from the Midwest to the Midsouth

January 25, 2007 1:15 PM

My husband and I are thinking about taking a road trip in mid-March from St. Louis to Charleston. We'll probably swing down and visit Savannah, and then go back up and stop in Atlanta to visit family for a day or so. We only have a week to do this. Any suggestions for what we should see/do along the way?

Both of us like history, nature stuff, art, quirky roadside stuff, and, of course, good food. A route through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and Asheville seems like a natural. What else would be cool to see?

posted by printchick to travel & transportation (18 comments total)

I've been to Savannah once. The restaurant, "The Lady and Sons" serves some of the most fantastic Southern home cooking that I have ever had. Cooking guru Paula Deen's recipes are used as she and her sons own the restaurant. I don't remember where it is, but locals will be glad to point you to it. May be one of the best meals I've ever had...any locals want to comment?
posted by boots77 at 1:41 PM on January 25, 2007

When in Charleston, why not visit Patriots Point, where you can find one of the four surviving Essex-class aircraft carriers from WWII?

There's also a relatively nifty Marine Corps museum at Parris Island.
posted by Midnight Creeper at 1:41 PM on January 25, 2007

Quirky? Well The Georgia Guidestones definitely fill that need.

Educational? Steve Ferrell of The Edgefield Pottery can fill your head up with all kinds of info and you can see a collection of neat old pottery that's renowned around the world.

As for food, do what I do and use the Pick-up Index for roadside diners. No pick-up trucks = bad, 6 or more = great.

Roadside America can point you towards many more off the beaten path places.

Feel free to drop me a line, I cruise these back roads pretty regularly.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 1:42 PM on January 25, 2007

Wall's Barbecue in Savannah is delicious. It's a bit hard to find because it's a hole in the wall, but worth it! Stay away from the waterfront tourist trap in Savannah - the interior of downtown is much more enjoyable. I got lots of good tips from this Best Of stuff. The Old Pink House is good for fancy, romantic dining in Savannah. The famous Bonaventure cemetary is fun, although don't look for the statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - it has been moved to a museum. Sapelo Island and Gullah/Geechee land is not far from Savannah - fascinating culture, and you can take some tours, although timing can be tricky.

Peninsula Grill in Charleston is the opposite - very fancy, but delicious. S.N.O.B. restaurant is good too. There are good walking tours in Charleston, and both cities have fun ghost tours.
posted by Amizu at 1:57 PM on January 25, 2007

If you're into vegetarian/vegan food, Soul Vegetarian, in Charleston.
posted by nathancaswell at 2:22 PM on January 25, 2007

I took a road trip along a similar route a few years ago. Close to home, Metropolis, IL has a cool giant superman statue and museum (Barack Obama not included).

There's lots of fun stuff to do if you swing through Nashville - their tourism site is a good place to start, I'd imagine. Atlanta also isn't too far out of the way. As cheesy as it was, I had a good time at Stone Mountain - the rushmore of the south. The ironic humor/kitsch factor is awesome.

Savannah is a cool town. Spend an afternoon just walking around downtown and looking at the historical stuff, architecture, and taking in some really good food. Got to the 17 Hundred 90 inn for lunch - it has some really good food, and the lunch prices are great.
posted by chrisamiller at 2:30 PM on January 25, 2007

While in Charleston, consider seeing Middleton Place Plantation. I'm proud to say I'm a Middleton descendent.
posted by forensicphd at 2:45 PM on January 25, 2007

If you go to Stone Mountain on a Saturday, bring a picnic and a blanket and stay for the Laser Show--it's a summer thing, but it's supposed to run on Saturdays starting in mid-March. It ups the ironic humor/kitsch factor immeasurably.

Also, if you drive down through north Georgia, you could stop at Anna Ruby Falls. There's a short, paved trail to the falls, and it would probably take about an hour total to walk up and back. Plus it's close to Helen, another fountain of roadside kitsch. They have tasty ice cream.

Finally, if you're over towards the Tennessee/North Carolina/Georgia border, stop at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, GA. They have delicious apple bread and amazing smoked trout spread for sale. And, as a bonus, the back roads from Asheville down through Blue Ridge are absolutely gorgeous.
posted by paleography at 3:22 PM on January 25, 2007

Lambert's in Sikeston, MO, Gus's Fried Chicken in Memphis, US 441 through Smoky Mtn. Natl. Park Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, the new Georgia Aquarium (the largest in the world) in Atlanta, Whitewater Falls near Asheville, anywhere that serves shrimp and grits in Charleston.
posted by Frank Grimes at 4:55 PM on January 25, 2007

Frank Grimes, you're driving me nuts, there's a great small restaurant that serves amazing shrimp & grits on Wentworth between King and Meeting in Charleston and I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME.
posted by nathancaswell at 5:01 PM on January 25, 2007

eat some boiled peanuts
posted by Salvatorparadise at 6:49 PM on January 25, 2007

oh, and i took a bus/trolley tour around savannah, and it was a great way to get a feel for the city, see the high points, hear the history and relax...try that for starters once you get to savannah
posted by Salvatorparadise at 6:50 PM on January 25, 2007

Oh yes, as Frank said, Lambert's is great fun if you can make the timing work.

There's great BBQ in Memphis, too, at Jim Neely's.

And, the Lost Sea outside Chattanooga is worth a stop, if you are up for a bit of underground adventure.
posted by Exchequer at 7:15 PM on January 25, 2007

Oh, and while you are in Savannah, maybe check out nearby Tybee Island.

The Desoto Beach Hotel is right on the water of you are there overnight.
posted by Exchequer at 7:19 PM on January 25, 2007

Just outside Savannah (on the way to Tybee Island), is Fort Pulaski, a fairly well preserved Civil War site. Its great visit for history buffs, in a beautiful area, and very little of the fort is out of bounds for vistors - so you can walk all along the upper walls of the forts, around the moat, sit on the cannons, et al. I've been there as a kid and adult and had great time at both ages.

One thing, I do have to give a caveat about boots77's recommendation for The Lady and Sons restaurant. I've never eaten there, but been by there multiple times, and ever since Paula Deen became popular on the Food Network, the place has become a tourist trap. No reservations, you'll very likely have to wait 1-2hrs outside for a table, and its primarily a buffet-style restaurant. If that wasn't enough, Savannah is a big destination site for Girl Scout troops (its the GS founder's birthplace), so there's usually a pack or two of young girls at the restaurant at any given time.
posted by dicaxpuella at 8:57 PM on January 25, 2007

Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor?
posted by Jahaza at 1:29 AM on January 26, 2007

I'm not sure what to do on your way, but once you get here, there's plenty to do. If you've never done one before, the carriage tours (just one example. There are several companies that compete) of downtown Charleston are fun--very touristy and a little cheezy, but fun nonetheless. Boat tours of the harbor are fun, and some companies combine both for one fare. The architecture downtown is very cool and you see a lot of it on a tour.

There are plenty of good restaurants downtown (Rue de Jean [French], Oak [steak]) and in nearby Mt. Pleasant, where I live (Boulevard Diner [southern], Andolini's [pizza], Sette [Italian]) and Sullivan's Island (e.g. High Thyme [Italian, etc.]). The beaches at Sullivan's and Ilse of Palms are great and not very busy this time of year. The Boathouse (seafood), which has locations at Isle of Palms and downtown, is good.

Parking downtown is always an issue. Find a spot in a parking garage and walk. There's also an aquarium downtown (next door to an IMAX theater, if you're into that).

If the weather is warm, I second the gardens idea. I haven't done Middleton Place yet, but Magnolia Gardens was really beautiful. Take a camera. You can kill the better part of a day at the gardens.
posted by wheat at 10:32 AM on January 26, 2007

I wrote a couple of travel pieces on my trip to Savannah last summer -- including meals, things to see, etc. Some crossover between the two pieces, but you might find some fun things to do and see.

Long piece for Not For Tourists...

and a short piece for Daily Candy...
posted by mdiskin at 2:00 PM on January 28, 2007