2 week road trip Dallas to Chicago...
Discussion
I'm planning a road trip with my best mate next May, and were planning to fly in to Dallas on the 14th May and out of Chicago on the 28th. We'll be including the Indy 500 on the 25th, but aside from that the route and itinery is to be decided!
So, working with the above info, what's worth including and/or missing out on that route? We were thinking Memphis, Nashville and Louisville but probably only because they stood out on the map!! We're both 26, will probably do the touristy thing and hire a mustang convertible (not made of money) for the trip.
Cheers!
Dom
So, working with the above info, what's worth including and/or missing out on that route? We were thinking Memphis, Nashville and Louisville but probably only because they stood out on the map!! We're both 26, will probably do the touristy thing and hire a mustang convertible (not made of money) for the trip.
Cheers!
Dom
If you have an interest in aviation, I would recommend a visit to Dayton, Ohio - home town of the Wright Brothers. There are various museums and places of interest associated with the inventors of the aeroplane :
http://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm
Also in Dayton is the vast US Air Force Museum, by far the largest and most impressive collection of military aircraft in the world.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
http://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm
Also in Dayton is the vast US Air Force Museum, by far the largest and most impressive collection of military aircraft in the world.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
Airforce museum at Dayton OH is a good shout - though the rest of Dayton is about as inspiring as Cleckheaton.
The GM Corvette Plant and Museum at Bowling Green KY is pretty cool too.
OP needs to be a little more specific, regarding intentions and willingness to eat miles, given that you could drive from Dallas to Chitown comfortably in 2 days.
How far off the obvious route are you prepared to deviate? For instance, I think the NASCAR Sprint All Star race is in mid May at Charlotte NC next year....
The GM Corvette Plant and Museum at Bowling Green KY is pretty cool too.
OP needs to be a little more specific, regarding intentions and willingness to eat miles, given that you could drive from Dallas to Chitown comfortably in 2 days.
How far off the obvious route are you prepared to deviate? For instance, I think the NASCAR Sprint All Star race is in mid May at Charlotte NC next year....
I can't say i can help too much with that route as it's a little out of the way of where i have been. I would say though that if sports interest you, then keep an eye on the NHL and NBA playoffs, as they're likely to be around that time, and you may get lucky with games. I was at the 500 this year and managed to see the Pacers v Heat on the same day!
At that time of year, you might want to keep the radio on to catch the tornado warnings
You could potentially go to Great Smoky Mountain NP as that's fairly close to Nashville.
You should write all this down though, check driving times (via Google maps), and see what time you actually have in places. Dallas to Memphis is going to be over 7hrs driving (without stopping), and that is going to fill up a day.
At that time of year, you might want to keep the radio on to catch the tornado warnings
You could potentially go to Great Smoky Mountain NP as that's fairly close to Nashville.
You should write all this down though, check driving times (via Google maps), and see what time you actually have in places. Dallas to Memphis is going to be over 7hrs driving (without stopping), and that is going to fill up a day.
Cheers guys, some interesting suggestions (including tornados?!). I do apologise for how vague the post was, but to be honest that's just because we've got no idea of what to do or where to go etc! We haven't actually booked our flights yet, but Chicago appealed to us and we want to see some "authentic America" on our trip. We're happy to cover a fair amount of miles, but want to avoid having to get up early to do a full days driving as it's likely we'll be hungover!
Thanks!
Dom
Thanks!
Dom
Zeemax_Mini said:
Cheers guys, some interesting suggestions (including tornados?!). I do apologise for how vague the post was, but to be honest that's just because we've got no idea of what to do or where to go etc! We haven't actually booked our flights yet, but Chicago appealed to us and we want to see some "authentic America" on our trip. We're happy to cover a fair amount of miles, but want to avoid having to get up early to do a full days driving as it's likely we'll be hungover!
Thanks!
Dom
I would advise you write everything down with travel times and work out how long you have in places. Your time will soon get eaten up by the driving, especially if you can only do it late because of the hangovers! But driving is also not something to shy away from too much. Driving in the US is easy, and covering big distances (upto 600 miles is easily achievable) isn't a big problem.Thanks!
Dom
Are you actually set on starting in Dallas and ending in Chicago? It would be good to hear what you want to do on the trip. Is it all about the partying and drinking?
or some outdoor stuff? sports? (other than the 500), etc...That time of year is peak tornado season, though you're highly unlikely to see one of course. I got a tornado warning on the radio when i was travelling through South Dakota earlier this year!
Matt.. said:
I would advise you write everything down with travel times and work out how long you have in places. Your time will soon get eaten up by the driving, especially if you can only do it late because of the hangovers! But driving is also not something to shy away from too much. Driving in the US is easy, and covering big distances (upto 600 miles is easily achievable) isn't a big problem.
Are you actually set on starting in Dallas and ending in Chicago? It would be good to hear what you want to do on the trip. Is it all about the partying and drinking? or some outdoor stuff? sports? (other than the 500), etc...
That time of year is peak tornado season, though you're highly unlikely to see one of course. I got a tornado warning on the radio when i was travelling through South Dakota earlier this year!
Thanks for your reply Are you actually set on starting in Dallas and ending in Chicago? It would be good to hear what you want to do on the trip. Is it all about the partying and drinking?
or some outdoor stuff? sports? (other than the 500), etc...That time of year is peak tornado season, though you're highly unlikely to see one of course. I got a tornado warning on the radio when i was travelling through South Dakota earlier this year!
I'll sit down later and put it down on paper so that we can see the driving distances and time at each place - I was thinking 5 places in 13 nights (after travelling) would be alright.
We're both 26 year old blokes, but want to see a decent amount of stuff (a mix of culture/eating/drinking/fun activities etc) so definitely don't want to be hungover the whole time! Will definitely look up some baseball, would love to go to a game!
Dom
Here's a suggestion then - all stuff I've done myself.
From Dallas, head north west to Wichita Falls TX - visit The Iron Horse Pub - very awesome and full of flange, due to the close proximity of Sheppard AFB Flight School (Texas TopGun) -great live music - owned by a very affable Irishman.
Now head east to Memphis TN. Stay clear of West Memphis, which is rather dangerous. If you are so inclined, visit Graceland - Elvis's tacky mansion - many visitors love this place, it was a little lost on me. Some great bars/grills and restaurants in downtown Memphis - but you need to be careful not to stray into seedy parts of town.
Head further east to Nashville TN - a fun town, with a massive music heritage (both kinds, country and western) - a little safer than Memphis, but still be cautious outside of the downtown area.
Now head north to Bowling Green KY and the GM Corvette Assembly Plant and Museum. You can pre-book a plant tour and the museum is phenomenal.
Close by is the Mammoth Cave National Park - might not be your cup of tea, but it is a geological wonder - and worth a visit.
I would personally avoid Louisville KY - it's a very racially polarized city and I've never felt safe there. Far nicer are Frankfort and Lexington, both college towns, full of bars and fun-loving students - a bit rowdy sometimes but not intimidating.
From there, I would head to Cincinnati OH to satisfy a desire to see top-flight MLB Baseball. The All American Ballpark on the Riverfront is the most spectacular of the US's modern era baseball stadia - lacks the mystique of Wrigley Field or Fenway, but is a perfect venue for a first-timer - and the Reds have a fiercely loyal following. Downtown Cinci is also a lot of fun - but as usual, be very careful - just north of Downtown in Over The Rhine, you can find yourself in a world of hurt in a heartbeat.
From Cincinnati, go north to Dayton OH and the USAF museum - from there you could keep going north to Sandusky OH and Cedar Point, which is probably the best amusement park in the US. Some of the old wooden coasters are now national treasures - and the new steel stuff is highly impressive.
From Cedar Point, head west - go around (don't stop!) Toledo OH and head into Indiana toward Fort Wayne. Aim for Auburn IN. Here you'll find the ACD Museum (Auburn, Cord, Deusenberg) - a really beautiful art deco building, housing a collection of quite stunning vintage vehicles that were the US equivalent of Rolls Royce and Bentley.
From Auburn head south to Indianapolis and your Memorial Day festivities at the Brickyard. Make sure you get there Saturday before the race and head to West 16th and Georgetown Rd, Speedway IN for the biggest out of control street party I ever witnessed - it's toned-down a little in recent years but is still a pretty intense and funny experience.
Finally, head north to Chicago, which is a very comfortable 4 hour drive.
Just a suggestion, but I've done all of the above and might add a bit of variety and color to your tour of the mid-west.
From Dallas, head north west to Wichita Falls TX - visit The Iron Horse Pub - very awesome and full of flange, due to the close proximity of Sheppard AFB Flight School (Texas TopGun) -great live music - owned by a very affable Irishman.
Now head east to Memphis TN. Stay clear of West Memphis, which is rather dangerous. If you are so inclined, visit Graceland - Elvis's tacky mansion - many visitors love this place, it was a little lost on me. Some great bars/grills and restaurants in downtown Memphis - but you need to be careful not to stray into seedy parts of town.
Head further east to Nashville TN - a fun town, with a massive music heritage (both kinds, country and western) - a little safer than Memphis, but still be cautious outside of the downtown area.
Now head north to Bowling Green KY and the GM Corvette Assembly Plant and Museum. You can pre-book a plant tour and the museum is phenomenal.
Close by is the Mammoth Cave National Park - might not be your cup of tea, but it is a geological wonder - and worth a visit.
I would personally avoid Louisville KY - it's a very racially polarized city and I've never felt safe there. Far nicer are Frankfort and Lexington, both college towns, full of bars and fun-loving students - a bit rowdy sometimes but not intimidating.
From there, I would head to Cincinnati OH to satisfy a desire to see top-flight MLB Baseball. The All American Ballpark on the Riverfront is the most spectacular of the US's modern era baseball stadia - lacks the mystique of Wrigley Field or Fenway, but is a perfect venue for a first-timer - and the Reds have a fiercely loyal following. Downtown Cinci is also a lot of fun - but as usual, be very careful - just north of Downtown in Over The Rhine, you can find yourself in a world of hurt in a heartbeat.
From Cincinnati, go north to Dayton OH and the USAF museum - from there you could keep going north to Sandusky OH and Cedar Point, which is probably the best amusement park in the US. Some of the old wooden coasters are now national treasures - and the new steel stuff is highly impressive.
From Cedar Point, head west - go around (don't stop!) Toledo OH and head into Indiana toward Fort Wayne. Aim for Auburn IN. Here you'll find the ACD Museum (Auburn, Cord, Deusenberg) - a really beautiful art deco building, housing a collection of quite stunning vintage vehicles that were the US equivalent of Rolls Royce and Bentley.
From Auburn head south to Indianapolis and your Memorial Day festivities at the Brickyard. Make sure you get there Saturday before the race and head to West 16th and Georgetown Rd, Speedway IN for the biggest out of control street party I ever witnessed - it's toned-down a little in recent years but is still a pretty intense and funny experience.
Finally, head north to Chicago, which is a very comfortable 4 hour drive.
Just a suggestion, but I've done all of the above and might add a bit of variety and color to your tour of the mid-west.
Edited by Matt Harper on Monday 2nd September 19:36
Matt, huge thanks for taking the time to write that post - really helpful and exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I hadn't even considered that some areas wouldn't be safe so your guide gives me something to use as a framework and research, definitely will be visiting some of those places and attractions! It sounds like most of the places we visit we need to be careful where we walk after dark etc, though I guess that's a pretty good rule when travelling anywhere!
Thanks again!
Dom
Thanks again!
Dom
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