Deep South Road Trip HELP !

I would like to get your suggestions on the best sort of research material to look at before I arrange my trip to the USA in May - going from Washington DC along the Smokey Mountains, through Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.
In terms of maps or books etc - which would be the best options?
If anyone can suggest any titles that cover this particular area in detail, that would be very helpful.
Ideally I would like to buy here in the UK so I have time to plan ahead
Thanks for your helpful tips
Phil

Moderator Note: Please stop creating new threads about this trip. This is the 3rd time we've made this request. Continuing to ignore forum policies may result in a suspension of your ability to post.

The first thing to do is go to the RTA Store and order a Rand McNally Road Atlas. They are also available from Amazon.

I'm a believer that you can never have too much information. Certainly a good atlas is a great place to start, and really essential to get the basics down.

In addition to looking at an atlas, what I typically do is head to the library and pick up pretty much every book they have on an area I'm looking to travel. After scanning through the books, I often end up purchasing one or two of my favorites to take along with me on the trip. Often you can save a couple bucks by purchasing a previous edition, and then use the internet to double check specifics like operating hours and prices.

If you have any other suggestions or ideas of hotels & unique eating places that would be great
Some off the tourist trial places would be good for us to visit.

The best way to savour the local cuisine is to ask someone when you are there. Most hotels are good at suggestion that. Or you might ask someone who is local when you are shopping or filling up with fuel.

Lifey

Can you guys that know the area, give me any suggestions on quite roads to take (not highways) from Washington DC through smokey mountains to Nashville, Memphis, Natchez ending up in New Orleans
Any advice welcome
Cheers
Phil

Since this trip is not for some six months, you have the time to get some really good maps. Good detailed maps have all the roads on them, show them graded from super fast interstates, to small back roads. If you were to order a Rand McNally road atlas now, via the link at the bottom of this page, you will have it in a couple of weeks.

Not only will it show you all the roads, but all the towns and most of the attractions along the way.

Good detailed maps are invaluable during the planning, and essential when on the road. Don't be tempted to rely solely on your electronics.

Lifey

The fact is that any reasonable route (one that will take less than nearly three days) will have to be on numbered highways, including US and state highways or even county roads. They are all 'highways' of one sort or another - by definition. However, it is certainly possible to forego Interstate Highways and still make the drive in a day and a half to two days. Now, there are two distinct possibilities. For both you'll still need to use I-66 to get out of the DC area. You really don't want to be using surface streets in a major metropolitan area, there's nothing 'quiet' about such roads. Then you can either use really scenic roads such as Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway south past Asheville and into the western approaches to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but note that US-141 is the only road through the park and brings you out in the Knoxville area. Or you can use faster through, but still scenic, roads such as US-29 south to Danville and US-58 along the Virginia North Carolina state line through Mount Rogers National Recreation Area to Abingdon and US-11W, again to Knoxville. This way misses the actual Great Smoky Mountains, but still traverses portions of the Appalachians. Between Knoxville and Nashville US-70 runs parallel to I-40 and provides your best option.

AZBuck