Chicago to Vegas road trip, where to go in the middle?

[alistair1234]

Firstly I know i'm missing lots of America out, but I've been to NYC twice, and the west coast I'd like to do in a separate future trip. We're both 30 with jobs so can only do 2/2.5 week holidays max.

We've got a wedding in the Domincan republic next June, I've been before and not keen to holiday there again and neither is my girlfriend, so we are only staying for 2 nights and then flying to Chicago (probably), for a 2 week road trip ending up in Vegas.

We've booked flights to Dominican for £230 each and flights back from Vegas 16 nights later for £330 each. I'll book the Dominican to Chicago flights soon but not too worried just yet as they are the cheapest and also open to flying in to somewhere else if suggested.

My rough plan is:

Chicago 2 nights
?
?
Dallas 2 nights
Grand Canyon National Park 2 nights
Vegas 4 nights

Leaves 4 nights free for the ?'s


Things I want to do while I'm there:

Baseball - think there are some games on in Chicago whilst we are there

Motorsport - ideally NASCAR, but struggling with anything near where we would be, so indycar, think there is a race at Fort Worth when we're there. Nothing on at Indy when we're in that area. Would also love to see some drag racing, but don't even know where to start with how to find the calendar.

Jack Daniels or Woodford distillery.



I'm working backwards with the places I want to stay as they are more concrete.

I've been to Vegas before but it was for a 13 man stag do and everyone wanted to do different things as a group and in the end we didn't do much apart from drink and gamble, so I've reserved the last 4 nights for Vegas, but I am open to reducing that to 3.

As we'll be travelling in from the east I'd like to stay somewhere in the Grand Canyon national park for 2 nights on the way to Vegas and see the canyon and Hoover dam, maybe do some whitewater rafting or something similar. I believe you can stay in lodges in the park, anyone have any recommendations?

I'd like to go to Texas and Dallas looks the likeliest place, maybe 2 nights there, I really want to visit Gas Monkey Garage

I've got 4 nights to play with between Chicago and Dallas

Then I've reserved 2 nights for Chicago when we first arrive.


It's the 4 nights between Chicago and Dallas that I'm struggling with, I'm thinking of splitting the nights between the St Louis Nashville and Memphis areas, maybe 2 nights in 2 different places, somewhere where we can go to the JD distillery and also eats lots of good bbq food.

What do people think? Especially about how doable the trip is in 14 days without being rushed and also what recommendations for the 4 nights between Chicago and Dallas.

Thanks in advance