Really hoping you can help 2 Brits who, in my case, are in love with Carson McCullers, Steinbeck and southern literature.

We have booked a flight from London to Atlanta, arriving 5th Sept. We leave New Orleans 19th Sept back to London. Dang, I know it's hurricane season, and I wonder if we should have booked to Charlotte, not ATL, but anyway too late. Can you kindly help with a route?

When all is said and done, in our 14 days, I guess we would like try and cover
- 3 full days in mountains/ national parks
- 3 full days in NOLA
- 2 days in A.N.other city for museums
- 1-2 days relaxing in a beach location, hence Pensacola
- Plus some time just stopping off at picturesque small towns


... and within that we'd like to see/do
* History or museums, particularly on Civil Rights or the Civil War. Your history is so different to ours.
* Sample authentic Southern food
* Do some outdoors activities e.g rafting, river ride, hike, lake swim
* Feel the Blues! We're not huge Country & Western fans though.
* Potter around small 'genteel' towns and chat to the locals
* Have some beach time. England's beaches are good for umm 1 day in August so we really crave this!
* See weird and wonderful roadside America, E.g I remember once going to the Idaho potato chip museum, or Mitchell Corn Palace when in the NW states.

I apologise for what may come across as an overly or offensively romanticized view of the South. And I'm a hypocrite because I sigh when Americans come to London and ask where the castles are (there aren't any) and if we know Kate Middleton (no)!