I'm with you on the desire to make a 'circle' of any trip rather than just an out-and-back. I'm not superstitious at all, but why cover the same ground twice when there's new road to travel and new sights to see? The route I suggested is about 2070 miles and would take on the order of 38 hours of foot-on-the-pedal driving. For me that's four to five days, depending on how many stops I want to make and how long I'm going to spend sightseeing. There is a ton of stuff to see in the south especially having to do with the history of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and of course, the culture is unique. Enjoy the trip.

AZBuck