Surprising Deep South: Visit the USA's best fly-drive spot

When planning a road trip and sorting through your itinerary it's always fun to include something different that makes people say 'I didn't know you could do that in the Deep South!' So, we've put together some did you know facts and things to do that will give your trip that extra wow factor...

Explore one of the oldest cities in Louisiana – The Natchitoches Parish where you will find history and beauty around every corner. One of the first things you’ll notice in downtown Natchitoches is the historic architecture, then browse their beloved stores before treating yourself to a meat pie at Lasyone - synonymous with central Louisiana cuisine!

Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District

An area that will grab your attention is the Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, comprised of 33 blocks of historical buildings dating back to the late 1700s. When walking or biking this area you’ll see a wide range of architectural styles that tell of the city’s culture. Classic Queen Anne-style mansions, Art Deco commercial buildings and French Creole homes make up this fascinating collection of buildings that help to give Natchitoches its undeniable charm.

Los Adaes State Historic Site & Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site

Los Adaes is a fascinating hidden gem of Louisiana’s historical attractions, and – interesting fact - it also happens to be the former capital of Texas! Today known as Los Adaes State Historic Site, this was once a fort that protected Spanish settlers from French and Native American invaders, and was also the seat of Texas government for 44 years. You’ll see historic structures and artifacts from life on the frontier when you visit this attraction.

After exploring Los Adaes, head to Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site next to Cane River Lake. This replica fort is built a few hundred yards from the original fort site and is based upon original blueprints and extensive archival research. Building materials were obtained locally, and many 18th-century building techniques were used in the replication for authenticity. The original fort was established around 1716, when Sieur Charles Claude Dutisné was sent to Natchitoches with a small company of colonial troops to build an outpost that would prevent the Spanish forces in the province of Texas from advancing across the border of French Louisiane - this strategic outpost was named Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches – and the rest is history!

Oakland and Magnolia Plantations

Oakland and Magnolia plantations are part of Cane River Creole National Historical Park, a 63-acre preservation area that showcases the lives of Creole people from over 150 years ago. Oakland Plantation, known as the most complete Creole plantation in the South, is literally a time capsule containing fragments of country life from the 18th and 19th centuries. You’ll find 17 outbuildings at Oakland, where everything from food preparation to carpentry was done. However, Magnolia Plantation tells another side of plantation life and the heavy toll taken on the area during the Civil War. You can take a tour of one or both of these National Park Service-run sites for a glimpse into Creole life and their culture.

Alabama is a state with a few hidden gems! It's home to the US Space & Rocket Centre, where you can also take part in Space Camp, it has the world’s largest motorcycle museum at the Barber Motorsports Museum, Unclaimed Baggage Centre and where the first Mardi Gras took place!

The Rocket City: Huntsville (World’s Largest Space Museum)

Huntsville, Alabama, known as "The Rocket City," is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre, which is the world’s largest space museum. It houses an extensive collection of space artifacts, including the Saturn V rocket, spacecraft, and lunar modules. It's a must-visit for space enthusiasts and features interactive exhibits and a Space Camp for aspiring astronauts. On the same sight is NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre, where the Saturn V rocket that took astronauts to the moon was developed.

First Mardi Gras Celebration

While most people associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, the first Mardi Gras in the U.S. was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703, predating New Orleans' festivities by about 15 years. Mobile still hosts one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations.

World’s Largest Motorcycle Museum: Barber Motorsports

Located in Birmingham, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is the world’s largest motorcycle collection, featuring over 1,600 bikes from across the globe, some over 100 years old. The museum is part of a larger motorsports park and includes a collection of vintage cars.

Unclaimed Baggage Centre

Since its doors first opened in 1970, Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro has grown to become one of Alabama’s top tourist attractions. Over 99.5% of domestic airline’s checked bags are picked up at the baggage carousel, lost luggage is an unfortunate part of airline travel. After following all the correct procedures, whether it's laptops, jewellery, or, of course, clothes, Unclaimed Baggage has you covered. In fact, there's 5,000 to 7,000 new products on the sales floor EACH DAY! And a lot of those items are pretty well-discounted with some having up to 50% off.

Throughout Tennessee there are a few attractions that always surprise people – you’ll find things you just weren’t expecting, like a full-size replica of the Parthenon in Nashville and the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. Tennessee is also home to a unique natural wonder, The Lost Sea at Sweetwater, listed as “America’s Largest Underground Lake”!

The Parthenon, Nashville

This is the world's only full-size replica of the ancient Greek temple. It houses the tallest indoor sculpture in the western world, a statue of Athena - the ancient goddess of wisdom and learning and the deity for whom the original Parthenon was erected. Originally built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897, the building became unsafe and was rebuilt in 1929. It is an exact replica of the Greek temple, with its architecture including not a single straight line; no two columns are the same size, nor are they placed the same distance apart. No two steps are the same size and the floor is not square or level. This is a proud symbol of Tennessee's Capitol city, the "Athens of the South," the Parthenon houses the city's permanent art collection and plaster casts of the Elgin Marbles.

Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge

They’ve built a ship-shaped permanent, immersive and interactive Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Everyone knows the name Titanic and everyone knows that Titanic hit an iceberg, but there is so much more to her story. Open the door to the past in this one-of-a-kind museum – letting “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts. As visitors walk the Grand Staircase, third class hallways, reach their hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks, they learn what it was actually like on the RMS Titanic. Each guest receives a boarding pass of an actual Titanic passenger or crew, then tour the collection that’s valued at over four and a half million dollars

The Lost Sea, Sweetwater

We bet you’ve never seen, heard or done anything like this before in Tennessee! Take a boat ride on the Lost Sea, a unique natural wonder which is listed as “America’s Largest Underground Lake” in the Guinness Book of World Records. Lost Sea has been designated a Registered Natural Landmark too. This guided tour of the caverns involves a ¾ mile round-trip on wide sloping pathways, while touring the caverns and underground lake the guides will tell of the cavern’s exciting and colourful history.

If you're a music fan, you'll be excited to know that the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is the only GRAMMY museum outside of LA! Located in Cleveland, Mississippi, a must stop destination on any music inspired fly-drive holiday through the Mississippi Delta, the museum focusses the spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi, and their new special exhibit ‘Taylor Swift: Through The Eras’

The region already so rich in music history, from Elvis’s birthplace in Tupelo, to the home of the Blues in Clarksdale, Indianola for the B.B. King Museum, and Dockery Farms, birthplace of the Blues. Everywhere you stop, you can hear incredible live music and enjoy a true taste of the Deep South”.

The exhibit on display until February 2025, will celebrate the 14-time GRAMMY® winner’s prolific 18-year career — starting with her 2006 self-titled debut album through to her most recent release, 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department.

The exhibit will feature artefacts, instruments and Taylor memorabilia that represents each of Swift’s 11 eras, including Swift’s custom Taylor GS-6 “Sparkle Guitar” played throughout her Fearless Tour from 2009–2010, Custom Marina Toybina ensemble and LaDuca boots worn during her performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” at the GRAMMY Awards in 2013, Oscar de la Renta dress and Christian Louboutin shoes worn at the GRAMMY Awards in 2021 and Stella McCartney coat worn by Swift on the cover of her 2020 album evermore

The scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, one of the few roadways that is itself a National Park is renowned for its unspoiled, natural beauty, and a great way to explore Mississippi away from the interstate highways. There are many ways to travel along this scenic byway including hiking, biking, driving or riding.

Stretching diagonally across the state from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee, a total of 444 miles, the Parkway follows an enchanted route through lush forests into the heart of Mississippi’s past.

First used by Native Americans thousands of years ago and later a major trade route during frontier days, the Trace is lined with markers that point out important sites and detail the fascinating history of this ancient route, including portions of the 19th century path.

For more information please visit: www.deep-south-usa.com