Trip around South and Florida

Hello,

I need some advices on this trip: early May, 3 persons (age around 30), starting in Sarasota (FL), with a car, going up through Georgia to Nashville and Memphis and returning down through Mississippi and Alabama back to Sarasota. We don't have much time and I'm aware of the distances but I don' know the roads (also first time in U.S.)
1. Is this trip even doable in 4 or 5 days?
2. Which route do you suggest?
3. Accomodation - is it easy to find motels or cheap hotels on the way?

We have 10 days from arriving to FL before leaving to Europe from Miami which I wouldn't spend all in FL. We would love to see some of the deep south. More than big cities we love nature, small towns, just hanging around and getting the feeling.
4. Do you think we would have more of it if we make a trip to New Orleans (instead Nashville and Memphis)?

Back in FL we would like to see Everglades and Dry Tortugas. We will be situated in Sarasota.
5. Is 1 day enough for a trip from Sarasota to Everglades?
6. Which is the best way to go and see Dry Tortugas (and not too expensive)?
7. Is there any other nature park close to Sarasota where you can see a lot of wildlife?

Any advice will be appreciated.

you would be very rushed to do this in 5 days, alot of the roads are only 55mph so takes ages to get anywhere. Also the distances are huge, eg; from Macon Ga. to New Orleans it took us 13 hrs (doing 110mph when we could)
I had a great time in NO last year, but have never been to Tenessee

good god: you cd do all this driving if all you want is to see whatever appears through your car windshield, presuming you could keep your eyes open despite fatigue.
my suggestion: save states other than florida for a different trip. there is plenty of the 'old south' right in florida. and sarasota makes a good base from which to explore it. id head up to the tampa bay region and explore the coastline. weeki wachi springs is for tourists but it is old florida kitsch, replete with 'mermaids'

perhaps head over to the east coast of florida for st augustine, which is quite scenic, and the space coast area. you'll pass many small towns with the deep south sleepy feel if you get off the interstates and wander.

no, the everglades are not a day trip from sarasota. its a very long ways, best exlored from miami as your base. you need from early am to late pm to see much of the everglades and that is if you enter the main park from south of miami and take the drive along the road, turning off to explore the many nature walks along the way.
sarasota is about 4-plus hours away from the everglades main entrance.

the dry tortugas are best seen from key west as your base. there, you can find the popular boat trip that will take you over for a day. key west is a 4 hour drive south of miami and definitely not a day trip. plan to spend at least one or two nights, but i guarantee you will want to stay longer once you get there. its very atmospheric. and the architecture and street life are wonderful to soak up.

I agree with Grinqito that the trip would be too rushed, particularly for someone who enjoys "just hanging around and getting the feeling". Suggest you limit your trip north to Savannah, Georgia (see this thread). Seeing as you love nature, I suggest you do what is my favorite thing in Florida- rent a canoe and paddle down one of the crystal clear streams eminating from one of Florida's many freshwater springs. Two of the best are Juniper Springs (another link here is about kayaking, but has better pictures) and Rock Springs Run.

Corkscrew Swamp is an excellent nature park near Sarasota.

>> 1. Is this trip even doable in 4 or 5 days? << Not unless you spend ALL of your time driving & never leave the car to see anything.

>> We have 10 days from arriving to FL before leaving to Europe from Miami which I wouldn't spend all in FL. We would love to see some of the deep south. More than big cities we love nature, small towns, just hanging around and getting the feeling. 4. Do you think we would have more of it if we make a trip to New Orleans (instead Nashville and Memphis)? <<

You can visit the "deep south" without ever leaving Florida by just heading a few hours north of Sarasota. Most people on Thorn Tree only know "tourist" Florida & nothing at all abot the "real" Florida. Get out your Florida map. Head north on US 19, 41, or 301 to the center of the state ABOVE Orlando, to places like Mt. Dora, Bushnell, (site of the Dade Massacre which kicked off the second Seminole war) Ocala, The Ocala National Forest (which includes Cross Creek & the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home & museum for a taste of how the old Florida crackers lived). You can vist the Suwannee River, Live Oak, Madison, Tallahassee, Steinhatchee, Cedar Key (on the way to Cedar key you pass thru Roseville, where the white folks burned down the black folks' town in 1921 -- is that "deep south" enough for you?), & the Stephen Foster center in Jasper. North Florida IS the "deep south."

>> Back in FL we would like to see Everglades and Dry Tortugas. We will be situated in Sarasota.
5. Is 1 day enough for a trip from Sarasota to Everglades? << Yes if you only visit the Northern section of the park & not the main entrance south of Miami. To visit the latter you can do it if you leave Sarasota at about 5:00 am & take I-75 to the Turnpike & the Pike south to Fla. City. Then you'll have enough daylight to do the whole park in one day if you don't dawdle.
>> 6. Which is the best way to go and see Dry Tortugas (and not too expensive)? << The only regular boat leaves from Key West. It is an all day trip & I understand is usually booked in advance. I also understand it is quite expensive.

>> 7. Is there any other nature park close to Sarasota where you can see a lot of wildlife? << Actually, yes, tho' not as lush as the Everglades. There's Corkscrew Swamp near Ft. Myers -- sort of a mini-Everglades; Oscar Scherer State Park & Myakka River state parks near Sarasota & the Peace River for boating.

Rein in your geographical ambitions; stay in the peninsula & you'll have time to enjoy your holiday.

>> 1. Is this trip even doable in 4 or 5 days? << Not unless you spend ALL of your time driving & never leave the car to see anything.

>> We have 10 days from arriving to FL before leaving to Europe from Miami which I wouldn't spend all in FL. We would love to see some of the deep south. More than big cities we love nature, small towns, just hanging around and getting the feeling. 4. Do you think we would have more of it if we make a trip to New Orleans (instead Nashville and Memphis)? <<

You can visit the "deep south" without ever leaving Florida by just heading a few hours north of Sarasota. Most people on Thorn Tree only know "tourist" Florida & nothing at all abot the "real" Florida. Get out your Florida map. Head north on US 19, 41, or 301 to the center of the state ABOVE Orlando, to places like Mt. Dora, Bushnell, (site of the Dade Massacre which kicked off the second Seminole war) Ocala, The Ocala National Forest (which includes Cross Creek & the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home & museum for a taste of how the old Florida crackers lived). You can vist the Suwannee River, Live Oak, Madison, Tallahassee, Steinhatchee, Cedar Key (on the way to Cedar key you pass thru Roseville, where the white folks burned down the black folks' town in 1921 -- is that "deep south" enough for you?), & the Stephen Foster center in Jasper. North Florida IS the "deep south."

>> Back in FL we would like to see Everglades and Dry Tortugas. We will be situated in Sarasota.
5. Is 1 day enough for a trip from Sarasota to Everglades? << Yes if you only visit the Northern section of the park & not the main entrance south of Miami. To visit the latter you can do it if you leave Sarasota at about 5:00 am & take I-75 to the Turnpike & the Pike south to Fla. City. Then you'll have enough daylight to do the whole park in one day if you don't dawdle.
>> 6. Which is the best way to go and see Dry Tortugas (and not too expensive)? << The only regular boat leaves from Key West. It is an all day trip & I understand is usually booked in advance. I also understand it is quite expensive.

>> 7. Is there any other nature park close to Sarasota where you can see a lot of wildlife? << Actually, yes, tho' not as lush as the Everglades. There's Corkscrew Swamp near Ft. Myers -- sort of a mini-Everglades; Oscar Scherer State Park & Myakka River state parks near Sarasota & the Peace River for boating.

Rein in your geographical ambitions; stay in the peninsula & you'll have time to enjoy your holiday.

A word of caution. There are a lot of speed traps in Florida when you get off the Interstate highway. It works like this, you are traveling along at 60 MPH and you come to a town. The speed limit drops to 50 MPH and you take your foot off the gas. Then the speed limit drops to 40 MPH, and you still have your foot off the gas. Then it drops to 30 MPH and even though your foot is STILL off the gas, you are still doing 45 MPH and a Cop nails you for doing 45 in a 30 MPH zone. This is quite common, so when the speed limit drops, BREAK!! down to the speed limit, especially when entering a town or City.

Don't think that because you are Foreign that you can get away without paying the fine, more likely than not, they will take you down to the police station to pay up there and then.

#6 is right about speed traps. They will put you in the hoosegow until you pay-up too. Sometimes, it only takes license plates from another county to the trick, too.

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there. - Lewis Carroll

....and its not just Florida either. Alabama and Mississippi are just as bad.

Thanks for all advices and comments. You convinced me to stay in FL for all 10 days. This is our first trip to U.S. and I realized it was way too ambitious. Special thanks to Oregonrick for the links.