come to panama city, florida! just for fun and sun, not much design-type stuff here :) downtown is known for it's antique stores and have quite a few vintage and modern type items that are fun.

In no specific order:

1.) Fairhope and Point Clear, Alabama (about 15 miles south of I-10, east side of Mobile Bay) are lovely, have an abundance of artists and writers, good sailing, lazy days, quirky B&Bs, and some decent food.

2.) The towns of the Atchafalaya Basin are great for swamps and Cajun food, and zydeco. There's a gas station with the best homemade red beans and rice on the planet near Beaux Bridge (but the tourist trap cajun places around there are terrible)

3.) Santa Rosa Island National Sea Shore (barrier island near Pensacola) lost its magnificent 30ft dunes in hurricane Opal, and then again in Ivan, but the smaller rising dunes and amazingly clear aqua-emerald water and white sand compose some of the most stunning beaches in the US.

4.) St. Andrews State Park and/or Ponce de Leon Springs Park (If you're from Austin, then Ponce is kind of like the Comal River, minus Schlitterbahn).

5.) New Orleans -- especially if you haven't been since Katrina.

6.) Sailing Mobile Bay.

7.) Kayaking the Blackwater River.

It's an interesting swath of the US and it's roundly ignored, in many cases to its lovely benefit.

As for design, if you love French, Italian, or English antiques then Aubergine and RF Architectural Antiques in Fairhope, Alabama will delight. There is an abundance of (albeit largely beachy or kitschy) art, fabric, and specialty shops with local wares, too.

New Orleans is a feast of affordable second-hand furniture, design elements, and craft.

This historic districts of New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola have some classic architecture (and some of the oldest in the country).

As for modern, some of the post Katrina affordable housing projects in NO are innovative and interesting. Also, you'll see more than a handful of Tumbleweed and Tiny-houses all along that swath of coast.

For modern design elements...well, Austin's your best location on that route.

While in Fairhope, eat at Ben's BBQ restaurant. It's simply fantastic!

Original Ben's Jr.
552 N Section St, Fairhope - (251) 928-1211

You will not regret it!

When passing through Jackson, MS, you must make a stop for lunch or dinner at Walker's Drive In - incredible art deco diner architecture with award-winning gourmet food in the Fondren District. (http://www.walkersdrivein.com/)

In the same neighborhood, stop by Interiors Market and Glo Design studio for some great interior design finds and a delicious latte at Cups Espresso Cafe. Many great artist galleries are contained within this area as well with emerging Southern artists. These are all within a two-block radius that you can simply walk around. For more info, check out http://www.fondren.org/

Of course, if you have not been to the village of Seaside, Florida, it is a must see:

http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/la/LA338-S01/groups/c/Sea4.jpg

Kenneth

In Lafayette, stop at the Blue Dog cafe at 1211 West Pinhook Road for amazing orginal art by a great cajun painter (George Rodrigue).

In Baton Rouge, Art Deco is on display at the state capitol and drive through LSU for some amazing Italian Renaissance architecture and one of the prettiest campuses you've ever seen.

Head down River Road along the Mississippi (http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/louisiana/riverroad.htm) and stop by Oak Alley, Laura Plantation and San Francisco Plantation in St. John and St. James' parishes. All of them have daily tours.

Of course, New Orleans is amazing... Ditch your car and take the streetcar down St. Charles into the French Quarter. You can also drive into the Ninth Ward and check out the Brad Pitt's "Make it Right" homes. To get there, cross the Industrial Canal on N. Clairborne and keep your eyes peeled to the left. The houses stand out on Tennessee, Reynes and possibly more.

Another favorite is to take US 90 through Waveland and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Wakulla Springs is absolutely beautiful! Appalachia Cola and Santa Rosa Beach, all in FL.

In Alabama, if you get to go through Birmingham, stop at the Civil Rights Institute (http://www.bcri.org/index.html). It's pretty awesome. Also, if you're interested in excellent BBQ, go to Jim 'N Nicks or Dreamland. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a great place to take a stroll or a quick nap. Nabeel's Cafe has exceptional food, too, if you're in a Mediterranean sort of mood, and the Homewood area (a community in Birmingham) is cute. Actually, this might be helpful: http://www.birminghamchamber.com/visiting/birmingham.html, if you're interested.
Mobile is also gorgeous. I'm not as familiar with things to do there, but it's a beautiful place to be if you get the chance to go.

Second Ben's BBQ in Fairhope. (Now pondering whether it may be worth the 6 hour drive this weekend....) It's SE style pulled-pork, different but equally good, as the brisket BBQ found in Austin and the Texas Hill Country. I'd also suggest Camelia Cafe in nearby Daphne. If you want to see more of Mobile Bay's Eastern Shore, crack open any given issue of Coastal Living. It is almost always in there.

Seaside is interesting if you're in to movie sets or the birth of the (often paradoxical) new urbanism movement, and the beach is lovely-- but not the Panhandle's best.

I'd add Algiers to the New Orleans list with the 9th Ward, French Quarter, Garden District, etc.

If you're from Austin and haven't tubed the Comal River or want a kitschy diversion, then add New Braunfels to the list if you're up for adding a smidge of time by catching I-10 closer to San Antonio--worthy of several lost days itself, of course.

Apalachacola, FL, is worthy diversion form Tallahassee --especially if the local oysters are in season.

Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, GA, makes some lovely cheeses, including one of the world's best bries. (Seriously...and I've lived in France.) It's less than an hour from Tallahassee, and they give tours and tastings.

...and if you're in Tallahassee, you're 2.5 hours from the Atlantic Ocean. Anastasia Island, near St. Augustine, offers the best NE Florida / First Coast beaches.

[b]Lindsey D.[/b], Birmingham is about 5 hours north of the Austin to Tallahassee route, but agreed on the Civil Rights Institute -- fantastic. Dreamland BBQ, however, I've never been too impressed with...probably because Ben's (Fairhope, AL) and Praters (Morrison, TN) have set the bar high and ruined all other SE style BBQ for me.

If you do go up to Birmingham, you might want to make a trip north to Scottsboro. Its out of the way, but it is home to one of the most amazing second hand stores! Unclaimed Baggage (www.unclaimedbaggage.com)! Its is where all lost airline bags go! If you think about it, when you pack for a trip you usually take your best stuff, so unlike most second hand stores, you are picking through things people didn't want to give away.

As for Florida, definitely spend time on the West Coast! The beaches there are amazing! St Augustine and Anastasia Island are not 2.5 hours away (more like 3.5), but if you decide to drive that distance, let me know! I live there!

-- JaxByDefault, its nice to see someone else in Jacksonville who appreciates a website like this!

Add Ocean Springs, MS off I-10 to the list. It's downtown is a quirky, lovely award-winning example of a walkable small seaside town. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is a great find, as well as local art galleries and funky shops. Food is fabulous-get a shrimp poboy, sushi or try the best donuts around-tatonuts. Across the new beautiful bridge (also great to walk) lies Biloxi and Frank Gehry's Ohr-O'Keefe museum under construction. Have fun and don't tell everybody, it's not crowded yet.

Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions I can't wait for my trip 3 weeks and counting down!

-Courtney