🚗 From Savannah to the Smokies: Our Southern Road Trip Through 4 States 🌄🎶🌴

May 19, 2024

After wrapping up a magical stay ✨ in our favorite southern city—Savannah, Georgia—we hit the road again, chasing sunshine ☀️ and new adventures 🌟.

This leg of our journey took us through four states in just two days: Georgia 🍑, South Carolina 🌴, North Carolina 🐷, and Tennessee 🎸. Along the way, we hit beaches 🏖️, tasted classic Southern dishes 🍤, and discovered quirky facts (and even quirkier laws 😄) that made us laugh and say, “Only in the South!”

🏖️ Hilton Head Island: A Beach Day & A History Lesson 🏛️🌊

Our first stop was just across the Georgia border into Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. With fewer than 40,000 year-round residents, this beloved beach town welcomes 2.5 million visitors a year! 😲

📜 Before the Civil War, Hilton Head had 20+ cotton plantations. Today, the term “plantation” is still used in names, but it refers to luxury resort communities 🏡 instead.

🚤 Fun fact: Before 1956, you could only reach the island by boat! Then a bridge changed its future forever.

🚨 Another surprise? The iconic red-and-white lighthouse 🔴⚪ in Harbour Town isn’t even functional—it was built just for tourists! 📸

🌴 A Beach Experience Done Right 🏖️✅

We hit the Visitor Center 🗺️ for maps and beach tips before heading out. Hilton Head knows how to do beach days right:

• ✅ Free parking

• 🚿 Clean restrooms & outdoor showers

• ♿ Accessible beach matting

• 📶 Free Wi-Fi

• 👶 Free beach toys to borrow

• 🛟 Seasonal lifeguards

After chatting with a lifeguard about jellyfish safety 🪼, the Hubs cooled off in the ocean while I admired the bike-friendliness 🚴‍♀️. With 200+ miles of paved paths, Hilton Head is a dream for cyclists. 🚴🌴

🍑 Back on the Road: Through Georgia, The Peach State 🚗

Leaving the coast behind, we drove west across Georgia—🍑 the Peach State (though it doesn’t actually grow the most peaches!).

🥜 Fun food facts:

• Georgia is the #1 producer of peanuts and pecans

• The Cherokee Rose 🌹 is the state flower

• It’s also the birthplace of Coca-Cola 🥤

🤣 And the laws? Even better:

• 🦒 It’s illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole

• 🛁 Donkeys in bathtubs? Outlawed

• 🍗 Chickens must be eaten with your hands (we approve!)

• 😳 Don’t curse in front of a corpse...

🌴 South Carolina: The Palmetto State 🥥🎶

We officially entered South Carolina, famous for its palmetto trees 🌴, oyster roasts 🦪, and southern hospitality 🤝.

🎶 Did you know?

• The cotton gin was invented here

• Chubby Checker helped shape early rock and roll

• Shrimp & grits 🍤 and boiled peanuts 🥜 are staples (we enjoyed plenty of both!)

🛣️ After a long day on the road and a GPS mishap 🤦, we finally landed at our peaceful Harvest Hosts stop 🛻—Warbirds HH. Quiet, scenic, and all to ourselves 🌅.

🍳 A Southern Breakfast to Remember 🧡🍽️

Next morning, we went looking for breakfast and found a hidden gem 💎 in a former schoolhouse-turned-biker-bar-turned-bistro.

👩‍🍳 The owner mingled with locals and told us its backstory. A world-class chef now runs the kitchen, and there are big plans for expansion.

🧈 The Hubs (as always) ordered shrimp & grits 🍤—his go-to every day in SC! He told the owner it was the second-best he’d ever had. Her response?

“The chef will want to know why it wasn’t the best!” 😄

🍓 A Pit Stop in North Carolina 🚜🎶

Onward to North Carolina, the Tar Heel State 🐾:

🛩️ First in flight (thanks to the Wright brothers)🍩 Birthplace of Krispy Kreme donuts🎻 Deep musical roots—bluegrass, gospel, blues

🥬 We were on a mission: FRESH STRAWBERRIES 🍓. The season was nearly over, but we took a scenic detour to hunt down a few baskets. Worth it!

🤣 Weird NC laws:

• No happy hour drink discounts 🍹

• Don’t steal used kitchen grease 🛢️

• Plowing a field with an elephant 🐘? Illegal!

🎸 Tennessee: The Country Music Capital 🎤🐔

Finally, we rolled into Tennessee—known for music, mountains, and a whole lotta flavor:

🍗 Hot Chicken🥃 Tennessee Whiskey🌕 Moon Pies🏌️‍♂️ Home of the first miniature golf course

🤣 Tennessee wins for weirdest laws:

• 🚫 Selling hollow logs = illegal

• 🦨 Don’t carry a skunk across state lines

• 🐋 The only animal you can legally shoot from a moving vehicle? A whale. (Um… what??)

🌄 Looking Ahead: Smoky Mountains Bound 🏞️

We wrapped up this leg of the journey with full bellies 🍽️, fun stories 📚, and a new appreciation for the quirky charm of the South 💕.

🎒 Next up? A stop in the most touristy town we’ve ever visited... and a deep dive into the Smoky Mountains’ legendary views ⛰️.

Until then, happy travels — and may your GPS always pick the better route! 🚗🗺️

💡 Did You Know?

🎯 Hilton Head’s red-and-white lighthouse? Just for looks!🍑 Georgia leads in peanuts and pecans, not peaches.🍩 Krispy Kreme was born in North Carolina.🎸 In some SC counties, it’s illegal to buy musical instruments on Sundays!🌲 Tennessee once banned hollow logs. Seriously.

🧭 Travel Tips From This Trip:

🧭 Compare GPS apps — they’re not all traffic-smart.

📍 Stop at local Visitor Centers — we found hidden gems we missed online.🌌 Harvest Hosts = peaceful, unique overnight stops.

🍤 Taste shrimp & grits everywhere. No two are the same.

🍓 Follow detours — that surprise strawberry stand might be the highlight of your day!