New Orleans to somewhere

[imported_alice]

Hi - I have to go to a conference in NOLA in November and was wondering whether it would be worth hiring a car and doing a bit of exploring for up to 2 weeks around this part of the US. I was thinking Memphis, Atlanta etc. Any suggestions on where to go? I like history and art, am not much into music, and I'm a vegetarian. Quite like the idea of a roadtrip like in the movies with a bit of the tackyish stuff eg gracelands. Would plan on starting in NOLA and returning the car there. I live in New Zealand and love visiting the US but tend to stick to the coasts.

There is a lot to see and do just in Louisiana. Drive along river road and see the plantations. On your drive from Memphis to Atlanta or vice a versa the Smokey Mountains and Nashville are must stops also.

Also you will be visiting during a football season. Definitely recommend taking in a college football game.

[Jude]

You should spend some time driving around Louisiana. You won't meet any nicer people, and it's got some beautiful scenery. Driving up the river to St. Francisville, west to St. Martinville and Cameron, so many places that I can tell you about. Email me for more info.

[E n J]

We LOVE New Orleans and there is a lot to do in the city if you don't have a car and stick to the trolleys. But at some point you will definitely want to have a car. If you drive just a few hours south of NO (I think the highway is called old spanish mission) you get into cajun country. There are lots of little shacks with great food, gas stations that sell live crabs, trailor homes on stilts, old plantations, etc. We drove down from Shreveport to the Western corner of the state and all along the bottom of LA and there wasn't much to see (it can get a little dingy and repetitive) But we are planning to return and grab a car to return to the south and due west of NO (Beaux Bridges and other cute little towns with great crawfish and lots of antique stores and)
One warning: THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT SUNDAY!
Absolutely nothing is open on Sunday so spend this day covering miles or in New Orleans (even Baton Rouge was dead). We drove through a really cute town (I think called Acadian) and not only the shops and restaurants but the HOTEL was actually closed!
Enjoy!
-E and J

[imported_stacie]

I have made the trip from NOLA to Atlanta several times, and it's a nice relaxing. It takes about 9 hours straight through, and as I only stop for gas I can't tell you about the towns along the Interstate Highways, but I'm sure they are interesting. The scenery is beautiful with rolling mountains and lots of trees and greenery. You can stop in Montgomery, AL if you take one Interstate or Birmingham, AL. If you are interested, you might also look into State Parks in these states. Along all of the southern coastal states on I-10 are beaches and seafood industry to Florida.