As I have made many long trips in the past two years (GA-TX +2,000 miles round trip, not counting the mileage I drive in each state while there!) I have made a checklist for myself before leaving. And here it is:
1 - Check all FLUIDS : oil (change change change!) tranny, coolant, power steering, washer fluid
1a - make sure to take a little of all fluids with you (oil, coolant, water, etc). Since you're going south through GA, you're likely going into long stretches of road where there is NOTHING. And better safe than sorry.
2 - Check TIRES: pressure, tread depth, alignment.
2a - CHECK THE SPARE TIRE!! Most people never look at 'em. But they CAN go flat sitting in the back of your car, and a spare tire is useless if it's flat!
2b - Make sure you actually have all the parts necissary to jack the car up! Sounds stupid I know, but I have, in the past, taken the tire iron out (for cleaning, etc) and forgotten to put it back in. And the stealership sold my parents a Sentra WITHOUT ONE AT ALL!!! A FLAT spare tire is even more useless if ya can't get the car off the ground.
3 - Have a small TOOL CHEST! Or something similar. Just make sure you have enough tools when the s**t hits the fan (wrenches, screwdrivers, etc) This one can really save ya. As some of you may remember, I have had many problems on my Houston to Atlanta (and back) treks. All of which could have been easily fixed with basic tools. But insted I ended up staying at a hotel, and paying some back-water shop $$$$ to fix a minor problem.
4 - Other Items. Take food, water, basic first aid stuff, eye drops, anything that you can think you MAY need. If ya take it with you, you can be driving instead of stopping to get it on the way. Especially water. Slugging it can help keep you awake/alert if driving at night. Energy drings are a NO-NO unless it's an XS. Everything else is just basically sugar water, and will make ya feel like crap later on.