NYC to Dallas in February

[Noora]

I'm new to the whole roadtrip thing and would love to get some good advice and hints on how to get from NYC to Dallas in February. We've reserved a luxurious two weeks for trip and the big cities on the way that I've checked so far and would like stop at are Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis.

If you have any ideas on what to see and experience on the way, I would be forever grateful for your input. I'd like to know about good places to eat and sleep (even camping sites) and of course about memorable sights.

Thank you in advance!
Noora

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Well, since you are Finnish, I'm going to assume that you know how to drive in the snow. You also seem to have a pretty good grasp of where you'd like to go. What I'd suggest is that, besides our large cities, you also take the chance to see some of our scenery as well. The Blue Ridge Parkway will in all likelihood be closed, but you could take a short detour to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Either Vicksburg or Memphis offers a chance to see the Mississippi River, Memphis has the model of the river on Mud Island. Those are just a few of the possibilities off the top of my head. If you let us know what your particular interests are and whether this will be a one-way trip or you'll be returning to New York, it might be possible to give you some more specific recommendations.

AZBuck

[Noora]

First of all, everything interests me. History, natural wonders, beutiful scenery and of course being as young as I am, going out and having fun. :) So as you can imagine, it's very hard for me to pin point any particular places or things I'd like to see.

From Dallas we're heading to Grand Rapids, MI. We'll most likely take the shortest route possible because I want to spend as much time possible at our destination as I can. From MI I'll be travelling back to New York, but I have about three days reserved for that trip.

Thank you for your advice!

[AZBuck]

OK - for starters, I'd suggest that you include Memphis and Nashville on the Dallas to Grand Rapids portion of your trip rather than the New York to Dallas leg. It just makes more logistical sense, but ultimately the arrangement and timing of your stops is up to you.

Secondly, you've already got a number of cities with great night life included, so I don't think you'll be wanting in that regard, but consider some additional stops in the towns that host our larger universities such as Durham and Chapel Hill, NC; Clemson, SC; Tuscaloosa, AL; Louisville, KY; and Bloomington, IN. All are either directly on or very near your route and would make good places to explore the local 'culture'.

As for scenic and natural wonders, here are a few (besides those I mentioned in my previous post) that are on your way. Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, AR, Mammoth Cave National Park, just north of Bowling Green, KY, and the Falls of the Ohio State Park just across the Ohio River from Louisville which contains 385 million year old fossils. Finally consider returning to New York from Grand Rapids by way of Canada (from Detroit to Niagara Falls) to see the falls from both the Canadian and US sides.

And finally, I think if you really explore Philadelphia, Washington and Vicksburg, you'll get a good dose of the three major epochs (Revolution, Civil War, and the present) of American History. Enjoy your trip!

AZBuck