Well, you will certainly need to stay on the two lane highways and drive through the centers of towns. Many intercity (not interstate routes) now bypass town centers, but there is always a business route to take you through the heart of things.

Be aware that mechanized agriculture and urbanization has seriously depopulated some areas that were thriving fifty years ago. The countryside may be wilder than it was a generation or two ago, the towns somewhat grim.

That being said, never miss a local museum if you find one open. Great resources for local information on what to see are the staff of the local public library, and they will have clean toilets as well! Wifi is pretty universal in public libraries so you can keep up with your email and home news.

The American version (or rather 'versions') of the UK full cooked breakfast is ubiquitous in this region, though the content varies. It is cheap, usually terrible for the heart, and delicious. You can ask locally or be guided by the number of cars and trucks parked outside a cafe. These places tend to be local gathering spots as well, and eavesdropping will be fascinating.

Similar spots are good for lunch. You will meet various options for BBQ (not likely to be ribs), fried fish and hushpuppies, Cajun, Tex Mex or even Mexican, and what is known as "meat and three", a serving of meat and portions of three vegetables or salads, some of which will seem quite odd. Like Tuscans in Italy, people in the South add pork to many otherwise vegetable dishes and tend to cook them a very long time. Watch for home made pies or cobblers, usually noted on the menu or on a card on the counter. In Mississippi you will find bait shop cafes, combinations of gas stations, general stores with sporting goods and cafes, all in one. They survive on local trade so are inclined to be good.

All these delights mean you don't eat the free breakfast at your motel, which will be packaged thousands of miles away to be eaten amongst out of towners like yourself, and you never, ever eat lunch at a fast food franchise. There is real food somewhere nearby, though I should say that most people eat lunch at noon in rural communities and the best choices will be gone by 1.

Dinner is tougher, especially in small towns. Partly this is cultural since the main meal of the day in the South and Southwest was eaten at noon. Librarians are your friends in finding dinners, especially if you are looking for places that suit their modest salaries.

You will see a great deal of road kill on the highways and byways, dead wildlife killed by automobiles, and you will see the buzzards circling overhead or gathered on the corpse. This area teems -- absolutely teems -- with wildlife, from wild pigs (boars, really) through ubiquitous armadilloes to deer. They all love to come out at night and stand in the middle of the road, waiting to be run over. It is not a part of the country where driving in the dark is a good idea. Similarly, it is full of poisonous snakes, not perhaps as full as Bill Bryson's Australia, but more than you want to encounter. Be especially careful walking in rocky terrain or stepping over logs or fallen wood.

One last point is that religion is very, very important in this part of the country. The population, whatever their ethnicity, has a huge variety of churches of various denominations, some old, some new. It is by no mean unusual for someone to go to Sunday School and church on Sunday morning, and return for a second service in the evening followed by a Bible study service on Wednesday evening. Attending one of these services could be an interesting cultural experience even if you are not a believer.

I could go on twice as long, but this is general advice. I suppose the last piece of advice I could give is that people will be warily friendly but they are no more likely to be pleased by criticism from outsiders than say, Scots are likely to be pleased by criticism from the English. This area of the country has come a very long way in the past two generations. You are far more likely to see interracial groups eating lunch together than in similar sized towns in the North. Observe, ask questions, share information about your home when asked. Keep criticism to yourself.

Have fun!

See if you can find a very old book called " Blue Highways". it talks about the kind of roads you seek.

Do take the Natchez Trace Parkway on part of your trip.

Agree about "Blue Highways", which is still in print and available from Amazon. Perhaps even better is John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley in Search of America", also in print and available through Amazon. If you have time, of course, see if your local bookstore can order it.

Disagree about the Natchez Trace Parkway, which I drove too many times while living in Jackson, MS, and doing my dissertation in Nashville, TN. It was direct but almost infinitely boring route with pine trees and low speed limits. It may be different between Jackson and Natchez.

I can also recommend "Around About America" by Erskine Caldwell and "Vagabonding in the USA" (1983) by Ed Buryn, both on Amazon. Buryn was one of the great hippie travelers. His older "Vagabonding in America" was better but they want $55 for it on Amazon, and that is a lot of money.

Caldwell was a southerner writing early in the period of change I mentioned above, though he was a southerner without blinders. Buryn makes travel anywhere a revelatory experience.

We just returned from a 4000-mile road trip in Texas and Louisiana. One of our biggest surprises was the beauty of Big Bend NP and the drive on Highway 170 between Presidio and the park. This part of Texas has much to offer including Balmorhea State Park, Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory, Marfa, Alpine, and Terlingua.

Disagree about the Natchez Trace Parkway, which I drove too many times while living in Jackson, MS, and doing my dissertation in Nashville, TN. It was direct but almost infinitely boring route with pine trees and low speed limits.

I was glad to read this. It is my reaction to the Natchez Trace Parkway which I have been reluctant to share because I didn't want to throw cold water on the enthusiasm of others.

HTtY

Hi, you need to do some thorough search on the internet on some travel sites as they would give you the appropriate descriptions of all the places and other details as well.

Wow... I only posted this last night and am happily thrilled with the response and advice so far! I certainly hear you about being observant but friendly and conversational but not critical. I think if you knew me, it wouldn't be a concern. Your advice about finding places to eat is much appreciated. I've found that very often the most interesting conversations can be struck in places where the food is good - good food tends to make people feel friendly it seems somehow. Well there, and I've struck up many conversations in the hours sitting outside on a bench waiting for my wife to finish shopping - haha. Plus, I want to learn what a hushpuppy is! Up here, that used to be a type of shoe!

Attending a church service is actually a great idea. Even as a child, I always enjoyed listening to a choir singing those good old gospel tunes. Is there a denomination where that is more likely to be seen?

And I hear what you're saying about the loss of the "small family farm". The same is true up here also. Although sometimes, if you become lost enough on some back road somewhere, you come across places that haven't changed much in the last 50 years or so - those are the places I enjoy seeing the most.

That's one vote for the Natchez Trace Parkway and one against - interesting...

Maybe I'm being naive, but are there any small towns in either southern Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi that have managed to retain the same feel over the past 40 years or so? Those kinds of places interest us a lot.

"Travels With Charlie..." I've read more than once (Steinbeck is my all-time favourite writer), but I will definitely be checking out the other titles mentioned.

Thank you both so much for your advice and input! It has truly warmed my heart on this cold Alberta December day (it's about -10F here today with around 6 inches of snow). I'm so looking forward to travelling the south, hearing music from the places it was born, eating the food, seeing the cradle of the civil war, seeing in 3D the sights that I've only ever seen in 2D and mostly just meeting people and hearing what they have to say about any old thing at all...

again, thank you... it's very much appreciated...

Happytrailstoyou and Tanusilvester...

Thanks so much for your input. That's now 2 votes against and 1 vote for the Natchez Trace Parkway.

"Big Bend NP and the drive on Highway 170 between Presidio and the park. This part of Texas has much to offer including Balmorhea State Park, Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory, Marfa, Alpine, and Terlingua." - I'm unfamiliar with all of these names and will definitely be researching these places. Thank you!

I've definitely been researching via the internet and this site is just one of the tools I'm using. I have to say though, after only one day, this forum has helped immensely and is already beginning to reshape our originally planned trip. Hard to beat real people talknig to real people...

thank you both so much!

Some thoughts . . For the trip from Dallas to San Antonio, Go west from DFW on I-20 and then take US 281 south thru a string of smaller Texas Hill Country towns. This avoids I-35 which is both boreing and congested.

From San Antonio, take as much of US 90 as possible east to Houston. Much of it is also I-10, but enough is still there to get a feel for central Texas communities.

You can find excellent BBQ "joints" particlarly, Luling City Market.

From Houston to New Orleans, take US 90 again at Lafayatte La. thru Morgan City and enter New Orleans thru the back door. You will see the nitty gritty of Lousiana and find many great places to eat excellent seafood.

From New Orleans, you can take I55 and get off the beatten path as much as you wish to Memphis as you have time for!

Enjoy the trip and the great food along the way!

thanks so much, Rich! Great backroad tips. I'm marking all of these suggestions on googlemaps as they come in - and "nitty gritty" is what we want to see. Those are the parts that seem more "real" somehow. And for our money, it's hard to beat some of those small towns. Maybe it's because we're both simple country people. We will definitely be hitting the typical tourist spots, but it's just as rewarding to us to see the other side of things also.

Lookin' forward to eating bbq at one of those roadside joints!

Again, thank you!!

I vote FOR the Natchez Trace Pkwy. We took it from Jackson to Natchez. Yes, it is mostly just pine trees and a slow speed limit but there are a few stops for Indian mounds and the like. It is peaceful and if you never take it, you'll never know. I personally won't go on it a second time but everyone should do it once IMHO.

The Big Bend region is out of your way, southwest of Dallas and San Antonio, about 7 hours from San Antonio. If you can spare a few days, it's very much worth your time, especially for someone that wants to travel back roads and go through small towns. It would be quite a contrast from the wetter/greener areas that you're already planning on visiting.

I'm going there for my 4th visit next month, I have plenty of suggestions if you think you have the time to make it over there.

If you want to travel the small roads through the hill country of Texas en route to San Antonio, google Wimberley, Fredricksburg, and Gruene. Wimberley is lovely and has a thriving arts community as well as an incredible Saturday Market. Fredericksburg has strong German roots, isn't exactly small but isn't big either, and gives you a different Texas feel. Gruene (pronounced Green) is fabulous and you won't want to miss the Grist Mill restaurant, where often live music is played.

I could not tell you how to get to Luckenbach, my Dad always drove, but it is a fun stop if you were ever a Willie Nelson fan, or really like any kind of live music Through hill country you can drive a road called the Devil's backbone that gives you great vistas.

When you drive Houston to New Orleans, probably on I-10, stop at Winnie TX to go to Al-T's for gumbo. Alternatively, as you leave Houston you could drive to Galveston, take the ferry across to the Bolivar peninsula and drive that way. It will also loop you up to Winnie to join up with 10 again.

If you have any interest in the above I can try to come back with more details.

Hershey/Wherearewe/Toucan2

Thank you all for your input! So we're now at 2 votes for and 2 against the Natchez Trace Parkway... what to do, what to do? It's interesting to hear people's opinions about this stretch of road - especially considering the fact that every guide i've read on the area says to definitely drive it! Not sure if this is a commentary on the road or on travel guides - hence, why "real people" opinions are so important to me.

Big Bend State Park - man, i took a look at some pics from the area and did a little reading - it looks spectacular! Reminds me of some of the sights we saw in Arizona and New Mexico during a trip we took a few years ago. I would love to hear more about the area if you feel so inclined, Wherearewe. I'm seriously considering rerouting our trip a little to accomodate this area.

Toucan2, thanks for your advice.I think it's advice that we will follow. This route sounds right down our alley. I'd be very interested in any further details that you or anyone has to offer.

Tell me if i'm crazy... i've outlined our general route (above on my very first post). Given that we'll likely spend a few days in San Antonio and a few days in New Orleans and Memphis (i know these cities deserve more time, but we truly are more comfortable in the smaller towns and driving the countryside), I've given us 19 days to make this giant loop. Is that totally unrealistic or do you think it can reasonably be done? I'd really appreciate people's thoughts and ideas about this...

thanking you in advance...

i just feel the need to add one more little post... i want to say how blown away i am by all the responses and input i've been getting - i've been pleasantly surprised. All of this info is going to help shape our trip, making it as enjoyable as possible. We appreciate it soooo much. THIS is why we love coming down into the US to explore and meet folks - folks like you... thank you thank you thank you...

Youo can't "reroute our trip a little" to go to Big Bend. You go there or you go to New Orleans or Memphis. You don't have enough time to do both.

There is only about 70 miles difference from Dallas to Big Bend as from Calgary to Vancouver. Would you suggest that someone going to Waterton Lakes, Calgary, Banff, Jasper and Edmonton take in Vancouver on the same trip? Sure, people do it, but they spend a lot of time in their cars.

Make a special trip to Big Bend. Friends are there right now, and we will let you know what they enjoy.

You can get the flavor of the country in between by watching the movie Giant or No Country for Old Men. It is very different from where you were planning to go.

Ackislander...
Lol, i hear you... and thanks... as you say, perhaps Big Bend is a destination for another time. It's hard to be in the same part of the world and turn my back on the opportunity to see a place as beautiful as this, but i know that you are right. It's never wise to be "destination greedy". I do thank you for turning me onto this place though. I've never heard of it until you brought it to my attention. You've been a great help!

Another vote for the Natchez Trace. I grew up in Mississippi and lived right on the Trace. The Trace can get a little boring, if you drive on it all the time, but as a one time trip it is a beautiful and relaxing drive. Stop by my former home town, Kosciusko MS-you can walk around the square, visit the shops and find a restaurant for lunch. There is a nice visitor's center right at the Kosciusko exit from the Trace where you can get lots of info on the area.
Hope you have a great trip in the South.

thanks nig! and i think you may be right, i'm leaning towards driving it - i may never pass that way again, afterall... Kosciuko, huh? I'm putting it on my list. Seeing that you grew up there, any other "gems" we should be setting our sights on? I haven't had much feedback yet, regarding Mississippi.

Natchez and Vicksburg are nice places to visit in Mississippi if you like Civil War history. The Mississippi Delta is nice(Greenwood and Clarksdale) You could go by Greenwood or Clarksdale on your way to Memphis. If you are in Memphis go to the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks and the Redezvous restaurant for BBQ.

The first loop you described is about 25 hours of driving, based on the shortest/fastest route. That is easily doable in your timeframe. Obviously, you'll take more time since you don't want to take the short/fast route.

Yes, Big Bend is out of the way. Adding it into the loop adds about 12-13 hours of driving (based on a route going from Dallas to Terlingua, then to San Antonio). Most of that route is off the interstate. Check google maps to get an idea of what both loops would look like.

Whether you can fit in Big Bend depends on how much time you want to spend everywhere else. It is certainly doable just based strictly on mileage and driving times.

Streamwalker, I'm on a two week road trip right now myself, so it may be a bit before I get too many details back to you. In the meantime, for a road trip, you might want to go to www.aaa.com and use triptik. You can plug in the cities, and pull around the routes to get an idea of the hours of driving etc.

To get you started, here is a site for Wimberley with activities and information

http://www.wimberley.org/

Here is a visitors site for Fredericksburg: http://www.visitfredericksburgtx.com/
'
I just noticed that off the site above there is info about visiting Luckenbach.

Actually, I think this might be a little better site: http://www.fredericksburgtexas-online.com/

Here is the site for Gruene: http://www.gruenetexas.com/, and you will want to check out Gruene Hall:
http://gruenehall.com/

And the Gristmill Restaurant: http://www.gristmillrestaurant.com/

And now I want to go visit again myself

If you want a real "off-the-beaten-path" experience, take the Natchez Trace north from Natchez, get off at Mississippi Highway 552, and go left into Alcorn. Visit the campus of Alcorn State University, a historically African-American school. Note the large iron staircase that leads to the chapel.

The staircase is from Windsor, at one time the largest plantation house in Mississippi. Windsor survived the Civil War, only to burn down in 1890 due to careless disposal of a lighted cigar (or cigarette) by a guest. All that remains are 23 huge columns, which are several miles north of Alcorn off Highway 552.

Also near Alcorn (west, in this case) is the "ghost town" of Rodney. It was a port city that basically was abandoned after the Mississippi River changed course, leaving it stranded inland. It was fascinating when I visited it many years ago, but from what I read online it seems to be about the same now as then.

Port Gibson, just up the road (and the Trace) from Alcorn, is a pretty old town, maybe best know for its First Presbyterian Church (whose steeple is topped by a gold hand pointing to heaven). Grand Gulf Military State Park, just north of Port Gibson, would make an interesting stop as well (it commemorates the Civil War battle fought in the town of that name, now vanished).

I second the suggestions for central Texas -- Gruene (definitely eat at the Grist Mill-and if there during the evening, check out the Dance Hall), Fredricksburg (Nimitz Museum), Wimberley. I also second the suggestion for traveling Hwy. 281 to get from Dallas area to central Texas.

Not too long ago, we went on a BBQ junket and ate in Lockhart (BBQ capital of Texas) at Smittys. It was great. Lockhart is east of the San Marcos area.
http://www.lockhart-tx.org/web98/visitors/bbqcapitaloftexas.asp

Also, heading east from San Antonio area is Schulenburg, Tx, home of the painted churches. (off I-10, and SE of Lockhart by way of backroads). Worth a look-see.

http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsSouth/PaintedChurchesTour.htm

Brenham, Texas is home to Blue Bell Homemade Ice Cream. Along Hwy. 290 between Austin and Houston
http://www.bluebell.com/

There is a TV show called Texas Country Reporter that covers interesting people along the backroads of Texas. Check out their website to see if anything "floats your boat."
http://www.texascountryreporter.com/

If you have time in your research, this guy also does a good little fun show about daytrips around Texas.
http://thedaytripper.com/category/food/

Texas Highways magazine is good for more Texas Research.
http://www.texashighways.com/

Have fun and come back with any other questions. Us Texans are mighty proud of our state!!

And, by the way, our state flower, Bluebonnets, ought to be in full bloom around the time you plan on travelling.

oh man... i can't believe all of these responses. nig/wherearewe/toucan2/cranachin/jill_h - thank you all soooo much! all of this info is helping to shape what i think is going to be an unforgetable trip!

Cranachin - We watched "the ghosts of mississippi" and few days ago. There is a scene that takes place amongst the columns you talked about. They're going on our list.

I've checked out a few of the websites you folks have recommended,and wow - sooooo helpful! i'm sure i'll have more questions once i've had a chance to carefully look at them all.

Bluebonnet question - if we're lucky and they happen to be blooming when we're there, is there a place in particular that would be best to see them? We have bluebells here, i wonder if they're similar?

again, thank you all soooo much... i'm so looking forward to meeting friendly folks like you in person!

p.s. this trip is my christmas present to my wife. it's becoming a bit of a tradition. Last year we flew to Vegas, rented a car for two weeks, drove to the northwest corner of oregon and then drove down the old coast highway to san fran, and then back to Vegas. We had two weeks in all. The year before, we flew to Vegas and headed south east through Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Idaho/Colorado. Both trips were so wonderful - we saw so many interesting/beautiful things and places and met so many great people. I'm very much looking forward to our next trip down there...

P.S. about the bluebonnets -- it's illegal to pick them. I don't think they're related to bluebells.

http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=10623

Any roads, especially in the central Texas area will be good viewing areas. Seeds are dispersed every year but the weather determines how well and when they'll bloom.

Actually, it is NOT illegal to pick bluebonnets (or any other wildflower) in Texas. That is an urban legend. It is, however, considered to be poor form to do so (they should be left for others to enjoy).

Bluebonnets are lupines and unrelated to bluebells.

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a website that lists good viewing routes for bluebonnets and other wildflowers. They also have a toll-free telephone number (listed on the website). They will become "active" when flowers start appearing. http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/travel/flora_conditions.htm

Another enjoyable place to see and learn about wildflowers is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (http://www.wildflower.org) in far south Austin.

Other Texas places to consider:

The town of Hamilton on US 281 seems like it has not changed much in the past few decades (or at least the area around the courthouse square). Dublin, northeast of Hamilton, is that way as well. Dublin's claim to fame is that the soda Dr Pepper is bottled there using cane sugar instead of corn syrup. You can buy it at the soda fountain at the Dr Pepper bottling works.

If you like the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, you should visit the Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University in Waco. (There is also a Dr Pepper museum in Waco.)

Be on the lookout for kolaches (ko-LAH-cheez) while in central Texas. They are Czech pastries, available in both sweet and savory varieties, that can be found in towns where Czech immigrants settled.

You may know this from previous trips, but each State will have a welcome center, usually right inside the border on the Interstate Highways.

They will all have information on traffic conditions in their state and publications for the major sightseeing locations.

It's the only reason we take an Interstate Hiway when we are roadtrippin' . . then we get off of it as soon afterwards as possible

If you want to see the Hill Countr up close, we found this little BnB a few years ago . . It's about 2/3rds of the way from Dallas to San Antonio just off of 281

http://www.wenmohsranch.com/Bunkhouse.htm

Jill, I am so glad you included the info on the painted churches. I haven't actually seen them myself but would like to one day. I just couldn't remember exactly where they were.

What a great trip they are going to have!

Assuming you return to Dallas from Memphis via Arkansas, you might want to visit Crater of Diamonds State Park. It's the only diamond-producing site in the world that is open to the public, and you can keep what you find!

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com

Good advice re Dripping Springs, Wimberly etc. Fredricksburgs is good as well. Follow the BBQ.

Not mentioned, but perhaps the most interesting and unique area of the entire trip is Southwest Louisiana - Cajun Country. Another food, music, and language bonanza and much of it is unchanged from years past. Coming from Texas, I'd jump off I-10 at Lake Charles and go south, taking Hwy 14 over as far as Abbeville then north up thru New Iberia and on to Lafayette. Base there for a couple of days and hit Breaux Bridge, Opelousas, Henderson [for food], Eunice, etc. Then I'd drop back down and head to New Orleans via Morgan City, Houma, and Thibodeaux.

For my money, Cajun country, off the interstates, is among the top two or three experiences in the US.

In the New Orleans "area" is Avery Island where they make Tabasco Sauce. Haven't actually been there myself, but next time I'm through that region, I will visit.

http://www.tabasco.com/avery-island/our-home/

Cranachin -- you've just made me question everything my Momma ever told me; what else has she been lying to me about. If it's not illegal to pick bluebonnets, then are you telling me there isn't an Easter Bunny or Santa Claus?

In the New Orleans "area" is Avery Island where they make Tabasco Sauce. Haven't actually been there myself, but next time I'm through that region, I will visit.

We visited Avery Island earlier this month. If you like Tabasco Sauce, it is fairly interesting to learn about its history and manufacture.

Before buying tickets for Jungle Gardens, inquire if birds are in residence or if alligators are making an appearance. They weren't during our visit.

HTtY

avery Island is just 8 miles south of New Iberia, a good ways from NO.

jill_h,

Sorry to burst your bluebonnet bubble! But you will search in vain to find a Texas law that says "don't pick the wildflowers".

Avery Island is just 8 miles south of New Iberia, a good ways from NO.

Important point. We visited the place in conjunction with a stay in Lafayette--not while we were in New Orleans.

Sorry to burst your bluebonnet bubble! But you will search in vain to find a Texas law that says "don't pick the wildflowers".

Right: http://www.snopes.com/legal/bluebonnets.asp

HTtY

Old Texas saying . . "When the truth gets in the way of a good story . . . tell the story" ! !

That's now 2 votes against and 1 vote for the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Drive a stretch of it and decide for yourself. I found its receptiveness boring, but others don't.

Natchez Trace Parkway is one of the few "must-do" drives that disappointed me. Another is the so-called Coronado Trail in Arizona, which is a lot of hard driving with little scenic payoff.

My idea of scenic drives include Highway 1 in California, Highway 12 in Utah, Highway 170 from Presidio to Big Bend NP in Texas, and Highway 14 along the Columbia River in Washington.

HTtY

I think I'll hang on to my story. If you repeat it enough, you begin to believe it.

okay... to be clear, we promise not to pick the bluebonnets. which truly will be an easy promise to keep. it's just not the way we roll. pictures, yes... picking no...

i can't thank you all enough for the assistance that you've offered. i haven't had a chance to check out all of the links, but i will!

i'm giving this trip to my wife - well, to the both of us really, for Christmas. i think she's gona love it. We've been talking about seeing this part of the world for quite some time now...

so here's a heartfelt thanks and also, here's wishing you all a most Merry of Christmases...

i hope that we continue our dialogue soon after the holidays...

a quick question - is it still possible to travel much of highway 61 between New Orleans and Memphis? I'm REALLY interested in seeing and experiencing some of the countryside that gave birth to the blues...

Yes . . 61 pararalls I-55 . . Hav not done it in few years so it would be a good idea to check for construction

thank you all so much!!! we've tweaked our trip considerably based on your comments on things/places that we should check out. now, one more question - do you have any tips on things/places we should likely not include? and i don't mean the obvious like "don't spend the night sleeping in the city park". haha...

what i'm getting at, is that sometimes things aren't what they are advertised to be - and given that we're basically "off the beaten path" kind of people, are there places you might recommend that we stay clear of because they're basically fabricated "tourist traps"?

I hope i'm getting across what i'm trying to. i know every place/thing is worth seeing, but in my experience, some are worth seeing more than others - especially when time is a consideration.

thanks for any input that you can offer...

Aside from what has been mentioned, is there something specific on YOUR list that we need to provide an opinion? Such as -- is it your plan to see the largest rubber band ball (as an example), and we need to steer your clear of that bad idea.

we don't really have a list of specific places (other than the obvious big ones such as san antonio - new orleans - memphis), but we do have a list of specific things we'd like to see. in no particular order, they are: hear some authentic zydeco, cajun, and blues music, eat some authentic tex-mex, cajun, southern cooking, travel some backroads just to see what we can see, the bayou, a plantation, cotton fields, find little out of the way spots of beauty/interest, attend a good old fashioned gospel church service and with a little luck strike up some conversations with some colourful local characters...

our typical method of travel is to chart our a general route, but not be afraid to deviate when we hear about something interesting to see... all we know for sure is the day we land in dallas and the day that we have to be back in dallas to fly home. the rest is kind of made up as we go. not the kind of trip for some folks, but it's always worked well for us...

and actually, the largest rubber band ball sounds kind of good to me!

...a quick question - is it still possible to travel much of highway 61 between New Orleans and Memphis? I'm REALLY interested in seeing and experiencing some of the countryside that gave birth to the blues...

Yes, but much of it is not particularly scenic. However, once you're in the Delta it's easy to divert (west for the most part) from US 61 to small and back roads, some on levees, that parallel the Mississippi.

We did a trip up the river from NOLA to Memphis a few years ago, with some of your same aims. Here's a trip report - look especially at "Day 5." It's all still there, waiting.

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/trip-report-long-beignets-bayous-blues-and-ducks-in-the-lobby.cfm

Another track out of Dallas is go to Fort Wort and take us 377 south to Granbury to Stephenville to Brady. US 87 south out of Brady to Fredericksburg. Leaving Fredericksburg take 290 to Austin. Leaving Austin don't miss Wimberly, Gruene and New Braunfels. On to San Antonio. Eat at The Gristmill in Gruene.

streamwalker, unfortunately I think your last question is a little impossible to answer since you are covering such a broad geographic area, and because you don't yet have specifics (and might not, I understand that is part of how you like to approach your trip).

thank you so much gardyloo and daleb! your suggestions will be researched and very likley followed. I really appreaciate it! And yes toucan2, my last question is a little obtuse all right. i guess i was looking for some "what not too do's" or just plain old "things to avoid". But i do hear you...

we are sooooo looking forward to visiting this part of the world. we've been watching movies shot in various locations that we hope to be in - reading everything we can - visiting webites... part of the fun is in planning, right?

once again, thank you ALL so much for all of your advice and input!

By the way, it was -26C here yesterday....

Here's maybe an example of what i was getting at earlier - some "what not to do" advice. A colleague of mine suggested that when we go to New Orleans to leave my "big" camera in the car. I own a fairly decent Canon with a good lense and he suggested that it would not be in my best interest to walk with it when in downtown New Orleans. In his words, "the streets are a little rough and you need to be very careful". I'd love to hear what others think about that advice. I don't know whether he's just an over-cautious kind of guy or whether his advice is on the money. I realize that it's important to always be "aware of your surroundings" when travelling, but i've never yet been worried about carrying a camera around my neck...

thoughts anyone?