Looking for advice for a trip through the south

[Mark]

Take the N off Nashville and visit Asheville, NC, and take in some of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/parkway-map/
Asheville is a hippy fun city, quite artsy. We did not go to Biltmore, but those look like some incredible gardens.
https://www.biltmore.com/

I liked Asheville too when we went to S.C. for the big eclipse.  Happy hippy town was my impression too.  We stopped by a couple of galleries for shows Lias was keen to see.  Funny story, because we signed in some friends from D.C. who'd also come down for the eclipse with their son and granddaughter called us up and we ended up meeting up for lunch there.  Then we drove along the parkway and had dinner at a lodge with a great view.  I imagine we might cover some of the same territory next time through.  Like you we skipped the Biltmore as too pricey for the limited time we had available for it.