Driving Across Country...what do I NEED to see?

Rick Meyer

Rick Meyer

Veteran
Hey gang...In a few months, I plan to start my exodus back to New York from Santa Maria CA with my gf and probably her mother in tow (who really wants to experience the drive....my kind of mother in law).

I am really looking forward to this because the last two times I drove across country I was doing my best Cannonball Run impression. I made wickedly good time but I missed a lot of memories and photo ops. I don't want to draw this out forever but I just don't want to miss what I think I NEED to see. I've gone the mid-way twice...once through Kansas and back through Nebraska.

This time, I have SOME criteria...I will stop in Vegas. I think I need to see the Grand Canyon. I plan to head up to Salt Lake to visit a friend. I will stop off in Denver to visit with my gf's family (and probably stock up on Bronco paraphernalia). Also, we need to get to Chattanooga TN, and Raleigh NC.

Okay...so from Denver to TN it gets murky. I am trying to avoid the KS and MO route. I've done it. I am leaning towards heading down from Denver to Santa Fe NM then driving straight across to Memphis, TN etc.

I know NOTHING about this part of the country. I am a blank slate. Terry, I know you are an Oakie...maybe you've got some insight on this tradjectory...we'd be heading straight through if we went this route. Anything to see? Anything we must do? What about the northern tip of Texas near Amarillo? Anything? I don't care how seemingly insignificant. It could be "well, you have to stop at Bob's Steer House and eat a 72 oz. steak". I don't care. I want to mix this drive up with some killer sights and photos and make it interesting.

Arkansas? Anything to see? I'll probably stick to the traditional route from Raleigh to NY (up the coast through VA, MD, DC etc.). So, I will probably drag my girlfriend to the typical Washington DC fare.

So, if you've got ideas of sights I need to see please keep 'em coming. Heck, I'm not even sure Santa Fe is going to be worth the drive. It just looks like a pretty good looking city...

Thanks-
Rick
 
Here are my suggestions…

- Zion Nat'l Park, Utah
- Roswell, NM
- The Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, TX
- Ft. Worth Stockyards, Ft. Worth, TX
- The Clinton Library in Little Rock, AR
- Graceland Visit and Ribs at Corky's on Poplar in Memphis, TN

--SM
 
stephenmick said:
Here are my suggestions…

- Zion Nat'l Park, Utah
- Roswell, NM
- The Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, TX
- Ft. Worth Stockyards, Ft. Worth, TX
- The Clinton Library in Little Rock, AR
- Graceland Visit and Ribs at Corky's on Poplar in Memphis, TN

--SM
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Man I am digging this. For starters, I was only half kidding about the big steak house thing. half joking. :thumbup: Its something I would definitely put on my list.

And Im thinking Graceland for sure and I've seen Corky's on the Food Network. I'm all over it. I also saw Pat's BBQ in Salt Lake on the Food Network. I'm all over that too. :beer:

Seeing that Zion is right on the way...that looks pretty awesome. Hey, you ever think about being a cruise director?
 
Be forewarned: Don't go to Graceland after about 5 PM. It's centrally located in one of the worst areas to live in in the US. I lived in Memphis for a year and a half. You should check out Beale St. if it's getting late. Otherwise, check out Graceland. Also, last time I checked, it was about $40 a person to get in. Even the sidewalk outside the house is impressive. Adoring fans have written thousands of messages everywhere.

As for Corky's, I wasn't much impressed, but I grew up on NC BBQ. Though, that wouldn't be a bad idea either. Stop in Texas, Memphis, SC, and NC for BBQ. They're all different.

As for Oklahoma ... well, we have pump jacks, the Cowboy & Western Museum, a pretty good zoo ... I really can't think of anything worth stopping for. I'd miss OK, and get the 72 oz. steak in Amarillo (you'll see signs for it from 200 miles away at least on 40). I'm guessing Texas has some better spots.
 
Jerome, AZ. It's a copper-mining ghost-town that has been repopulated. You can see Sedona from the mountainside there, and the hotel at the top is haunted.

Forget Corky's. When in Memphis, eat your Q at The Rendezvous. And Mud Island may be something to consider in Memphis. There's also a place down near Beale called The Flying Saucer... 128 beers on tap. One in Nashville as well.

If you're coming in through Memphis and need to get to Chattanooga, you have to take 40 to Nashville, then get on 24 to Chattavegas. On your way down there, get off on exit 135, take a left, and stop for dinner at High point Restaurant in Monteagle. It's a converted house... Al Capone built it and would stay there as his mid-way rest stop between Chicago and Miami. You can also head on down the road and walk around the campus of the University of the South at Sewanee. There's a great perimeter trail around the mountain campus. If High Point isn't open when you stop by, go down to Shenannigan's on campus.

In Chattanooga, the downtown riverfront area is pretty good. Lots of food, etc. Aquarium, iMax 3D, Duck tours. Eat at The Blue Plate, a diner near the Aquarium. Get the grits.
 
Capt Quirk said:
I've always wanted to do Rt 66.
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"Cars, the newest Pixar movie causes some interest in Route 66. What people might not realize is that most of the movie, including characters, cars, places and the plot itself were based on real people and places along Route 66."

I had NO idea.

Thanks for the input guys. Keep it coming. Okay, we've got 2 votes for Corkys (if you count the Food Network) and 2 against. Thanks for the tips...C2v thanks for the Chattanooga input...since I am DEFINITELY headed there this is very useful....

Hawk-I read somewhere that Memphis is just plain dangerous. Is Beale like Bourbon street of New Orleans?
 
As Hawk mentioned, you can see the famous Big Texan steakhouse in Amarillo. You can also find Cadillac Ranch nearby. As for Oklahoma, you 'might' get to experience a tornado - guaranteed excitement if you do. There are several cool Route 66 stops throughout Oklahoma that have been restored and/or preserved.
 
Rick Meyer said:
Hawk-I read somewhere that Memphis is just plain dangerous. Is Beale like Bourbon street of New Orleans?
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Yeah, but to a smaller scale (of course). When I was living in Memphis, it got to be the #1 spot in the US for violent crimes. It was also just recently voted #2 for most depressing area to live in. Compton was #1, Chicago took #3. Memphis is pretty rough, but Beale will be fine at night. Just do NOT give any homeless people / beggars any money or everyone will swarm you. It sounds heartless, but it's a hard lesson learned.

I realized if you're taking I-40 through Nashville, you can stop by the Grande Ole Opry House. Also, from Chatanooga to Raleigh is a nice drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains via Asheville. I usually speed through there, as it really gets your adrenaline going. Once in Asheville, check out Bojangles. It's a fast food southern chicken place. Order a cajun chicken sandwich, a bo-berry buscuit, and a sweet tea. Your life will finally be complete.

Oh, and try to avoid Memphis, Nashville, and Raleigh during rush hour.
 
I've done the x/c trip 4 times on my motorcycle. Best times of my life. Since I've now seen most of the well known spots, what I might do on my next one would be to have a little fun and make it kind of a challenge. I've found some of my best memories from those trips to be of places that I didn't even expect - not even on a map. Little locations or towns here and there that are incredibly interesting or amazing for one reason or another.

You could try this - write out the alphabet, and then try to travel to/through at least one town for every letter. See if you can do the entire alphabet. Take your picture in front of the town post office or welcome sign as a record. Extra points for each COUNTY you tick off the alphabet.

Basically, other than a bit of fun with the map, this forces you to go to places you wouldn't otherwise. It forces you to get off the highway once in a while. In doing so, you'll most likely find many of the hidden treasures the country has to offer.

And if you do find yourself driving through OK, the Oklahoma City bombing memorial is incredible.

Happy Trails!
 
Hawk Teflon said:
Once in Asheville, check out Bojangles. It's a fast food southern chicken place. Order a cajun chicken sandwich, a bo-berry buscuit, and a sweet tea. Your life will finally be complete.

Oh, and try to avoid Memphis, Nashville, and Raleigh during rush hour.
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Thanks for the tip. As a regular OBX vacationer I make it a point to get a box of Bo-Berry biscuits whenver I'm in NC. GOOD CALL! They are friggin' great. I will check out the Blue Ridge mountains trek. Sounds beautiful.

Terry-

Sadly, you are confirming my suspicions about Oklahoma. I know NOTHING of that state and I've never heard anyone say "We spend our vacations in Oklahoma!" I was hoping there was SOMETHING to see...just to give you an idea about how naive I am about that state...I was once watching a documentary about a Big Foot sighting in the mountains of Eastern Oklahoma...looked beaufitul there. A lot like NY and less flat and plain that I thought it was going to look. But all I kept thinking was "Wow. Oklahoma has mountains!? I had NO IDEA!!"
 
AftonGrant said:
You could try this - write out the alphabet, and then try to travel to/through at least one town for every letter. See if you can do the entire alphabet. Take your picture in front of the town post office or welcome sign as a record. Extra points for each COUNTY you tick off the alphabet.


And if you do find yourself driving through OK, the Oklahoma City bombing memorial is incredible.

Happy Trails!
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YES! Something to see in Oklahoma!

Thanks for the idea. As you know...sometimes the long drive can have its duller moments. Something like this might spice it up. It's giving me ideas. My GF just wants go get home to NY. Me? I want this to be THE trip to remember....
 
If trekking through Oklahoma in mid-April, stop in Beaver (yeah, I know...) for the World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest. Yee-haw! Yeah, buddy... that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
 
Oh man, I totally forgot about the Bombing Memorial. I feel so dumb. Yeah, definitely check that out.

Sadly that's what it takes to get OKC on the map.
 
Hawk Teflon said:
I'm assuming you'll have all of this on video to share with us at the end?
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Actually, I've been thinking about this a lot. With the crew I am going with...my gf, her mother and eventually her aunt (we pick her up in Denver)...I fear that a video cam might not be stealthy enough for them. They would probably want to SHIV me by day 3 if I keep wanting to stop and film towns, sights and the things they say. Hell, I'm going to get guff for continually wanting to stop the convoy for a photo op. But of course, my gf with the smallest bladder in the history of bladders can ask me to stop in every civilized town to pee. Don't even get me started. This will be our second X-country go around together....:)

But, I haven't ruled it out yet because I think it would be WAY more impactful than a photo montage. But, I am leaning towards taking 1 billion photos instead. I've still got time to think about it though. I would definitely need to stock up on batteries and tapes...

Terry_Lasater said:
If trekking through Oklahoma in mid-April, stop in Beaver (yeah, I know...) for the World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest. Yee-haw! Yeah, buddy... that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
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Hilarious. I won't even tell them.
 
You can drop the photos in your NLE and make a video that way to share with us. Maybe that is what you were implying by montage...
 
Batteries, no. Just get a car charger so you'll always have it charging. Also, don't stop in places just to video. Video places you stop in. Make it brief. It doesn't have to be perfect. While it would be great to get some shots to use later (Memphis Bridge at night, Blue Ridge Parkway, Wheat blowing in the breeze), don't worry about perfection. Just get some quick grabs. It's a fun trip. I say take the video camera.
 
Hawk Teflon said:
Batteries, no. Just get a car charger so you'll always have it charging. Also, don't stop in places just to video. Video places you stop in. Make it brief. It doesn't have to be perfect. While it would be great to get some shots to use later (Memphis Bridge at night, Blue Ridge Parkway, Wheat blowing in the breeze), don't worry about perfection. Just get some quick grabs. It's a fun trip. I say take the video camera.
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You're killing me Hawk because you're making sense. I can see me now...trying to grab some video...oh and wait wait wait...let me snap a photo of that too....by the end of this I will have invested in a Glidecam and a lighting crew. :) But you are right...I probably should say "F it" and do the dirty work now and be thankful later.

Yes, Terry. Thats what I was thinking of doing originally. Piecing together a photo montage in Premiere. But...sigh...Hawk is getting to me...
 
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