1974 MGB/GT summer cross country trip

[lawnvett]

I plan to spend 6 weeks exploring 2ndary roads from NC to Independence, MO where I will meet up with some like minded MG drivers to follow the Oregon trail to a national meeting of our little British cars in Corvallis OR July 10-14. After the car meet & show I want to sight see the Oregon and CA coasts and include lay overs in Cupertino and LA to see children and grandson.

I'm a 64 year old male traveling solo in a very fit 39 year old sports car. I will combine tent camping, motels, and visits with friends and families. I have done three other long road trip in my old MGs. I'm interested in suggestions for fun roads with lots of twisties. State and National parks for camping. Auto museums and local historical points of interest. I like to travel about 200 miles per day and mainly avoid interstates except to get thru a city. I plan to spend $33 per day for food, $44 per day for gas and $50 average for shelter a mix of cheaper camping and some modesty priced motels. Any help you might give would be most graciously appreciated'

[Lifemagician]

Hi, and Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip forum.

You sound like quite an experienced roadtripper. I can't imagine a more fun trip than in an MG, with the top down.

As for twisting windy roads.... well, any good map will show you where they are. I imagine you have copies of maps for all the States you plan to visit. Some of my favourites are through the Rockies in CO - far too many to list here - and the Beartooth Highway into the North East entrance of Yellowstone. That is a ride to savour!

Alt 14 over the Bighorn Mts in WY is another.

Lifey

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Not sure of where in North Carolina you'll be leaving from, but let's assume that you're going to be crossing the Appalachians through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From there, using US-321/US-70/US-27 to get around Knoxville will take you to TN-52, a very nice little road that runs along Tennessee's northern state line to roughly the Land Between the Lakes. Follow that with a bit of I-24 for a change of pace into southern Illinois to hook up with IL-146/IL-3(the Great River Road) up to around Elk Grove and take the ferry over to Ste Genevieve. After you enjoy some ice cream at the honest-to-goodness parlor try MO-8/MO-7 (with a short connection via I-44) to get to the KC area, thus avoiding St. Louis all together. From there, I guess you're pretty well set to follow the Oregon Trail with your caravan.

Heading south from Corvalis, you really can't do better than the Pacific Coast Highway, US-101 and/or CA-1 all the way to Los Angeles. But then, assuming you're going to head home to North Carolina and will basically be following I-40, be sure to drive the longest remaining bit of the old 'Mother' road bed: AZ-66 from Kingman to Seligman through Peach Springs. Then, whether or not you visit the Grand Canyon, take US-89/US-160/US-163 up through Monument Valley. Unfortunately, your MG simply won't be able to handle the roads through the Valley to the best spots, so plan on hiring a local guide and his jeep at the Navajo Tribal Park center, Then use UT-163/C)-41/US-160(west!) to join up with US-64 across northern New Mexico for some more great scenery in the San Juan Mountains. You'll then be out on the Great Plains through Oklahoma but you'll want to aim for Talihina in southeastern Oklahoma to hit the start of the Talimena Scenic Byway through the Ozarks to Mena AR. US-270/US-79 would then get you across Arkansas to Memphis and US-64 would follow the southern state line to the Chattanooga area. I think I can leave it to you to find your way home from there.

There are other possibilities, of course, but those are a few nice, scenic roads for you to consider.

AZBuck

[lawnvett]

Thanks and I will post about my trip!

[DonnaR57]

If you have an extra 30 minutes or so, and are "passing through" Flagstaff, you can get on Historic Route 66 there and see the old train station (still serving, I believe) and some other old historic buildings. On Friday, I took 10 teens through this. We turned around in the parking lot of an ancient motel -- must have been there in Rt 66's prime time.


Donna

[lawnvett]

I am making a list of places to see so keep them coming

If you have an extra 30 minutes or so, and are "passing through" Flagstaff, you can get on Historic Route 66 there and see the old train station (still serving, I believe) and some other old historic buildings. On Friday, I took 10 teens through this. We turned around in the parking lot of an ancient motel -- must have been there in Rt 66's prime time.


Donna

[lawnvett]

Haven't been here for a while, but have been busy with trip prep and will be departing in a few weeks. If there are any new suggestions I have some wiggle room in my itinerary. I have an entire extra day built in every 5 or 6 days for whatever might come up. Especially looking for: where to eat, local family style food for reasonable prices,
ferry crossings of bridges such as Cape Girardaeau , MO.

[lawnvett]

I'm still looking for last minute ideas:
1) locally owned family restaurants along my route
2) ferry crossings around Cape Girardeau, MO

[lawnvett]

Car is ready, trip begin July 5th, 2013 still looking for suggestions for interesting restaurants for family style cooking local food, owner operated anywhere along the route or 30 minutes off the route.

Sat. July 6th Crossville TN

then on Sun. 7-7 we will tour two museums in Nashville before contuining on back roads to

our 2nd overnight Sunday July 7th in Paducha, KY hope to meet up with Mickey R from MGE and maybe do a river ferry
not yet sure where we will cross the Mississippi river suggestions needed.


3rd night Monday July 8 th is scheduled for Farmington, Mo.

On July 9th we may visit Victoria British then check in at the jumping off place in Independence, MO

July 11 – Independence, MO to N. Platte, NE
•July 12 – N. Platte to Ft. Laramie, WY
•July 13 – Ft. Laramie to Ft. Bridger, WY
•July 14 – Ft. Bridger to Twin Falls, ID
•July 15 – Twin Falls to Pendleton, OR
•July 16 – Pendleton to Corvallis
after the MG convention in Corvallis
I will travel 1 & 101 south to SFO area.

[DonnaR57]

Not far from Farmington MO is a little bitty town called Irondale. There in Irondale is the Blue Haven Cafe at 105 S Oak Street. Phone is 573-749-3422.
Cross Streets: Between W Pine St and N Oak St/W Cherry

The food has been incredible, homecooked, and pretty inexpensive, for years. Though we haven't been down there in awhile, family has and still raves about it. Call ahead to make sure they're open because they run crazy hours.

Donna