You could fly into Memphis and then drive down the Natchez trace. Beautiful drive with lots of history. Natchez and Vicksburg are beautiful, historic areas. Head on down to NOLA and then fly from there.
Gulfport MS advertises $99 flights to Orlando but I have no clue of the details.
I live in Gulfport, MS. Much to see in the area that OP will be traveling. If OP can fly into Memphis, then they could drive over to Oxford (about an hour from Memphis) take a day to tour Oxford-pretty little college town with a few museums (Rowan Oak-William Faulkner's home and the Lamar House I believe it is -a home of a Civil War figure). Oxford has the "Square" with shops and restaurants-stop in and say hi to my sons at the yogurt shop! Oxford is really just a one day experience.
Then drive down the Natchez Trace through Mississippi. The trace is a very scenic highway with lots of historical sights and free things to see and do. One must plan to exit into the towns to find gas and food. (We almost ran out of gas on the Trace in Tennessee and lucked into exiting just in time to find a gas station.) You can easily take the Trace and exit into Jackson, Vicksburg and Natchez. Jackson is our capital city and unfortunately, the city itself is not looked upon with favor. Most of the nicer areas have moved outside of town. Jackson would be a good day trip to see museums in the City, but I would stay outside of the City.
My Husband and I honeymooned in Natchez and Vicksburg. They are old Mississippi towns with a whole lot of Civil War History and antebellum homes. You could stay in one of them as there are many bed and breakfast places. I would drive from Oxford to Jackson (about 2.5 hours). Tour any museums in Jackson you want to see, then head over to Natchez and Vicksburg. Planning to stay in one of those towns take a day to tour one of them and any historic sites you'd like to see.
Then if you want to drive into Louisiana (just across the bridge in Natchez) you could see a few sights in Louisiana like the Myrtles. Then head to New Orleans to spend a day there. From New Orleans, head east to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The children's museum in Gulfport is very nice, but would not appeal to your 14 year old.
However, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast we have an air and space museum in Hancock County, seafood history museum in Biloxi, audubon nature park (Pascagoula) and a very nice 26 mile highway 90 along the Gulf of Mexico stretching from Hancock County to Jackson County. Lots of good places to eat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast-seafood is big. We are an hour and a half away from New Orleans, so the food influences are the same.
We do have casinos with a new Margaritaville casino with a big family fun center. And we have Big Play Family Fun center in Biloxi that a lot of local teens like to go to--many arcade things, mini golf, go carts, etc. We have white sand beaches here. Because we have barrier islands that keep silt in close to shore, the Gulf of Mexico water is brown here. Locals either take a boat out to Ship Island or drive over to Destin, Florida (about 3 hours away) for beautiful swimming beaches. Destin would be on your way to Jacksonville.
And if you wanted to see Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile. Leave the Mississippi Gulf Coast and head east. Mobile is an hour away. Tour Bellingrath Gardens, stay in Mobile lots of Spanish and French influenced history in our region. Mobile also has many museums and a battleship that can be toured. You can leave there and be in Destin in 2 hours to see the really pretty water.
The Mississippi Coast to Jacksonville is about a 7 hour drive depending on traffic-can be more. Interstate 10 can become quite congested depending on where you are and if there are accidents on the highway, but it is the best straight route to Jacksonville.
St. Augustine is about 1 hour south of Jacksonville, it is a beautiful walkable town with lots of history. I can spend a day or two there myself.
Hello all,
We have decided we would like to do a road trip for about a week before our Disney vacation. We fly into Jacksonville, FL but would like to visit New Orleans and figured we could visit places like Jackson while we are there (if it’s worth visiting - at this point I have no idea!) We don’t want to make the long trip in one drive though so are wondering if there are any great places to stop off at on the way from Jacksonville? Does anyone have any knowledge or experience that I could gratefully recieve?
The other option is flying from Jacksonville to Nashville and then driving from there through Franklin, Oxford, Jackson and then New Orleans before either flying or driving back to Florida, however this would be more expensive as we would need two flights so I’m not sure if it’s worth it. (Flights from Florida to Mississippi or Tennessee are coming up quite literally as expensive as our flights from the U.K. to Florida which seems crazy! I’m struggling to find any good deals.)
Another possibility would be staying in St Augustine, FL for a few nights and then driving on to New Orleans.
I’m totally stuck! Is anyone familiar with the area able to help or offer any advice?
Thanks!
There is also much to see and do in Nashville, if you wanted to go that route. You can drive down the Natchez Trace through Tennessee, also.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home is nice and pretty close to Mobile Alabama. I agree that the Natchez Trace is beautiful and Natchez itself is really fun to explore. You could stop or take a side trip to St. Francisville and stay in the haunted Myrtles Plantation or somewhere less spooky. It might a bit too far out of the way unless you drive through Natchez. If you do just keep heading south. This is one of my favorite road trips.
We have stopped for the night in Jackson and I don't remember there being much there. If you like battlefields, Vicksburg is better and close to a good place to enter the Trace.
I know I have rambled a lot. I hope some of what I have said has made sense and might be helpful to you, OP. You can't go wrong with any of what you decide. It's all a matter of what you and your family would like to see and do.
Please ask if I can make anything more clear.
Good luck and I hope you come and will love our region of the US!