Driving from Dallas to D.C. Which route? What to see?

[Faithr]

Our oldest is graduating this May. We are probably going to fly out to see her in Dallas and then rent a van and maybe take a week to drive back and see some of the country. I'm looking at two routes. One would be through Arkansas, Tennessee and then up through Va. What to see in Arkansas? I would very much like to visit Memphis and Nashville (never been there) and I'd like to spend a night or two in the Great Smoky Mts (as a child I had a wonderful family vacation in the Smoky mtns, so I have fond memories).

 

However, we could also drive back an alternate way. We could go up to Oklahoma City and then over to Missouri (I really want to see Laura Ingalls Wilders home in Mansfield), then to St. Louis (one of my favorite movies is Meet Me in St. Louis!) Not sure what we'd see between St. Louis and DC. But we've never really traveled in the midwestern portion of the country.

 

In my head I'm billing this as our Americana vacation. But it either is going to be a Southern Americana tour or a Midwestern Americana tour. I don't know which one! What's the best way to see the Mississippi River? I have only ever seen it as I fly over it! It would be neat to see it up close.

 

I welcome any input. Thanks.

[KungFuPanda]

I'd go southern in the winter, but I hate cold :-)

[bettyandbob]

I'd do the route with Memphis, Nashville and the Great Smoky Mts. It looks more interesting and fun to me and in general looks like it could be interesting to a range of ages (if your whole family will be on the trip.

[Freckles]

I've taken the southern route several times. We lived in Wheaton, MD, but our families were in Austin, TX. There are too many things to see and do for me to name them all. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is worth the time!!! Smokey National Park is beautiful. You can take the trail to Laurel Falls, see Cade's Cove, and the Aquariaum of the Smokies is amazing. I love southern cooking; we always stop at Casey Jones Buffet in Jackson, TN. It is right off of I-40. They have a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville. It really is a fun route if you take the time to stop and see things.

[hellen]

For the southern route you have the diamond place in Arkansas. It's a state park where you can dig for diamonds and keep any you find. The Clinton library is supposed to be interesting in Little Rock. The interesting portions of Tennessee have already been listed.

 

For the northern route , it would be shorter to bypass Oklahoma City. You would travel in the eastern portion of the state and then take the toll road into Missouri. There is not much when driving that route through OK. If you wanted to see an Oklahoma town, Tulsa is nicer than Oklahoma City but I can't think of anything off the top if my head to see. There is not much on the interstate driving through Missouri. After St. Louis you could take the southern route into Louisville KY which has just been named the top travel destination by some publication. There is a lot to see there including the Kentucky Derby museum, Slugger baseball bat factory, and a great war history museum. From there you would drive through West Virginia which is quite pretty. You could take the northern route through Indianapolis and stop at Connor Prairie which is just north of Indianapolis. I can't help beyond that because I've not driven the rest of that route.

[hellen]

I wanted to add that Memphis has a Mississippi River museum. I don't know if St. Louis has anything like it. It's been a while since I've stopped in St. Louis.

[Freckles]

I grew up outside of OKC. They have the Murrah Federal Bldg. Memorial. They have the Round Barn in Arcadia. It won't take you long to see, but it's neat.

The Softball Hall of Fame as well as the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum are both in OKC off of I-35. They have the best Mexican food at Ted's, and Leo's bar-b-que which is a little hole in the wall has been on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

[Lanny]

After 17+ years as an Overseas American, the memories are a little vague, but I would vote for the Southern route. I lived near Dallas for 28 years, and a number of times, I drove from North Central Texas to the Northeast. My favorite route was going through Tennessee (I-40?) and then up I-81, through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. I remember East Tennesee and the Shenandoah Valley as the prettiest parts of those trips. Especially I-81 in Virginia. Suggest you visit the State Tourism web sites of Tennessee and Virginia in January and request information from them. Have a great trip!

[Faithr]

Thanks all. I have been happily planning a trip from Dallas to Memphis to Nashville, to the Great Smoky Mountains with a little side trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and then back home to Virginia. I think it will be fun. I am going to let the family vote on it though to see what route interests them the most.

 

Thanks very much for your input.

[readwithem]

Thanks all. I have been happily planning a trip from Dallas to Memphis to Nashville, to the Great Smoky Mountains with a little side trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and then back home to Virginia. I think it will be fun. I am going to let the family vote on it though to see what route interests them the most.

 

Thanks very much for your input.

 

 

 

Just saw this and I think this is a great idea. You don't want to do the drive round trip? :driving: :smash: :thumbdown:

Just kidding. We're in the DFW area and my dd goes to college in VA so I've done that drive more times than I care to count. It's a VERY long drive no matter which way you do it.

 

I've crossed the Mississippi many times at both Baton Rouge and Memphis, and I think Memphis is more dramatic - maybe because you're also crossing a state line ;)

[Faithr]

We actually were thinking of driving there the Southern way and then coming back through Missouri, etc, but it would take too long and we are hoping to get a week in at the beach in August too. My husband can't take off so many weeks for vacation. And also our son is being Confirmed here in VA on 5/17 but then we need to be in Dallas on 5/19, so that kind of clinched for us!

[Halftime Hope]

We've driven this a million times. Go the Memphis/Nashville route. A fun, free, 5 minute leg-stretching stop is to stop and visit the Exxon tiger at Natural Bridge (exit 175 off of Hmy 81) in far western VA. We've taken "growing up" pictures of my kids with the tiger numerous times.

 

Auggh! I just Google mapped it, and you can no longer see the tiger on the Google drive by. You used to be able to see the tiger in front of the Exxon, but they've changed the Google 360 images. Bahhh! There are a bunch of ratty old pickup trucks in front of it. (It's right outside of the store door.)

 

The tiger is a big fiberglass tiger, big enough for a family to pose with him in their middle. : )

 

The Missippi River Museum in Memphis is really interesting, and you get out to the little island by monorail. :) On the land side, there is a relief map of the Mississippi River that shows the river from its beginning to the Delta. Pretty cool for kids to understand. I'd be sure everyone read Tom Sawyer in the spring, since I'm such a homeschooler! LOL

 

Also, if you have time, while you are in the Cherokee area, the Nantahala River offers wonderful, unforgettable tubing. (Your kids will never forget the experience, I promise.)

[mereminerals]

We have made the trip from Tulsa, OK to the DC area for the past few years for Christmas. Last year we decided to change things up and go through St. Louis instead of taking our typical southern route. The construction was horrendous. I don't know if it is any better this year, but it took us forever to get through it last year. We quickly decided to come back the southern route. We are usually driving straight through, so I don't have any recommendations on places to check out. Have a fun and safe trip.