Help PLEASE!! New Jersey to New Orleans Road trip advice!

[Jared Slaymaker]

Hello,
I am looking for some good honest advice on what to do and see and stay on a 10 day road trip from new jersey to New Orleans. I'll take any advice on places to see and things to do. It will be in August of this year but I need to prepare now. Its with my girlfriend and I so we would love some feedback!
THank you,
a very enthusiastic couple!

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome back to the RTA Forum!

We're going to start back at the same place the last time you visited this site: What are you interested in?

It appears you've been thinking about taking this trip for at least 2 years now, so what have you come up with in that time? What are a few places that are "must sees" for you?

If you don't have any ideas at all yet, then I'd check out the RTA Map Center, and even just look at a paper map, and find things that stand out like they might be interesting.

The more you give us to work with, the more we can help you build your perfect trip.

[32vld]

You do not say if you are leaving from Atlantic City or Jersey City.

You do not say how much time you want to spend in New Orleans against on the road.

You do not say if the trip or the destination is the most important part of the trip. That means do you want to take the US routes or the interstates.

That also means you have chose 20 hrs or 30 hrs of driving to get to N Orleans.

I think that people over think road trips in regards to that they must see all the must see sights. So they have to plan every turn that has to be made on the trip so as to not miss anything.

Thing is there is never enough time to see every must see place on any trip.

There is no law saying that you can not take a trip more then once. So what was not done can be done another time.

A road trip should be about fun. Over planning takes away the adventure of finding things as you travel by automobile.

Yes planning is needed to be aware of seasonal weather problems. Planning is needed when cost is a factor to save gas, tolls, and time is a factor when a destination has to be reached on time, the trip is for work or business.

I'll close with when the purpose of a trip is the destination the get on the the most direct interstate.

If the purpose of the trip is the travel then go where ever one wants.

Vacations are suppose to be about the fun.

[Jared Slaymaker]

Im starting out from princeton nj would love to spend 4 solid days in new orleans...with that said i will be stretching the time to 12 days rather than 10...I hear nashville and memphis are fun. I'd love to see something new and interesting driving down and back up from new orleans in such states as kentucky, mississippi, and alabama... never been in those states before... i guess that is my question. what things are unique to those states that would be fun to do or see. We love the outdoors,love traveling, love seeing new and unusual things.

[Lifemagician]

I'd love to see something new and interesting driving down and back up from new orleans in such states as kentucky, mississippi, and alabama... never been in those states before... i guess that is my question.

Best start is to get either a good large map of the US or maps of the individual States (available at AAA) and check them over in detail. Get onto each State's website to see what they have to offer, and what interests you.

Once you have decided what your must sees are, and have the dots on the map, the members here can help you fine tune a trip. But it is nearly impossible to suggest out of the hundreds of possibilities in each State, which is best for you.

[If indeed you have been considering this trip for two years, as suggested by Michael, I would have had those maps up on the wall for all of that time, to look at and refer to each time I passed, so that all my possibilities were firmly imprinted on my brain.]

Lifey