17 day round trip from MN through Southeast US in June

[mnAngie]

Hello. This is my first post to RTA. Feedback and suggestions are welcome regarding route and stops (attractions, food, car camping/lodging spots). Two adults and one dog will be traveling. We plan to car camp and camp primarily, but will stay in hotel/motel as needed. The first three days are structured, but after that we are flexible. This will be our first visit to most of the area.

Day 1- St. Paul, MN - ?
Day 2 - Louisville, KY for the evening and Nashville for the night
Da 3 - Lynchburg, TN midday, then Fort Payne, AL by 4 pm
Day 4 - Lookout mountain then Gatlinburg, TN
Day 5-7 - camping in Smoky Mountains including day trip to Sliding Rock, SC
Day 8 - Charleston or Myrtle Beach, SC
Day 9 - Myrtle Beach, SC
Day 10 - Outer Banks, NC
Day 11-12 - Outer Banks
Day 13 - Mount Airy, NC then Matewan, WV
Day 14 - Pikesville, KY then Paintsville, KY
Day 15 - ?
Day 16 - home

Some stops we will be making include: Churchill Downs, Jack Daniels distillery, Alabama band museum, The Bowery, Sliding Rock, beach at the OBX, hang gliding/parasailing, Hatfield/McCoy sites.

Help needed:
Recommended routes? Some scenic routes would be great.

Best camping in or around Smoky Mountains?

We would be interested in a possible civil war site or some Southeast "must see" recommendations along the way.

I would like to eat enough great barbecue on this trip to be tired of it by the time I get home.

Thoughts on including Charleston on this trip or not?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance!

[Lifemagician]

Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

You will find that there is a selection of scenic roads along your route, starting with some in western MN.

Are you actually using good quality maps in planning this trip? Details like scenic roads are marked on all good maps. As well you will find that most of the historic sites and natural attractions are marked on the maps as well. In fact, good maps, such as those produced by AAA (free to members) and Rand McNally have a wealth of information you will never see on a little screen.

Not only are maps invaluable during the planning process, they are essential when on the road. Do not be tempted to rely solely on your electronics. Many have done so at their peril, some fatal.

Lifey

[mnAngie]

We have an Atlas and individual maps for each state we will be spending significant time. I was hoping for some suggestions from people that have explored that area before, as it is our first time in much of it.