Geo: 31.3274, -89.2907From Baton Rouge we headed east towards New Orleans travelling on smaller roads. We stopped in a small community called Madisonville just north of Lake Pontchartrain. There were some very nice homes on an inlet where there was a swing bridge used to permit larger boats to pass through to get to the Lake. This is an area of many gated communities likely inhabited by people who work in New Orleans and use the Pontchartrain bridge which is 24 miles long to commute to the city. At Slidell we headed north again on smaller roads until we reached Hattiesburg which has a civil rights history. Most of the buildings date from the late 1800's on. The city brochure contained self-guided walking tours of both the business district and several housing areas with many very ... read more

Geo: 32.6125, -90.0367We traveled south on the Natchez Trace Parkway which is a 400 mile long two lane road on which commercial traffic is not allowed. It passes through Tennessee, Alabama and into Mississippi. There were a large number of antique cars headed north. The rain at times was so heavy that wipers at high speed could barely keep the windshield clear enough to drive. One of the local radio stations along the way announced that schools were closing in the area and students sent home because of the rain and possible tornado which did in fact occur but fortunately not in our path. We did however have to exit the Parkway lower down because of a large tree which had fallen and was completely blocking the road. The weather improved quickly soon after. We are ... read more

Geo: 36.0599, -86.6717The weather today was cooler in the morning but warmed up by mid-day. We traveled into North Carolina and then Tennessee entering into the Blue Ridge Mountain Area. At one point we were at about 2400 feet above sea level and crossed the continental divide. Just before Knoxville we headed north to visit the Museum of Appalachia. This detour was well worth it. There were both indoor and outdoor displays which gave one a great appreciation for the ingenuity of these people and their music. From there we headed to the outskirts of Nashville a trip of about 450 miles today. Tomorrow we visit Nashville. ... read more

Geo: 33.5508, -79.0417Today we continued to head north passing through Georgetown which is an old industrial town with a steel mill (appears to be abandoned) and an operating pulp & paper mill. Much of the area like a lot of the coast is a collection of home developments probably built in the last 10-15 years. Georgetown had some very nice older homes and a very nice downtown development with a boardwalk. Further along we came to Myrtle Beach which is a holiday playground with a long history. Many older hotels with some newer ones. Likely a Spring Break type of location. Not as attractive as many of the cities along the Florida Coast. There was low level marine fog due to the warm temperatures. We are staying outside of Myrtle Beach in a smaller community called ... read more

Geo: 32.7812, -79.9316No pictures today. We spent the day in transit. Ran into major roadwork near Savannah and took a detour on smaller roads. Most of the land mass in this area is low lying swamp. Very flat and meandering rivers everywhere. Lots of swampland for sale - cheap. 5 acres for about $25,000 - $50,000. The weather tonight is quite cloudy with possible rain during the night but should be nice tomorrow. To the north there are hail and tornado warnings overnight. Tomorrow we go into Charleston and will likely do a walking tour. We will be staying tomorrow night at this location and then will decide which direction we will be heading - likely north. ... read more