TX to NC suggestions

My wife, 17 yr old son, and myself will be leaving Dallas TX area heading home to Charlotte NC.

We'll be leaving 12/26/24 and we are in no real rush to get home and want to make the most out of this trip.

We'll be taking the south route of Interstate 20 east through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and then once in Atlanta, GA we take i85 North through South Carolina.

I've done this route a hundred times but never had the time to just enjoy and explore.

We don't mind driving off the beaten path to make a memory and experience something unique.

What suggestions, "must sees", or tips do you have??

We tried using the Map Wizard but it didn't show anything other than the route itself. (could be user error)

Thanks in advance!

If you drive I-20/I-85 all the time, why not try something different so that the whole drive will be an exploration of the "off the beaten path" and will certainly make memories of new experiences, even for you. I'm going to assume that others will chime in on their favorite sights along your proposed route, so I'm going to suggest another route altogether. The backbone will be I-30 to Little Rock, I-40 to either Hickory NC (and US-31 from there to Charlotte) or Statesvile NC (and I-76 from there to Charlotte). Some 'unique' sites along, near, or a short detour from this route would include

Crater of Diamonds State Park - the only diamond mine in the U.S. You can dig for them yourselves and keep whatever you find.
New Madrid MO which is where the largest earthquake in U.S. history occurred in 1811.
Memphis TN if you're a fan of the Blues.
Nashville TN a must if you're a country music fan.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

While those are some of the larger attractions along this route, there are others on a smaller scale that we can recommend or that you could find, if that general route appeals to you.

AZBuck

I-40 is still closed in western NC but they might get 1 lane open by New Years. I would recommend an alternate. The published detours are I-81 and I-77 or I-24 and US-74 or US-25 and I-26.

Quote:

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We tried using the Map Wizard but it didn't show anything other than the route itself. (could be user error)

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Did you click on the 'Find road trip attractions' box in Step 2? You can select 50 or 100 mile search area from your route. Using the Advanced maps tool, you can use waypoints to alter a route to suit you.

You can keep abreast of road closures in North Carolina HERE. The I-40 closures might prove to be a blessing in disguise, giving you an opportunity for "driving off the beaten path to make a memory and experience something unique."

AZBuck

Driving I-20 is usually a snoozefest, but with time, it can be epic.
Instead of just blasting through, consider a detour to Natchez, Mississippi – beautiful antebellum homes. In Alabama, check out the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham – powerful stuff.
For something totally different, look into the quirky roadside attractions along the way.