Back from roadtrip thru VA NC SC GA FL AL MS...

Update Edit: Slight change of plans. We'll be flying into Richmond VA and driving south Thru VA NC SC GA to Miami and then Heading west through TX NM AZ NV and back home to Northern CA. No agend, except for a few business stops and just miles of open road and a new car!]

My wife and I just decided to take a roadtrip in about next week from Richmond VA thru Miami FL to South Padre Island TX and back to Northern CA. It will be only about 20-days long and we'd like to experience some of the diverse culture that this part of our great country has to offer.

I was thinking of driving down hugging the eastern coast to Miami and the head west by way of Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi, New Orleans, New Iberia, Austin, Corpus Christi, South Padre Island and back to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Not into touristy type of things. More into natural beauty, local casual culture, tranquil beaches, local cuisine, regional cultural pastimes or festivals that locals enjoy, and live music.

We'd really appreciate any input that people can recommend to make our trip more memorable and enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to read /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

You might want to check out the old Plantation homes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and Avery Island (home of Tabasco but also home to a beautiful nature preserve) outside of New Iberia. If you are going to be in the Louisiana area on a weekend, let me know and I will see what festivals are scheduled for when you will be in the area. Have a great trip.

Rick

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

You are going close/to Austin... I know exactly what you need to do,

You, REALLY should go to Pedernales Falls State Park in TX. I went there a few days after last Christmas...its absolutly BEAUTIFUL. Some 10-12 ft waterfalls max, but its like that for 1/2 miles. Then theres just hiking, geocaching, awesome sights. The wildlife is incredible! Go here to see some pictures:

Pedernales Falls SP in TX
(Yes, there are some beamshots in there)

Heres where you can get directions to the park,

Pedernales website

I believe thats quite possibly the best Park in Texas. Its $3 a person per day to get in, so not bad at all. I obviously highly recommend you go there and know you will be satisfied by the natural beauty.
This is what the average Texan likes, camping. Everything is better in Texas /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Didnt look like you where going through Houston, but if you do, NASA is 'Ok'. I have never been 100% satisfied by going there personally. I prefer going to a presidential library or something...where you actually learn something. Everything at NASA is behind the scenes, rarely get to see it unless its an open house of some sort.

Much of a gambler? LA, Grand Casino Causchatta has what you are looking for. I hear New Orleans is, well...different. Never been there but hear, stuff about it. heh.

I also hear of some nice beaches there in 'Bama on the other side of the Mississippi.

Those are my educated "thoughts." I most recommend the park, it was truly awesome.

Feel free to let out any questions you may have...I am in this general area.

Cameron

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

I was on the trip to Pedernales Falls with bobisculous, and I can definitely second everything that he's mentioned. Also, he hinted about the beaches in Alabama. I can also corroborate that they are pretty incredible. I went on a week-long vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama. It's close to Mobile bay, so it seems to be right on your way. The beaches are clean, the sunsets/sunrises are eye catching and the water is great! Plenty of natural beauty there. You can see a few of the 'highlight' pictures of both the beach and two pictures of the bay, here:
Gulf Shores Beach

The place we stayed at (It was a family vacation) was a beach house approximately 13 miles west (down 180) of the 59/180 intersection. Generally speaking, the farther down you go, the less crowded the beaches are. The second picture in the gallery I posted above was taken at a more crowded urban area. The rest were taken where we actually stayed. I'd highly recommend the area. Find a nice quiet spot and relax!

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

Hey thanks all. Plantation homes sounds nice. As does the Pedenales. Nice pics. Holy cow it's flat in TX!! Definately looking for the Austin music experience, gulf coast sandy beaches and the texas chili or the bayou creole /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

Dolphin Island is nice, right outside of Mobile. I was in Gulf Shores and DI in October and they were still pretty torn up from Hurricane Ivan (actually the reason I was there anyway), there were hills of sand higher than our SUV on both sides of the road from the storm surge. Things should be greatly improved by now, though.

If you go that way, there are some beautiful forest areas due North of Pensacola, just to the East of the town of Brewton. Very cool area, and it's close enough to some big cities that you won't have to worry about accomidations. .

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

New Orleans - go outside the city and take a swamp tour. There are several islands off the Miss./Ala. coast in a national park. Never been there, but heard it's great.

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

You're packing a lot into six days!

Leaving New Orleans, get off the Interstate and go thru Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Beaumont for some real cajun country. Good people,great food and music.

Between Houston and Corpus Christi are a lot of small fishing/shrimping towns - Seadrift, Matagorda, Rockport - great seafood and a look at a vanishing industry and culture.

Take the ferry into Port Aransas, pretty touristy now but is still a great place to visit. Drive on down Mustang Island to North Padre Island and the National Seashore. Pretty much untouched. No huge developements like South Padre. If you go far enough down the island, you'll come to a sigh that says "4 Wheel Drive Only Past This Point". Believe it.

I'm not a big fan of South Padre -- too developed and touristy for me, but a great place to party. If you do go there, leave enough time to cross into Matamoros (Mexico). Good shopping for leather, booze, silver,etc. Have a meal at the Cadillac Bar if you get a chance.

Sounds like you've got a great roadtrip in the works.

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

All of Texas ain't that flat.

And besides, we got it all here!

Sorry I can't be much help, but I'll go along with any Austin recommendations!

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

When in Texas do not miss the USS Texas near Houston.A great old ship and you get to see near 100 year old tech. like the triple expansion steam engines in the engine room. Also the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola is worth a look.

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

the park is Gulf Islands National Seashore, and it's Miss and Fla, not Miss/Ala. Sorry.

www.nps.gov/guis

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

Dang! I haven't been to the USS Texas in a long time. I gotta get back! No engine room tour last time!

Roadtrip thru VA NC SC GA FL AL MS LA TX : Update

Thanks again everyone! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Slight change of plans. Heading thru VA NC SC GA FL AL MS LA TX NM AZ NV CA now. I've changed the first post and hope to get some of your favorite spots along the east coast.

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

I-95 from Richmond into FL isn't very exciting, but there's much to be seen. You might consider a non interstate drive or at least pick a few areas to drive through off the interstate.

Richmond alone is a wealth of history. St. John's Church where Patrick Henry made his "give me liberty or give me death" speech. Colonial Williamsburg, etc.

AAA is a wonderful source of info. If you're not a member, I would recommend joining just for this trip. They have "Tour Guides" for each state chock full of info including lodging and resturant info. I prefer their maps and they will also make you up a custom flip map called a Trip-tic.

Sending email.

Re: Roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX need recommendat

Thanks Kite. Thanks to everyone for the extra PMs too. We fly out to Richmond tomorrow! Still lots of time to post some more tips for any of these places. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: back from roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX...

OMG!!! What a road trip! That was awesome. just got back. Thanks everyone for the PMs and the great spots. Charleston SC was a gem of a stop and wish I had more time there. Also Alabama west of pensacola was a sweeet spot. Stayed at the Grand on Mobile Bay. And Greyton Beach or Sarasota FL were nice too. Austin was a fun music town. Very diverse. So much to tell, need to sort out all the details in my head. Trip started out in Baltimore and went thru DC, VA, NC, SC, FL, AL, LA, TX, NM, AZ, CA and took about 18 days and 5300 miles on my new SAV. Whew!

Strangly enough I thought I'd come back home to find packages of my NEOCA, USL and NANO but... still chewing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif and checking the mailbox /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: back from roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX...

How was Mobile? Still a lot of sand blowing around?

Re: back from roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX...

blew right by Mobile, just like the wind. Would have liked to have stayed there for a bit to see it but had to pick and choose from the many options and limited number of days. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Most all of the hurricane damage was repaired in the FL panhandle and eastern 'bama. But we didn't go all the way down south to Gulf Shores but I wished we had. Beautiful country and nice people. Big plantation homes and the Marriott Grand Hotel is awesome and really brings out the charm of the region. Definately will go there again.

I heard they lost a lot of beaches to the ocean though. The Grand actually advertised a beach in their brochures but it was pretty much gone.

I might post a bunch of pics from the trip later on.

Re: back from roadtrip thru FL AL MS LA TX...

Yeah, I saw a lot of that sand up where it wasn't supposed to be. .