Suggestions for 14 days Deep South in April 2017

[Aussie2011]

Hello All,

We are from Australia. We are planning on doing 1 month in the USA next April, 2017. Our main priorities are to spend a week in NYC , a few days in Chicago and maybe visit New Orleans. We are also looking at doing a week Carribean Cruise from either Florida or whatever suits best.

We are looking at a 14 day road trip and need advice please. There will be 5 of us, my wife, my daughter 16, son 12 and grandma 75. We were looking at doing the great lakes but everyone has told us that it was not really an option in April. I looked at Colorado and Wyoming but same.

We love the waterfalls, rivers, the scenic stuff and obviously the wildlife but wont be doing hiking or anything too off the track due to theg grandma. Looking at AirBNB or hotels and driving.

I am interested in the south and would like to visit memphis, New Orleans and surrounds.

Any suggestions on a suitable 14 day plan would be greatly appreciated. I am flying blind so to speak.....

Kind regards

Aussie Mick

[Lifemagician]

Hi Mick, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

It is true that there are places still out of reckoning in April, but a lot of the country is not. Wanting to visit Chicago and New Orleasns, you could spend some time through the south, may be Memphis, Nashville area, and I would highly recommend Florida. There is tons to do in Florida, so many interesting and scenic places, as well as interesting attractions.

do you have any maps? You don;'t say in which State you are, but if maps are not available locally, I would highly recommend you purchase a Rand McNally road atlas from the RTA store via the link at the bottom of this page. If you order it now, you will have it in a couple of weeks. You will see on the maps in the atlas the numerous attractions in each State, the routes available to you, including scenic routes, and much more.

Since this trip is still a year away, you will have ample time to plan an itinerary to suit the children and their grandma. As a grandma myself, I have spent a lot of time in FL, and can highly recommend it. But be careful, two weeks pass very quickly.

If you do go to FL, you will be well placed for most cruises as many of them depart from southe

If you are a member of RACV or NRMA or similar, be sure to bring it with you. It will give you access to free tourism information from the AAA anywhere in the US.

When you have an itinerary, or any other questions, feel free to post, there will always be someone to answer.

Lifey

[Aussie2011]

Hi Lifey

Thanks for your suggestions. We are from Sydney NSW.

I have done plenty of travelling in the USA previously. In 2012 we did two months and visited:

New York, Washington Dc, Orlando, Vegas, LA, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, San Diego as well as two weeks in Canada.... So we are trying to do something different from those trips and capture something of real USA not just typical tourist USA...

I have done in 1991 Memphis, New Orleans but it has obviously changed so much since then. I just need to find a nice 2 week route that allows sightseeing and gentle driving of no more than 200kms per day ..... big ask...

Kind regards

[Lifemagician]

So I take it you have maps from your previous trips. Electronics just won't show you all the routes and attractions along the way.

At that pace you are looking at 120 miles per day. It will take you almost a week to get from NYC to Chicago..... a trip which can be done off the interstates, in two days' leisurely driving through scenic Pennsylvania etc,. To New Orleans would take up all of your two weeks at that pace. You might like to rethink that.

Calculate that on the interstates you would cover around 55 miles each hour on the road - off interstates estimate around 50 miles in each hour, without sightseeing.

Lifey

Edited after the typo was brought to my attention.

[glc]

off interstates estimate around 60 miles in each hour

That would be 50, at best.

[Ishtar92]

Hi Mick,
I'm an Aussie (been here for 8 months) living in Yorktown Virginia. My best friend from The Sunshine Coast Qld, is flying over this week and we are Roadtripping from VA-New Orleans- Memphis- Nashville-VA.
When we get back hopefully we can offer some advice.
Thanks Hope

[Lifemagician]

Hi Ishtar92, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

Thanks for juimping in with your first post to make this generous offer to another fellow countryman. It is the experiences of many which help new roadtrippers to decide the where, what, and when for their own trip.

It would be wonderful if you could keep some notes during your trip, and post a report for all to read in our Roadtrip Field Report Forum. You can illustrate the report with your favourite pictures.

We love travel pics.

Lifey