US South - 17 Day to 3 week ideas?

Charleston and Savannah
Charleston loses more of what made it special every passing year, so I’d go now.
Depending on how fast you like to move, you could pair with New Orleans. That’s roughly a week for each and travel between. I think those are the three most beautiful cities in the country. I’d only come for those and our national parks. Yes, I am biased!
Actually I am also growing more fond of eastern NC more and more each year. It reminds me of how the South Carolina coast was before massive growth. I go in summer for beaches but I’d like to go in a season where bugs and heat would be less of a factor.

You cannot mention Eastern NC without mentioning Barbecue!!
It's great, great fun to seek out the BBQ shacks in the small towns. I could give you a list but many keep "flexible" hours so you have to double check.

The Big Daddy of them all is the SKYLIGHT INN in Ayden, not too far from the pretty, historic town of Edenton.
(Look for the building with a replica of the US capitol on top!!). The sounds of chopping they use whole hog, not shoulder like in western NC) greets you as you enter and the Q is "fine!!!" Bum's in the same town has BBQ and other things--good for mornings.

These places are a remnant of the American South, often run as a side business by locals who have full time jobs during the week, and so they often are open weekends only. But SKYLIGHT and MC CABES are open most days and those are only two of many all dotting much of NC and to a slightly lesser extent, SC. It's hard work, tending the pit, especially if they still use wood, and might not be around much longer..so go now! Each region has its own sauce--vinegar, mustard (in SC) etc.

Just off I-95 in SC you have McCabe's which is more of a real "shack."
There are all kinds of regional dishes around there--cheese biscuits, fresh herring in the spring season, Brunswick stew which you find in both Georgia and both Carolinas, etc...

This guy knows his stuff:

https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/category/north-carolina/

We really enjoyed the National Civil Rights Museum ( https://civilrightsmuseum.org) in Memphis.

Happy travels.

We just returned from a trip that started in Atlanta (The Carter Library and MLK Museum were closed due to the government shutdown). Drove to the Florida panhandle for a wedding; stopped at the Roosevelt Little White House in Warm Springs on the way; we really enjoyed that. Then to Vicksburg to tour the Battlefield. Vicksburg appears to be very depressed; some nice restaurants downtown, but not much else. Drove the Natchez Trace to Natchez. Natchez is nice with some antebellum homes to tour, but not much else. Ended in New Orleans. I have been there several times through the years. Seems more and more that visitors are just looking for Mardi Gras atmosphere all year long. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the World War II Museum.

I am a Southerner and have been all over the South.

New Orleans was a bit of a let down for me. I have been twice and the city was dirty and some areas dangerous to go at night.
Still, loved the music on Burbon Street and some of the historical sites.

Memphis, sorry, didn't care much for it.

The Natchez Trace, starting in Natchez, Mississippi is interesting.
Charleston, Savannah, Jekyl Island, St. Augustine, that is a nice trip.
I live in South Georgia and love it.

Virginia is great, loads of history there, Charlottesville with the University of VA, Jeffersons and Madison's homes, the foothills of the Appalachians. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g143051-d287943-Reviews-Appalachian_Trail-Shenandoah_National_Park_Virginia.html

Nashville is great if you like country music. Kentucky is nice if you like the Kentucky Derby.
Texas has many great places to visit.

Thanks all. Appreciate suggestions from those of you who live in, or love, the South. And, I’d love thoughts on itinerary ideas below - with the proverbial Q, am I trying to do too much?

• Valdelphia. Yes re N.O. and Charleston; perhaps Savannah, which was on my original list and which a couple of others have also suggested. We are thinking spring. Perhaps May. Avoid summer heat in the South - and we love the Pacific NW in summer.
• Ekscrunchy. Thnx. Will look later with plan and map in hand.
• Sam. Good thoughts to focus on smaller communities, as well as Charleston SC, though N.O. is a must. We have a friend who lives there, can lead us to music venues NOT on Bourbon street and who has been volunteering at the WW2 museum that padams mentioned. FL is beyond our scope on this trip, tho.
• Veterantraveler. Wilmington is a great suggestion. As to Natchez Trace, which geovagriffith and padams also mention, a Seattle friend has biked there and loved it, so I’ll take a look.
• Geovagriffith. Your comments about VA are spot on. We were in VA last September and visited much of what you mentioned (plus Roanoke), as described in the TR linked in my original post.

Re Bourbon St. and Beale St. YES - HAPPY to STAY AWAY. Just as we couldn’t stand merely crossing Broadway in Nashville. Fortunately, we found country music at a small venue in Five Points in E. Nashville as part of the American Music Fest when we were in Nashville, plus a great quartet at a jazz club, Rudy’s.

So, with the above thoughts and your suggestions in mind, how might the following work out?

• Fly to NO; 4 nights. Music. Bayou or Cajun oriented day trip?
• Drive to Natchez. 1 night
• Drive to Vicksburg. 1 night. Music along the way?
• Drive to Memphis. 2 nights. Music?
• Drive to Oxford. 1 night. Ole Miss; Faulkner
• Drive to Birmingham 1 night. Birmingham Civil Rights Inst.
  
• Drive to Montgomery 2 nights; Montgomery Civil Rights Museums (Rosa Parks Museum; Legacy Museum & Nat’l Memorial for Peace &Justice; Tuskeegee
• Drive to Atlanta 2 nights. King Center; Carter Center
• Drive to Savannah 2 nights. Parks and some of your suggestions. Beaches?
• Drive to Charleston 2 nights. Suggestions. Beaches?
• Drive to Wilmington 2 nights. Suggestions? Beaches?

Sights to include, things to do? Sights along the way? Too much?

Alternative itinerary piece? Natchez Trace 5 to 6 day bike ride and scratch Vicksburg, Memphis and Oxford? That would extend trip from 20 nights to 21.

Looking forward to any and all replies

Fred, my suggestions for Charleston and New Orleans and Savannah that we really enjoyed.......

Charleston:
Boone Hall Plantation (not the fancy furniture in the big house type of tour...fantastic Gullah experience and tour into the fields)
Fort Sumter (no explanation needed here)
Old Slave Market (recordings from former slaves and descendants made in the 30s as a WPA project, photos, absolutely moving)
Carriage ride through the old town (various themes)
Walk around the old neighborhoods of grand houses

New Orleans:
WWII museum (could spend a whole day here)
Whitney Plantation (again, not about the fancy house but about slave life and history)
Cajun Pride bayou boat ride (not the big fan type boat, more leisurely and better views of flora and fauna)
Frenchman Street (WAY nicer than Bourbon St, and all about the music, not the drinking)
Creole Queen Historical River Cruise (from Nola to the Battle of New Orleans battle sites tour guide there but govt. shutdown may have cancelled the NPS guide) Boat ride still there I believe.
Drink at the gorgeous Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel (flourishes by the bar staff in making your drinks)

Savannah:
Breakfast at Mr. Wilkes' Dining Room (worth the wait in line for a very Southern menu...bring an appetite)
Wander around the old squares and a walk through Forsyth Park
Congregation Mikve Israel (est. 1733, we were lucky to have a terrific docent give us the history)
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (beautiful, est 1873)

I'm not inspired to visit Florida, Mississippi or Alabama. Virginia has tons and tons of things to see and do. North Carolina sounds pretty good to me, as does following the Natchez Trace. And a combo visit to Kentucky and Tennessee for 10-12 days would be nice.

What a lot of choices you have! Best of luck in your plans!

We have done a couple of variations on your trip.

First, a few years ago we flew into Memphis for a couple of nights, mainly to eat at Central Barbecue, see the duck parade at the Peabody and listen to a little music. Then we headed to Vicksburg with some specific Civil War spots my husband was interested in. Went further south to Baton Rouge to meet up with family and toured a couple of homes along the Mississippi. Then onto New Orleans (been many times before). This time meeting up with friends from Texas and South Carolina. We stayed near Bayou St. John, planned an entire day at the WWII museum, did a little walking around and dinner at Arnaud’s. Avoided Bourbon Street.

We were in New Orleans again last year for a week for Jazz Fest. Stayed in the Garden District which we enjoyed. SIL went to two concerts each day in different venues, along with Jazz Fest. We all went to Preservation Hall which was a must see for them. We had been before, but the venue is unique.

Another trip started in Houston with friends. Drove to Mobile to see the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. Mobile was a pleasant surprise. We found a couple of great restaurants and it is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. We also visited Pensacola and the National Naval Aviation Museum and the home of the Blue Angels, again spent the day. If you see a pattern here, retired Naval officer and another history buff.

On to Savannah. Stayed near Forsyth Park. Highly recommend a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery. Enjoyed the waterfront area.

Then Charleston. We had been several times before, friends from Houston had not. Other friends met us there. As history buffs, went to Fort Sumpter, again. In the past we had stayed at Folly Beach, this time we stayed at Mount Pleasant. Lots of walking around, some shopping. We had toured a couple of houses in the past.

Finished outside of Columbia. We had stayed in Aiken before. Cute little town close to Augusta. Final stop Augusta National for a practice round day at The Masters which was the entire reason for the trip.

As another PacNW person, we found the south so very different. We had lived in Virginia a couple of times over the years, but never spent any time in the south outside of New Orleans.

Highlights:

New Orleans, yes, it’s dirty and definitely has a crime problem, but we were there last year with a three year old who delighted in everything, especially the street cars. Music is hard to beat if you know where to go. WWII Museum is outstanding and the food is hard to beat.

Savannah is different than Charleston, both are worth a couple of days each.

Mobile was a total surprise!

NC barbecue is good, and the smaller the town, the better.

I could have gone on and on. Feel free to PM if you have specific questions!

Fred,
We stayed at the Planter's Inn in Savannah. Recommend it and would stay again. Parking available in parking structure next door, covered by hotel.

correction, Mrs. Wilkes', not Mr.

A small city I’d recommend for an overnight is Greenville, South Carolina. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, but it’s a place that made smart decisions about their Main Street and downtown. Very walkable with history and livability in mind.

Fred,

Just commenting on this part since I'm from there:

"Drive to Birmingham 1 night. Birmingham Civil Rights Inst.
Drive to Montgomery 2 nights; Montgomery Civil Rights Museums (Rosa Parks Museum; Legacy Museum & Nat’l Memorial for Peace &Justice; Tuskeegee"

Try to see if you can visit Selma as a part of this (since your focus is on Civil Rights)! It is fairly close to Montgomery. The EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) Museums complex is incredible and moving--they just opened a hotel as a part of it as well. It is called the Elevation hotel.

In my personal opinion, I'd pick Selma over Tuskegee, BUT if you know there is something you want to see, the drive from Montgomery can be arranged to pass through small towns, farms, etc, or you can just take the interstate.

General thoughts:

May will still be hot in some places in the South, but the humidity should not be at peak yet. However, May is college and high school graduation season, and some of these places will have some hotel/traffic impacts--not all, but certainly any of the college towns. I'd lump Montgomery in as well with several colleges/universities.

I second Judy's Charleston thoughts though I'd personally skip the carriage ride.

I love New Orleans, and Judy gave you a good list there as well. We also enjoyed walking from the Garden District to Tulane and visiting the botanic gardens if you need some outdoor/down time activities in the city.

If you have any Alabama specific questions, feel free to message me, though I will keep trying to check this board!

Savannah definitely. It's one of the prettiest cities in the US IMO and a natural combination with Charleston. If you're making your way to New Orleans, Mobile and Fairhope are a nice stop. Depending on how much time you have, you could also add Fort Morgan.

Two nights is not remotely enough for Charleston, you’ll sit in traffic half that time, lol.
If you are only interested in beaches, you can find better elsewhere anyway.

But why has no one mentioned what is perhaps the most interesting part of Lousiana''the area around Lafayette.

We stayed in a B/B near Eunice, as a side trip from NOLA and had a great time visiting Fred's Lounge in Mamou for the Saturday morning radio show featuring live Cajun music and lots of drinks and dancing, beginning at 8am.

https://lbcommuter.com/hot-damn-freds-lounge-in-mamou-louisiana/

Liberty Theatre in Eunice for their live Saturday night radio program''live music.

Fabulous food and dancing and wonderful restaurants''boudin and crawfish. Look up DJ´s for crawfish owner is a pilot for Delta and they have live music many nightsÑ

https://www.discajunrestaurant.com

This is an area of the US that has not yet been homogenized and well worth a trip. I´d skip the eat coast and spend more time around there, with New Orleans. And skip Bourbon street entirely.. There are very interesting areas of the city, much more interesting and less touristy than the horrible, dirty Bourbon Street. Marigny, Bywater, Garden District, the cemeteries, etc..... And some great Israeli food at SHAYA.

Just FYI, in Savannah Mrs. Wilkes is no longer open for breakfast -- only lunch. And while it is great southern cooking, the price, in my opinion, is a bit too much. And they only take cash -- no credit cards. You can check their website for the menu and price info.

On the other hand, there are many good places to eat in Savannah if you are really into the food scene. There was a time when we drove across the state just to spend two or three days trying different places.

The is also a very interesting museum just outside Savannah in Pooler Ga. dedicated to the 8th Air Force and their role in WWII.

New Orleans is also a great city for foodies. And the best place for music, in my opinion, is Preservation Hall. And of course the WWII museum.

Rachel, Acher and ekscrunchy. Thnx for the specific suggestions.

Mary and Valdelphia and all … if you have thoughts about pacing, let me know. Ditto for whether we should possibly end in Charleston, rather heading up along the coast and/or islands to Wilmington. Were we to end in SC, what about Greenville, as acher has recommended? Of course, there is the BBQ draw up towards Wilmington.

One can never do it all. And striking the right balance between historic sights and getting a feel for place and people and culture is huge.

If you are a plant/garden person, Savannah second half of March is indescribable. The flowers on the azaleas are the size of tulips! Even Charleston doesn’t have these enormous azalea flowers. I thought the riverfront was so-so, try to find lodging away from the river and downtown to be on the squares and “in the azaleas.”

Restaurant in Charleston strongly recommended: Church and Union, fine dining at an excellent value.

Try the local specialty shrimp and grits if you want, fairly gross. Grits = Cream of Wheat in my book.

In Savannah you might want to think about eating at The Grey, located in a Greyhound bus terminal built in 1938, with a lot of the interior intact; it's a Deco masterwork.

Chef Bailey is a James Beard award winner (originally from The Bronx!) and the food is excellent. She's also on the board of the Edna Lewis Foundation.

https://thegreyrestaurant.com/about-us/

I would skip Mrs. Wilkes; it's really more for tourists these days and prices are too high.

There's good BBQ at Wiley's.

For me, an essential stop would be one or more of then Sea Islands--Sapelo (only 25 permanent residents and a most unique place for the Gullah culture; the people there form a last remnants of GeeChee culture in the world)

https://exploregeorgia.org/article/uncover-gullah-geechee-heritage-on-sapelo-island

St. Simons is pretty; Sea Island has some great residential architecture, and Jekyll is also interesting.

I just watched the “Our Designers” video on The Grey’s website. As an Art Deco fan and transportation nerd, can I just say, “Wow.” Looks great!

For the ending question--

I think it depends on what you want! If you want more beach time/to see Wilmington, NC and/or New Bern, then it is a nice area. If it is May, the water will still be cold on the Atlantic (in my opinion/feeling!!) but the vibes should be good with many seasonal activities open. Wilmy will host at least 2 college graduations in May.

If you think the SC/GA area will do you for beach time, then Greenville is a recent favorite. They've revitalized downtown since I spent Thanksgivings there as a kid. The coffee scene is booming, which was a bonus for me! It also gives you more options in flights home than Wilmington's airport--Greenville has some decent connections nowadays, and you aren't that horrifically far from Charlotte (1.5 hours) if you need a bigger airport/more flight options.

We have had a few vacations in the south. One of my favorites was the Blues Highway. Really fun for music fans. We started in Memphis and visited Sun Studios and Stax Museum and the amazing Civil Right Museum and Lorraine Motel (a must see.) Then we drove to Clarksdale and spent a few nights there. It was a cool little town There are plenty of music venues to hear live music. We went to the Crossroads and a Blues Museum. Drove to Indianola to the BB King Museum. Went to the Grammy Museum in Cleveland. Went to an old Juke Joint called Po' Monkeys (I think that's gone now.) Then we drove to Oxford, Ms to see William Faulkner's home and went to Square Books, which is a terrific bookstore. Then we drove to Tupelo to see Elvis' birthplace. Then we drove to Florence, AL and spent a few nights. We went to Muscle Shoals Studio and Fame Studio tours. And Hellen Keller's home. You can end the trip in Nashville, which we did as a separate trip.

Another trip we started in Atlanta and did the MLK home and the Carter library and Museum. Then we drove to Plains and stayed in the Plains Inn which is such a cool little hotel. Each room is decorated for a different decade. We went to the Carter Boyhood home while we were there. Then we drove to Savannah which is a gorgeous city with great food.

I've been to New Orleans several times and that's always worth a visit for the food, the music and the people. I agree....stay away from Bourbon St. I've also been to Charleston several times. It's never done much for me, but many people love it. We did love Ft Sumpter.

We live near Mobile and New Orleans is like a second home to us. So, my first question for anyone looking to tour this area is when are you planning to do so? Another poster mentioned azaleas, which would be the spring and it will be hit or miss depending on rainfall, but I would still recommend spring before it gets too hot - after April the weather is like hell with humidity.

Spring time is festival season in Louisiana, especially New Orleans (JazzFest and French Quater Fest), and while those may be worth attending, (JazzFest has become way too big with less local artists in my opinion), just keep that in mind when booking your travels. Prices will be high and accommodations will book early.

We have been to New Orleans hundreds of times (have friends and family there and its an easy drive) but been to Bourbon Street less than five times, and then it was because someone with us insisted. We prefer to stay in the Garden District. In the spring, we would just walk around the area of our hotel. We love Audubon Park, and for food, if you are not just a meat and potatoes person, in general (there are some exceptions) stay out of the French Quarter for food.

We love Gris-Gris and Jacques-Imos - look at their menus and see if this falls within in your taste buds. Next door to Jacques-Imos is the Maple Leaf - great live music bar.

While I said to generally stay out of the Quarter for food, it is definitely worth walking through during the day; the architecture is wonderful, and as someone else mentioned Preservation Hall (typically a night time venue) is wonderful - albeit a little sweltering.

We have been a couple of times to the World War 2 museum, which is awesome and quite large. Although it has been several years, we enjoyed the river cruise on the Natchez riverboat. Also, i think the city of Natchez is on your itinerary and it is lovely - worth the trip, but see if your dates are during the annual pilgrimage- while more homes will be open, more people will be booking accommodations too.

We are foodies, so if you want some additional restaurant recommendations, feel free to message me.

NOLA can be miserably hot and humid in May, and is intolerable through September. Don't do it...

Mardi Gras is early next year, Feb 17, meaning the best time to visit NOLA in the first half of 2026 will be late Feb to early/mid April.

Avoid Mardi Gras and the parades that precede it for about 6 weeks, too.

I've lived about 53 of my 57 years in the South. Grew up in South Georgia, I've lived in Jacksonville, FL, Greenville, SC, now I'm in far North Georgia. It always is interesting to read others' opinions and the tourist sites that are of interest. I won't comment on what to see since it's a personal choice and there are a million other resources for tourist info.

I think your driving distances might be longer than you think so you'll want to map them out before you plan a series of one and two night stops.
I will caution you that you will not avoid the heat in May in most of the places you're considering. If you're spending your time in museums or on the beach, it'll be fine, but if you want to spend any time doing outdoor things, come in late Fall or Winter. This is 90% of the reason we live where we do. I'm in the foothills of the Smokies very close to the North Carolina border, an area that is far milder than the rest of the state, and just in the last couple of days have we been getting what I consider Fall weather. By April 1, I'm back in shorts. Think southern Italy or Spain, with more humidity and bugs!

Try the local specialty shrimp and grits if you want, fairly gross. Grits = Cream of Wheat in my book.

Don't listen to anyone from Minnesota when it comes to grits. :) Grits were my primary food group as a child.

Celeste and Salbeachbum

I hear you about heat in May. What about humidity?
When I was a kid, my grandmother wanted to see my sister and me play tennis. In Miami. In July.

84 degrees and 20% is a lot different that 84 and 90%. Or double 90s.

Perhaps the better question is what about mid-April to early May, in terms of temp and humidity. Salbeach, you led me to the internet to find NOLA jazz fest dates in April ‘26. Thnx. That’s something to jump on if we do this in April ‘26.

Celeste, we were in the Smokies last September (‘24). Beat the ‘cane, rain and flooding by about 2 or 3 weeks. Saw Asheville’s River Arts District and got some gifts there before the French Broad River ripped through so much of it. Gave a little to a RAD fund afterwards, though I had difficulty finding what fund would truly help artists in the district rebuild and recover.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on that, please let me know. I need to make some 501(c)(3) arts related donations and Asheville’s arts community would be a great one to support.

I am a Southerner and have been all over the South.
New Orleans was a bit of a let down for me. I have been twice and the city was dirty and some areas dangerous to go at night.
Still, loved the music on Burbon Street and some of the historical sites.
Memphis, sorry, didn't care much for it.

I could have written this word for word. Grew up in the South, and I live there in retirement.

Memphis has some good BBQ, but I don't get the appeal of the place otherwise. Seems really out of the way for the proposed itinerary stretching from NOLA to South Carolina...frankly, I think NOLA and South Louisiana is a trip unto itself, and Savannah to Charleston is another trip altogether. Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, no offense to people who live in those states, but that is a lot of driving for not too much of interest.

Edit: A trip that centers on NOLA and south LA could also include heading north to Natchez MS, the Natchez Trace Pkwy, and also Oxford and even Memphis. My earlier point was that connecting all the dots including Savannah and South Carolina and points in between makes less sense and is a lot of driving that yields little of interest for the effort.

Weather is a crap shoot. We used to go to JazzFest every year, and the weather ran the gamut - there was the mud fest, where it rained constantly, the ground returned to the swamp and wetlands it once was, and many people lost their shoes to the suction of walking through the muck. There has been picture and temperature perfect weather, but the “norm” is hot/humid and the place is so crowded the air does not move. Then there was one year when it was cold which was an outlier, but it happened. If you force me to make a prediction I would say hot with possible rain - just be prepared. Also, due to rain, there have been some days where the festival was cancelled, but they do that on a day to day basis; I am unaware of an entire weekend being canceled.

Humidity…its real, its thick and it makes hot - hotter. The city is below sea level, essentially situated in a bowl and is surrounded by water. It is like being poached—the water in the air simmers as you slowly cook. It is survivable - obviously a lot of people live there and visit. You may want to check timeanddate website for historical weather in New Orleans. I did a quick look for 2024/2025 at the end of April and daytime highs were in the mid 80’s with 70%+/- humidity.

Before you decide yes you want to go to JazzFest, here are some additional considerations;

1) Do you like being in close quarters with a lot of people, many of whom have had too much to drink? Look at some of the pictures that show the crowds at JazzFest (there is one on the main JazzFest page) in the past couple of years. The average daily attendance this year was around 57,000 - so on an average day there 57,000 people wandering around the horse track, mostly in the in-field; you are not in the stands. And mostly the facilities are porta potties - which are on the actual track.

2) If you go to JazzFest, it actually starts on two consecutive Thursdays and runs through the weekend. Thursday is typically the least crowded day.
3) So, in case I was not obvious enough, I am an old fart and will say the food isn’t as good as it used to be. However, it is still worth eating if you are there; JazzFest is still enough of a Louisiana festival that most of the menu items are more regional and you will not be completely stuck with corn dogs and funnel cake.
4) If you go, make hotel reservations asap, have in mind how you will get there (parking in the area is EXTREMELY LIMITED), and as soon as you are able, begin making restaurant reservations. The good places that accept reservations will be booking around Mardi Gras.
5) If you decide to go to JazzFest, do not make plans where you are going, going, going. New Orleans moves at its own pace and it’s own schedule; do not try to force a fast pace. Slower will help you survive what the weather and the city of New Orleans in general will throw at you; when in New Orleans Laissez bon temps rouler!

Thnx all. Lots to ponder, including what I’ve said in the past … less is more.

As to Jazz Fest, we only went two days, but there were so many other music venues and attractions during that time, you don’t need to go to Jazz Fest. We did get rained on for part of one day.

Don't listen to anyone from Minnesota when it comes to grits. :) Grits were my primary food group as a child.

I grew up on Cream of Wheat but won’t touch it as an adult. Grits = Cream of Wheat = paste. Textureless and tasteless. I can’t believe I threw away a chance for a tasty meal at a fine restaurant for shrimp and paste.

In a blindfold taste test, most people were unable to distinguish between cream of wheat and Portland cement... or so I read someplace on the internet.

Happy travels

My early years were in the South. My Grandmother's (Granny) fried grits were pretty good. The white paste type, no.

Shrimp and Grits are fantastic, because there is a bit of cajan spice included. Also, if you buy along the coastal Atlantic in Georgia, you can get fresh wild shrimp instead of imported farm raised.