Deep South in Winter?

Hi Jamie,

I have been checking out your site for a while now always hoping to do a road trip with my best friend. I graduate college in December and we are looking at January / February to go.

We had a few ideas in mind (New Orleans, Las Vegas, even L.A). We don't have much of a plan but will have about two weeks. One thing I am concerned with is the winter time frame dumping snow all over the trip, making it not an enjoyable drive. I'd love to do a loop starting and ending in Philadelphia but wouldn't want to take the same route twice.

Do you have any suggestions? We probably would stop at some sites but mainly be driving, not spending much time in cities.

Thank you!

Kayla

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Hi Kayla --

Congrats on impending graduation -- hope you have a fun ceremony.

About the January trip, I can't forecast the weather, but I think you can still have fun, even in winter, and New Orleans sounds like great place to start. Doing a loop around the Deep South -- I also really like Savannah Georgia, and St Augustine Florida, where it rarely snows (or even gets cold!). Mid-winter temperatures in Savannah average around 60 degrees -- though this year has been colder than usual, as you've probably noticed.

If you drive from Philadelphia, I'd recommend at least one leg following the coastal route -- I love Cape Hatteras and the town of Ocracoke in the winter, when there's no one around. If you are prepared for some cold, you can have a lot of fun -- and if the weather looks nice, parts of my Road Trip USA Appalachian Trail are very interesting, too. I have enjoyed Asheville NC over the years, and there are a number of interesting towns up the Shenandoah Valley.

Charlottesville VA is a very interesting town, too, with tons of history (Thomas Jefferson lived here!)

Hope this helps -- and hope you have some fun, and a good start to post-college life, too.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA