Dallas, TX through the Midwest - Let me pick your brain please!

[KiiroiSenko]

Hello all,

I'm looking to take a roadtrip towards the end of June starting in Dallas and doing some kind of loop through the midwest.

In order to keep this thread from being too unwieldy, I'm looking for interesting spots to visit in the roughly designated area I've drawn.



I want this road trip to be a full loop coming back through New Orleans and back on home.

Any thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

[glc]

How long (days) will this trip be? What are your interests?

[KiiroiSenko]

The trip will be anywhere from 4-6 days, but this is a flexible timeline. I want this roadtrip to have a scenic outdoor emphasis. Places like The Great Smokey Mountains and The Columbus Zoo are 2 places I definitely plan to visit.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Looking at the outline of your trip, it would suggest that you have a full 5 days of driving to cover the 2700 or so miles, leaving you with only time for short stops for food and bathroom breaks and to fill with gas. Even with 6 days you are not going to have time for much else, other than looking around the places you end up at for the night.

I think you could do with more time, or cut back on your miles or else your sight seeing will be that of what you see through the windscreen of your car.

[KiiroiSenko]

Thanks for the help guys.

Please ignore the timeline for now, as that is not really an issue. Can you please recommend some interesting scenic spots within that area or nearby? As I determine which of these spots I want to go to, I will reverse engineer a driving timeline that is comfortable and reasonable.

Thanks again

[morgail]

I can give you some ideas for KY and TN. The Smokies aren't within the circle you drew, but if you love scenic natural settings, I'd highly recommend a visit (and recommend avoiding Pigeon Forge unless you're into outlet shopping and mini golf). Red River Gorge & Natural Bridge state parks in Eastern Kentucky are gorgeous & great for hiking, camping, and climbing. Mammoth Cave is a lot of fun and incredible to see (I'd recommend the spelunking tour if you're physically able). The drive through central Kentucky on I-64, especially between Frankfort and Lexington, is full of rolling green hills & horse farms. It's even prettier off the interstate on the back roads in the Versailles, Midway, & Nicholasville area. The Cumberland Gap area on the KY-TN-VA border is supposed to be beautiful, but I've not been there (yet). I think that's east of the circle you drew, though.

[Mass Tim]

The Cumberland Gap area on the KY-TN-VA border is supposed to be beautiful, but I've not been there (yet). I think that's east of the circle you drew, though.

Cumberland Gap indeed is a nice area to visit, and it appears to be a couple of pixels away from the circle drawn - at the border of VA,KY, and TN. Nearby, you can stop at chained rock (Pineville, KY) for a good view of the area.

[KiiroiSenko]

Thanks guys for the suggestions, these are all great! The area I drew was just a rough outline, I still plan to hit up the Smokies.

Thanks