Fall Road Trip IL to NC

[Mwitty]

Any help would be appreciated, we want to see the fall colors, also where to stay along the way and what to do? We have never done this trip and we have 10 days to do the round trip. Wineries would be great to stop at, air museum, country concerts etc. what route would you suggest?

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

As a former resident of northern New England, I can tell you that fall foliage in a good hardwood forest at elevation is stunning, especially where you can find vistas. But 'peak' is such a fleeting period of time and varies from year to year, so much will depend on the timing of your trip. For the Smoky Mountains peak typically comes around mid-October. If you have some flexibility on when you take your trip, I'd aim for then and start making reservations now or very soon before everything gets booked up. For a base in the Smokies, you should look at Asheville on the eastern side of the mountains. Gatlinburg, in the mountains, or Knoxville on the western side could save you some driving.

Speaking of time driving, and routes for that matter, that will depend largely on where you're starting from and what far point you choose. For example Rockland to Asheville would take two days each way, while Marion to Knoxville could be done in an easy day. But the two routes wouldn't overlap anywhere so we can't really suggest routes or what to see along the route(s) we'd suggest until we know your starting point.

AZBuck

[travelingman]

I assume you mean the National Museum of the US Air Force! It’s FREE and can easily occupy you for a day! You’ll be quite disappointed if you arrive too late to see all you’d like.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...-and-Admission

[DonnaR57]

Actually - if you're just a little interested in aviation history, one full day at the National Museum of the Air Force is plenty. But if you have a great interest, two or three days would be better. They have special tours (also free) to take. The only $ are for film presentations and if you choose to eat on site in their cafeteria.


Donna

[AZBuck]

If Dayton ends up on your itinerary, Wright-Patterson would certainly be high on any list of 'air museums'. But if you do, the Wright Brothers National Museum should be on that same list. They have an original Wright Flyer III.

AZBuck