Southern USA Road Trip

Are you looking to explore the deep south of the United States. Are you interested in a kid friendly Southern United States Road Trip Itinerary. Look no further! Read further for information on our road trip from Florida to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Having some time off from work and with the Christmas holiday coming to a conclusion, we decided on a Southern United States road trip from our home in Central Florida. Why a road trip? Why not fly?

Drive? With kids?

Our son is of the age where we felt he could handle hours in the car. In addition, we chose to drive instead of fly for several reasons:

• The drive to the nearest airport is over an hour drive one way.
• Travelers are urged to arrive at the airport two hours prior to a scheduled flight especially around the holidays. Our travel day would have been at over 3 hours before even taking off the ground.
• The flight would take approximately one and a half hours and that is if the flight is on time.
• Upon arrival, we would need to rent a car. Without a car, we would be limited to visiting one location using Uber, Lyft, etc.
• Cost for flights were over $200 per person.
• The rental car would cost upwards of $300 for the 6 night trip.

We decided to drive because we wished to see numerous states and attractions. Though the drive to our first stop in Tennessee would take approximately 2 hours longer than a travel day via flight, we saved money by driving. We packed food, snacks, drinks, and alcohol which is also a cost savings. More importantly, our luggage can be as heavy as we want it to be. Being from Florida, I have packed every sweater, sweatshirt, and jean we own (that isn’t many by the way) in preparation for the chilly weather. Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia here we come!

Deep South One Week Road Trip Intinerary:

Stop One: Chattanooga, Tennessee

The first stop on our Southern United States road trip would be Chattanooga, Tennessee. I chose this location because we wished to see Ruby Falls and Rock City.

The drive from Central Florida with a stop for gas and food took approximately 9 hours. We checked into the Springhill Suites located on the Chattanooga Riverfront. The Springhill Suites is located within minutes of restaurants, downtown shops, and the attractions we wished to see.

***Our hotel stay at Springhill Suites was free. We received the stay for free using travel reward points from our Chase Sapphire credit card. For more tips on how to travel for free in 2020, check out my article by clicking here***

Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls was definitely a highlight as we witnessed stalactites, stalagmites, as well as many other cave formations.

This cave and waterfall, discovered in 1928, by Leo Lambert, is absolutely beautiful. Take the 90 minute tour where you will see the marvels of the cave ending with the nation’s tallest and deepest underground waterfall.

Recommended: Best U.S. Weekend Getaways

Rock City

Rock City is a self-guided walking tour of gardens, rock formations, and amazing panoramic views of seven states. Pinch between large rocks at Needles Eye and Fat Man’s Squeeze or take a breathtaking photo at Lover’s Leap.

This experience is a child’s dream with visits to Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village.

If you plan to visit both attractions, I recommend purchasing a combo ticket. The combo ticket will save significant money. In addition, if you plan to visit around the holidays, make sure to purchase your ticket in advance.

Other kid friendly attractions in the Chattanooga area include:

• The Tennessee Aquarium,
• Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (this was closed after Christmas when we visited),
• Creative Discovery Museum,
• Southern Belle Riverboat,
• Raccoon Mountain Caverns,
• Chattanooga Zoo

Stop 2: Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina has always been on my family’s bucket list. The next stop on our Southern United States road trip was Asheville.

When you think of Asheville you think of the Biltmore, right? The Biltmore Estate’s is absolutely gorgeous during the holiday season. In addition, the Biltmore was hosting the Downton Abbey Exhibit. I am a huge fan of the PBS series.

Why else should you visit? Craft beer. Asheville is home to more breweries per capita than any U.S. city! That is something to brag about, right? Try more than 100 local beers while visiting!

If you plan to visit in the warmer months, you can enjoy a host of outdoor adventures to include water water rafting, zip lining, and hiking to name a few.

The Biltmore Estate

I have always wanted to tour the Biltmore Estate, but what better time than during the holidays? The house was decked from floor to ceiling with gorgeous holiday decorations to include 55 Christmas trees. I truly felt like royalty as I walked the halls of this grand mansion.

The daytime admission included the Downton Abbey Exhibit. This will be on display until April 7th, 2020. In addition, you can visit the Antler Village, enjoy a complimentary wine tasting from the Biltmore Winery, and visit the Biltmore Farm. Stroll through the Biltmore Gardens to the Conservatory.

The Biltmore With Kids

Are you concerned about visiting the Biltmore Estate with your children? I had the same hesitation. Though I was excited to tour the mansion, would my son feel the same way?

We waited until my son was a bit older to plan this trip.. Here are my recommendations to tour the Biltmore Estate with your children:

• If you have children who are eight years of age or older, I feel they would enjoy the Biltmore Estate only if you spend the extra money to purchase the kid-friendly audio tour. The kid’s version of the audio tour of the home is narrated by the family’s Saint Bernard dog, Cedric.
• As you move through the house, you are prompted to listen to information on the different locations within the house. Brady listened to the entirety of the information given to him at each of the locations throughout the house, actually getting upset if we wished to move on before he was finished.
• I recommend you also purchase the adult version of the audio tour. I feel you would never get as much information on the inner workings of the home without the audio tour.
• If you have children who are still in a stroller, it is my advise to postpone visiting the Biltmore Estate until they can walk. With limited elevators and numerous sets of stairs, having a child in a stroller will make it difficult to navigate the home.
• The tour takes about 90 minutes. Having an older child with a longer attention span is my suggestion. During the holiday season, you were assigned a time frame to enter the home. I would recommend making sure if your child still takes a nap to plan your entry time accordingly.
• Visit the Farm in the Antler Village. You are able to pet different animals such as chickens, goats, and horses.

If you plan to visit the Biltmore Estate during the holidays, purchase your tickets well in advance. It is very busy, therefore, if you do not purchase a ticket in advance, you will most likely not get entry.

LaZoom Comedy Tours

On a whim, we booked the LaZoom Comedy Tour. At the time we visited, the daytime tour was a Holiday City Tour. We were told the Holiday City Tour is exactly the same as the daily city tour with the addition of holiday costumes and characters. Meet Cookie Carter and the Christmas Pickle on this hilarious journey throughout Asheville!

You will get a history lesson on Asheville as well as many laughs the whole family will enjoy. Children must be 13 years of age to book this tour, however we had a child on our tour as young as 10 years of age. He actually admitted his youth while his mother forcibly attempted to cover his mouth. Our son is only 12 but we booked it anyway. Yep, we are those parents. Rule Breakers!

During the tour, you will stop at a local brewery to use the restrooms and you may purchase more beer for the second half of the tour. A stop for one of the many local craft beers is included in the tour! As a bonus, LaZoom Comedy tour is located right across the street from Wicked Weed Brewing. Stop in and try one of those craft brews Asheville is so famous for.

Brief stop in Helen, Georgia

On our way to stop three of our Southern United States road trip, we took a brief hiatus in Helen, Georgia . Helen is a Bavarian-style town taking its inspiration from villages in Germany. The architecture of the quaint town makes you feel as if you are in an alpine village.

Again, much of the town seemed to be closed but during our brief stop, Rian and Brady made the most of our time by riding the mountain coaster in the rain. Rian’s comment after the ride: “It was intense!”

Just outside of Helen in Cleveland, Georgia is Babyland General, the birthplace of the Cabbage Patch kids. The pre-teen boy our family had no interest in this stop, but having grown up during the 80’s at the peak of the Cabbage Patch doll frenzy, I was super excited to see this location. I had last seen it as a child, so it was fun to revisit. We even saw the birth of a baby girl from the cabbage patch. If you have a girl interested in Cabbage Patch dolls, you definitely need to stop here for this free tour!

Stop 3: Dahlonega, Georgia

The conclusion of our Southern United road trip is Dahlonega, Georgia.Why did we choose Dahlonega? This town was featured as the perfect Christmas town by the famous magazine, Southern Living.

We did not go to Dahlonega before the Christmas but instead right after the New Year. The Dahlonega tourism website states the holiday lights would remain lit until January 12th so we were excited to experience the perfect Christmas Town after the hussle and bussle of the holiday season.

The town is very cute with brick walkways and little shops lining the streets, however most the shops and restaurants were closed after the New Year with signs stating they would reopen later in January. The Christmas light display was ordinary with white lights adorning the trees and some lighting around the shop windows and doorways. I have seen light displays that rival this one in towns such as Mount Dora, Florida.

Dahlonega with kids

There is little to do in Dahlonega with children. Unfortunately, most of the town was closed after the holiday rush.

Consolidated Gold Mine

We visited Consolidated Gold Mine. It was raining so this is the perfect activity when the weather is cold and damp. Take a tour of the underground gold mine first opened in 1896. Also learn to pan for gold and for an additional cost you can also gem mine.

The tour underground takes about 40 minutes and was fascinating. I highly recommend learning about the miners who worked for 25 cents a day in dark, damp, and often dangerous conditions.

Wineries

When we have no luck visiting Chestatee Wildlife Preserve and hiking to Cane Creek Falls due to the weather, we chose to hit several wineries.

Did you know Dahlonega is known as the Napa Valley of the South? Though many of the wineries were closed after the New Year, we visited Cavendar Creek Vineyards, Kaya Vineyard and Winery, and the Frogtown Winery. Each of these wineries had beer options for anyone who is not a wine fan (my husband fit the bill). They all welcomed children. Cavendar Creek Vineyard was by far the most kid-friendly with a playground outside and kid friendly slushies and snacks. You may even be lucky enough to meet one of the four dogs belonging to the owner.

In summary

Are you looking to take a Southern United States road trip? If so, I would visit Chattanooga, Asheville, and Dahlonega. Our after Christmas/New Year road trip will be one we will remember for years to come. There are many attractions to visit in each of these towns that will thrill not only children, but also adults!

Have you visited any of these southern towns? What did you think? I would love to get your feedback! Leave me a comment.

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