The Great Smokey Mountains would be cool to hike around in. Why not do what governor Sanford said he did and hike the Appalachian Trail. That would be a fun trek and you can hop on in any of the states you mentioned.
I live in the Arizona desert west of Phoenix. Our public rescue teams are always plucking people out of the desert for dehydration reasons. The pros estimate one gallon of water for each hour you are hiking. That much water can weigh an awful lot and be tough to carry. You might be able to...