Road Trip in Oct (Columbia, Charleston: rent, live in, cheapest)
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Hi everyone! I'm hoping to take a last minute road trip from Oct 6-9. I know it's a short time, so I want to make the most of it. My main reason is that I want to cross off all 50 states, and I have never been to either of the Carolinas. I don't want to just step foot in each state to say I did it...I'd rather see things of the south and take fun pictures (my hobby)...HOWEVER, I am looking to spend the lowest amount of money I can.
I live in California and will probably fly into Atlanta since it's cheapest. From there I can ride the Megabus to Charlotte for less than $20. I will most likely rent a car there, but still looking at other options...maybe Amtraking it? Has anyone done this, and which cities should I plan on going through if I want to make a loop from Atlanta and back? (going through both N and S Carolina?) Thanks for your help!
I'd rent a car - then decide on the northern route
Charlotte to Gastonia, to Hickory to Ashville ( all in NC) then swing south to Spartenburg to Greenville to Anderson, all in SC and back to Altlanta
Or the southern route
Charlotte NC to to SC- Spartanberg to Greenville, then to Columbia to Aiken, then on to Augusta, GA & back to Atlanta.
Or if you just want to drive through real fast , do both routes. If you want to get out, poke around, find some fine spots for dining, see a few sights, etc. pick only one or the other
That time of year, I'd recommend the "northern" route, maybe spending a night in Asheville, there might be some fall foliage by then. Perhaps take a spin on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From there, down to Greenville/Spartanburg...Greenville has a really neat downtown area, and Spartanburg has some Revolutionary War sites nearby if you're into history.
I think the Western mountain area around Asheville is the neatest part of NC. However, the most "tourist-oriented" area of SC, where I would direct tourists with more time to spend, is around Charleston, which unfortunately is a bit out of the way given your itinerary.
Thanks! I was able to find a ticket to Charlotte, so I'll be flying directly there. Now to plan!
Having 3 days, I'd spend one in Charlotte, one in Charleston & one in Asheville to get a taste of the Carolinas - there is obviously a lot more to see, but those would be the 3 places I'd see first.
3 hours driving from Charlotte to Charleston, 4 hours from Charleston to Asheville and 2 hours back to Charlotte. You could also 'stop' in Columbia and Greenville-Spartanburg along those routes if there is anything in particular that you would like to see in those places.
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