- History & Natural Beauty
- Plantations,
- Civil Rights/African American History
- Civil War
- Famous Movies/book locations

Also,
- where is the best/easiest place to Hike in the Appalachians!?
- Where can we see a great gospel service?
- Where can we go to a huge (enthusiastic) evangelical service?

Thank you so much in advance! I know it's a lot of questions.

Hi,

I will try to answer some of your questions if I can. I currently live in Baton Rouge, LA and from the area.

1. First rent or buy: I believe Canadian insurance will cover you in the US but not in Mexico. I am not sure about getting on you friend's insurance. I wouldn't be so concerned about American cars. The belief that they are junk stems from the 1980's. These days American cars rank just as high if not higher in quality than foreign cars in the same class. The bad quality stigma isn't true anymore.

2. If you are coming through Baton Rouge, you of course have to stop in New Orleans. You can take the River Road along the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. There are lots of Antebellum mansions to stop and see including the Nottoway (just outside of Baton Rouge) which one of the largest Antebellum homes in the South. Baton Rouge also has an outdoor rural life museum which lets you experience plantation life.

3. From New Orleans you could then head up North to Nashville to via the Natchez Trace which is an historice stage coach route. You can stop in St Francisville which has the Myrtles Plantation. This was listed as one of the mosted haunted houses in America (by someone who ranks such things.)

4. From Nashville you can head head to North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There are tons of hiking trails with huts you can stay in. The Ranger Stations there can give you details. Stop on the the Georgia/South Carolina border and whitewater raft in the same river that the movie "Deliverance" was filmed on. Watch the film if you don't know what I am talking about. Then head down to Charleston. Before doing so make sure you stop in at The Biltmore in Asheville, NC. This is the largest home in America and is a winery as well.

5. Southern gospel music is an art form all of its on. Many choirs produce CD's. I would think one of the best places to experience this would be in an African American Southern Baptist Church.

6. The huge Evangelical services you are talking about are called "Revivals". If they are in a tent they are called tent revivals. The only way I could tell you find out when these happen is to ask around when you get into the South. They happen all over the Southeast from Texas to the Carolinas.

7. On your way up the coast to New York you can stop at Gettysburg which is a big Civil War Battleground

Ohh -- nice! This must be the summer of the southern road trip; I'll be out and about in June and July from Arizona to Nashville and back. If anyone knows of any fun festivals along this route, I'd be excited to hear about those, too.

A few thoughts re your initial questions:

1. I can't really speak to the buy vs own issue as I have never rented a car in the US. Having said that, if you really want the classic experience, find something other than an Aveo. Since you mention the Aveo "only get's 34miles/gallon" I don't know how likely you are to go for it but I'd suggest a big, gas guzzling American made car with something worthwhile under the hood. You'll likely appreciate it after a few days of driving and it will help you understand the American car culture. Of course, a big caddy convertible would be perfect for a southern road trip!

As far as "area specific things" are concerned; Cjun is 100% right in that you must stop in New Orleans. You can't come that close and skip it!

One of my all time favorite drives is along US-90. Lots of beautiful antebellum mansions, Jeff Davis's last home, gulf beaches, and the occassional casino make it a unique and wonderful drive. I haven't been that route since Katrina but I'm sure it has been restored to some degree. I hear they even built the casinos on land this time! I am not a big fan of the portion of the South inland from the gulf in that area so I do have a certain prejudice but it is also a convenient way to leave S. Louisiana.

I'd hold off on the mountains until after you visit Charleston. With only 2 months in the US (you don't say how long in the South) I'd also skip Tennessee but that really comes down to personal preference. You mention wanting to see Civil War sites in which case you'll have no choice but to spend some time in my home state of Virginia. On the way you could make a trip westward and pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and head North until you get to I-64 at Rockfish Gap. There are several interesting historical sites along the parkway and some great trails with good access for your Appalachian hiking fix not to mention phenomenal views on the drive. The App Trail also crosses the parkway or runs near it for a long ways in VA if that is something you'd like to do. Once you get up to Rockfish Gap you can take I-64 East to Richmond and check out the numerous Civil War sites in the city including the Museum of the Confederacy (although it is soon to be broken up into several regional museums). Richmond is actually a pretty underrated city and can be a lot of fun. Definitely tour the Virginia Capitol as it is something of a living museum. Your friend, being British, will likely appreciate the fact that Lady Astor was a Virginian and a few of her gifts to the Commonwealth are still on display in the building. It was recently renovated and has a great, modern visitor center and you can actually wander around and enjoy the building unlike the US capitol. Houdon's statue of Washington is worth the trip in itself and is my all time favorite chunk of marble.

From Richmond you can continue East to Norfolk / VA Beach and then up the Eastern Shore. On your way to the Norfolk area (broadly called Hampton Roads) you can check out several plantations along the James River that predate anything you'll see in the rest of the South. My personal favorite is Shirley Plantation. Consider swinging through Colonial Williamsburg while you are in the area. From Hampton Roads you can take the impressive Bay Bridge Tunnel complex North to the Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore is unique in the US and Chincoteague is certainly worth a few days. Also, take the ferry over to Tangier Island in the middle of the bay; no cars on the island and the inhabitants still have something of an Elizabethan accent, kids catch the school boat rather than bus, and the seafood is as fresh as it gets. Oysters and Crabs are the thing to eat in the region. From the Eastern Shore it is easy to get to DC then on to New York.

Regarding the church services; a good Gospel experience can be had in any black church in the South on any given Sunday. Some are more famous than others and just require a little research. For an evangelical experience you can seek out a few evangelical mega churches but that is a bit more political than you may want. The most intense, although not mainstream, may be some of the serpent handlers up in West Virginia. Tent revivals are a great option but I kind of doubt you will just happen across one. Just stop in any church that claims to be Southern Baptist and you'll be welcomed and more than likely well fed especially when they find out you are foreign. For African American history, consider a stop at one of the Gullah communities in the SC or GA lowcountry.

Famous Movie / Book locations brings to mind Savannah, a very cool city outside of that even. Forest Gump was filmed in the area and the bench shots were in one of the many beautiful squares. Of course, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is set in Savannah and actually based on real locals.

Hope some of this may help. Let us know how long you have in the region and I can probably give a few more pertinent suggestions. I don't mean to sound as if I've planned your whole route, just a few ideas along the way. Also, if you have some particular interests in the Civil War I could give some more specific battlefield recommendations. In Virginia, the problem is nearly every square inch is either a Civil War or American Revolution battlefield. Also, you may want to go easy on calling it the Civil War. I used the term here for clarity but the term is not particularly favored in this region. Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable journey!

Thank you SO much for all your help.

There's a few things I want to make clear right away - we are DEFINITELY visiting New Orleans!!! no worries there, I just thought it was SO obvious, that there was no need to mention.

The thing with the car, is that the car my friend has now gets 70 miles per gallon, so 34 is absolutely disgusting. Pretty much, so we're still working that out. I think it will take some pretty extensive number crunching.

I love the tip about the Deliverance River! I have seen that movie, and that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for!! (well, movie sights... you know.)

Thank you so much CPTempleton, we probably won't go with the car thing - I'm not really "into" cars anyway, but the route you give through North Carolina etc is amazing! Thank you so much, that's exactly the kind of tips that we need!

That is fantastic! What is the Civil War's official term supposed to be?

Thanks again so much!

Try not to miss Saint Augustine, Fl and Charleston, SC.

The river is called teh Chattooga

miraclepie wrote:That is fantastic! What is the Civil War's official term supposed to be?

The War of Northern Aggression, according to the extremely southern southerner.

I spent the first 19 years of my life in Virginia and I don't remember anyone calling it anything other than the Civil War, so I don't think you have much to worry about. (Then again, my parents were from New Jersey...)

I have lived in the South my whole life and have never heard it called that outside of books trying to stereotype people in this region.

I guess it depends on which route you plan to take from Baton Rouge to Nashville.

If you plan on heading east through Mississippi and Alabama and then north from Georgia here are a few suggestions.

Battle of Vicksburg national park is pretty cool. It's where the North took control of the Mississippi river. (Mississippi)

Kennesaw Mountain battlefield just north of Atlanta is also pretty cool.

The Civil War panorama and the train "Texas" are in downtown Atlanta. Both are really cool. (of course it's been a decade at least since I was last there, might have changed)

The city of Savannah is really cool to visit. The town is still mostly laid out to the original city plan of General Oglethorpe and is very walkable. The cemetery is really good to wander around in, tons of Revolutionary war people are buried there. There's also Fort Pulaski just east of Savannah. (another Civil war battlefield)

About the car. I am sure your Canadian insurance covers you for damages and injury, but you should check. If you are worried about repairs (and calling the AAA when the car breaks down), that should not be a reason to spend extra $$$$'s. If your car is in good shape - 10,000 miles in the US won't be a problem.

About what to do, the suggestions were great and you won't be able to cover it all or even what people consider the best. I would suggest the following after New Orleans (a must) - head up the Natchez Trace Parkway and then enter TN at Memphis. Then head to Nashville and Charleston. Not quite sure why you chose Charleston, I would suggest going through Knoxville and Asheville (with the Smoky Mountains in between), then along Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, all the way to DC. DC can be a great base for day excursions to historic sites (think Gettysburg). And so on..

I don't know how you planned on fitting in Georgia and I guess you will skip Florida. But if you want a detour, I suggest the white sand beaches of the Gulf Coast in Alabama.

Hope you continue getting good advice and some more Kentucky and Tennessee vacation ideas.

Thank you so much to everyone about all the information!

Sushibum wrote:About the car. I am sure your Canadian insurance covers you for damages and injury, but you should check. If you are worried about repairs (and calling the AAA when the car breaks down), that should not be a reason to spend extra $$$$'s. If your car is in good shape - 10,000 miles in the US won't be a problem.

I don't know how you planned on fitting in Georgia and I guess you will skip Florida. But if you want a detour, I suggest the white sand beaches of the Gulf Coast in Alabama.

Do you mean that my Canadian insurance will cover me for buying a car in the USA? ... or what? Either way it doesn't really matter, because I don't have any Canadian Insurance anyway, because in order to have it you need a car, which I don't own, or we wouldn't have a problem in the first place. hahaha

We were planning on skipping Florida, because it doesn't seem like Florida has a lot of culture... am I wrong? Also we have a time limit of her only allowed to be in the country for 90 days & We're travelling for a month before hand through the west coast with our other friends.

I want to add that if you plan to go to a Southern Baptist church be prepared to dress up. The men are usually in suits and the women in dresses and big hats (like Queen Elizabeth). I would bring (if I were female or decided to cross dress) a nice dress (or a skirt) just for that. Some of the more conservative churches will frown upon a women wearing pants (especially at a tent revival).

My friends and I went on a 10-day, 12-state roadtrip through the south last summer. It was GREAT! My favorite city on earth is Savannah. We spent the day walking through all the squares, feeding squirels and some pretty lively birds. The Owen-Thomas house is a great place to visit if you want to see the inside of one of those beautiful buildings. If you get the chance to pick your tourgide, ask for the African-American lady. SHE WAS HILARIOUS!...definitely made the tour ten times better than what we had expected. Forsyth Park is beautiful, and there's a nice little healthfood store at the far end of it (great place to go if vegan craving some soy ice cream, like me ).

Dolphin Island, Alabama is also a great place to pitch a tent and explore the island. The outerbanks of North Carolina were beautiful (Ocracoke is home to Blackbeard, and Kitty Hawk is also in the outter banks). Vicksburg, Mississippi is also a great place to go if you want to see a battlefield. And Oak Alley Platation in Lousiana is gorgeous.

Be prepared for a little car trouble....of course you can avoid most problems with just common sense (don't plug your hair dryer into the ciggarette lighter if you don't want to have to go without air conditioning or blinkers for 2 hours!)

Hope this helped a little. Have a great time!

If you want to see historical sites, museums and striking architecture check out the site smalltowngems.com for recommended small towns. This site has thousands of photographs to guide you and a brief summary of each small town that it recommends. It even has photos of many towns that are listed as disqualified.

Enjoy your journey.