Taking vacation for a week...Creation Museum is our main destination...

[Dianne-TX]

Leaving from Houston, TX area.  Help me plan other fun things to do along the way and on the way back.  We've thought of Dollywood, Branson, Memphis or Nashville sight seeing, saw good reviews of the Cincinnatti Historical Museum, Guy Fieri's Diner's, Drive In's and Dives list.  What else????  DS13 is interested in money.  He collects coins and loves old coins.  Anything related to that?  DC ages are 13, 11, 4, 2.  Thanks for the help!

[FriedClams]

Chattanooga is awesome. Great food town, nice aquarium, good for an overnight.

[anmom]

We are planning a very similar trip from Arkansas. We are going to Discovery Park in Union City, TN, Mammoth Cave, Abe Lincoln birthplace, 2 or 3 distilleries, Creation Museum, Cincinnati Zoo, King's Island....

 

I would love to share lists to see what you come up with too!

[littlebug42]

If anyone in your family is interested in planes, about an hour north of Cinci, in Dayton, there is the National Museum of the Air Force.  Admission is free and the collection of planes is pretty awesome.  

[Chris in VA]

My geography is poor--would you be able to see Ft. Knox in KY?

[Slache]

When you go to the Creation Museum make sure you see Created Cosmos. There's a great Aquarium in Newport, KY. You can go Zorbing somewhere in Tennessee.

 

And http://www.thewilds.org/default.aspx

[Dianne-TX]

Thank you!  These are helpful.

[hellen]

My geography is poor--would you be able to see Ft. Knox in KY?

Fort Knox is not near anything and not really worth the drive. One can drive past the depository but that is it. They don't allow you to stop and get out.

 

You could look into these places:

Slugger Factory in Louisville, KY

Connor Prairie outside of Indianapolis

Frazier History Museum in Louisville, KY

[Storygirl]

I second the Museum Center in Cincinnati. It is actually three museums in one building -- a children's museum, a natural history museum, and a local history museum. One entrance fee gets you into all of them.

[kbutton]

You can find lots of stuff to do in and around Nashville/Franklin. We really liked the historic walking tour of Franklin, TN (Franklin on Foot tours). 

[hellen]

Try Cincinnati chili. It is completely different than any chili you've ever had. It's more like a sweet meat sauce served over spaghetti. If you can get past the name and your thoughts of what chili should be then it is quite interesting.

[mamatohaleybug]

Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Zoo, Newport Aquarium, Kings Island, Underground Museum are all fun in the Cincinnati area. We like the Cincinnati Art Museum http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/. Cincinnati chili is a must try.

 

If you go through Lexington, the Kentucky Horse Park is great. Kentucky has numerous wonderful state parks.

 

If you go through Louisville, the Frazier History Museum is good. Louisville Slugger museum is pretty much across the street. A riverboat ride on the Ohio River would be fun. A hot brown (meal) is a Kentucky classic. Yummy!

 

Mammoth Cave National Park is awesome. Kentucky Down Under is nearby and fun. Corvette Museum is nearby, in Bowling Green. Actually, quite a few fun things near Mammoth Cave.

 

Dollywood is a long way out of the way. It's great but about 5 hours away from Cincy. If you do go there, post back and I'll give you other ideas for that area, too.

 

We live in the area. :)

 

 

 

 

[vonfirmath]

We REALLY want to do that trip (From Austin) over Thanksgiving. Don't know if its going to happen or not.

 

My husband wants to try Skyline Chili while we are there. Its evidently iconic there.  And go see a baseball game if there is a home game in that time.

 

Then we'd head up to Columbus and visit with my cousins and their kids.

 

[Rachel]

I'm not sure when you are planning to go but kid tickets are free through the end of the year. I'm not sure if the 13 year old would qualify but it would save quite a bit on the other 3 tickets.

 

Not site seeing but in Hebron which is near the Creation Museum exit there is a Gap Clearance Center. It's hit or miss but on a good day you can find tons of clothes cheap. They have overstock, returns, and seconds from all their brands. Zappos has a similar center in Shepherdsville, Ky which is near Louisville.

[mom2scouts]

Newport Aquarium!

[Ottakee]

My kids would LOVE the Kentucky Horse park in Lexington, KY but not sure if that would interest your family.

[Caroline]

We REALLY want to do that trip (From Austin) over Thanksgiving. Don't know if its going to happen or not.

 

My husband wants to try Skyline Chili while we are there. Its evidently iconic there. And go see a baseball game if there is a home game in that time.

 

Then we'd head up to Columbus and visit with my cousins and their kids.

Baseball is in the offseason over Thanksgiving. Just a warning there...

[Cinder]

I love Skyline but but its maybe an acquired taste...

 

Yes it is. When we lived in the area we'd heard we *had* to eat at Skyline. We lived there 4 years and ate at Skyline exactly once. :p

[littlebug42]

Graeter's ice cream is also a must try.  The coconut chip is awesome. 

 

[hellen]

Graeter's ice cream is also a must try. The coconut chip is awesome.

I agree. They put huge chunks of chocolate in their ice cream so anything with that in it is incredible. The coconut chip is our favorite as well. Black raspberry is also popular. They sell it at grocery stores and at their own retail locations.

 

Another regional ice cream thing is soft serve mixed with flavorings to make it grape, butterscotch, watermelon, etc. flavored. You'll find seasonal stands throughout the area.

[Dianne-TX]

Okay, we've narrowed down our route...

 

Stop in Memphis, arrive in Petersburg, KY and stay there four nights, visit Amish country in OH on Wednesday and stay over there, go to Air Force Museum in Dayton before heading back home.  We will also stop over in Chattanooga on the way back home, I think.  So, my question is...

 

Where should we stay in Amish Country?  Where should we stay in Chattanooga?  Thank you!  :)