By Tom Adkinson

You can do it without any embarrassment in Florida. You can do it in your car in North Carolina. And you can do it in Tennessee if you're willing to slip away on a pathway to heaven.

It's highpointing – a fancy term for reaching the highest point of elevation in a state – but a welcomed low point on vacation budgets. Highpointing is free in some of the Southeast's breathtaking peaks, and that's an apex for travelers looking to save some money.

Florida's Britton Hill in Walton County and Louisiana's Driskill Mountain near Bryceland are free highpointing destinations. Adding to the savings, highpointers going to Britton Hill can rest up at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa with special room rates starting at $149 per night. See hiltonsandestinbeach.com for more details. Or choose to wind down at either the Courtyard Sandestin® or Residence Inn Sandestin® Marriott hotels with rates starting at only $129 per night. Visit marriottsandestin.com to plan your Florida highpointing adventure.

The 12 highpoints in the Southeast vary dramatically. Florida's Britton Hill in Walton County is a whopping 345 feet above sea level, and Louisiana's Driskill Mountain near Bryceland rises only 535 feet high.

However, Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina is well more than a mile high at 6,684 feet, and Tennessee's Clingmans Dome measures 6,643 feet.

"One of the real benefits of highpointing is seeing how great and diverse America's geography is, and perhaps the most fun part is planning the trips," said Bill Deitzer, a board member of the Highpointers Club.

The Highpointers Club compiles information about the 50 U.S. peaks and generates interest in visiting those landmarks. The organization is a quasi travel and conservation club because its members want to protect and enhance their 50 destinations.

The club was started by Jack Longacre in 1987. It has about 2,300 members today.

The group meets annually, rotating through four big geographic regions to encourage members to see more of the U.S. The 2009 gathering is at High Point, N.J. (elevation 1,803 feet and just off the Appalachian Trail), and the 2010 conference will highlight Mississippi's Woodall Mountain (elevation 806 feet south of Iuka).

The Southeast's Highpoints
Alabama: Cheaha Mountain, 2,405 feet
Arkansas: Magazine Mountain, 2,753 feet
Florida: Britton Hill, 345 feet
Georgia: Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet
Kentucky: Black Mountain, 4,139 feet
Louisiana: Driskill Mountain, 535 feet
Mississippi: Woodall Mountain, 806 feet
North Carolina: Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 feet
South Carolina: Sassafras Mountain, 3,560 feet
Tennessee: Clingmans Dome, 6,643 feet
Virginia: Mt. Rogers, 5,729 feet
West Virginia: Spruce Knob, 4,861

Highpointing presentation
What: Wilderness Wildlife Week
When: January 9-16, 2010
Where: Pigeon Forge, Tenn
Cost: Free
Info: mypigeonforge.com/events_winterfest_wilderness.aspx

Highpointing tips
• Consider weather, season of the year, road conditions
• Know your group's physical fitness
• Research access to the highpoint. Is it on private land? Does it require permission to visit or a fee?