Pimp My TripTik
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KTK
I was going to ask Kevin and tgirsch this, but then figured why not throw it open? So here’s the task:
You’re driving across the country from LA to Philadelphia with your 10-year-old son, near the end of August. You have about 7-10 days to make the trip, and not a vast amount of money, but enough to do some sight-seeing. (And you’re my brother, if that matters.) The kid likes sports, science, and World of Warcraft, and is pretty well-behaved. You intend to pass through Washington, DC, but otherwise don’t have a firm plan as to what to do along the way.
Which route would you take: Highway 40 through Memphis/Nashville, or Highway 35/20 through Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta? Other than the obvious (Graceland, BBQ & seafood joints, Civil War battlefields), what’s worth seeing? Other than the Grand Canyon, how do you fill up that vast wasteland between Death Valley and Houston (I mean the desert, not Bush’s head)? Any must-sees? Any must-avoids?
UPDATE: Well, they’re on their way, taking the Vegas/Grand Canyon/ . . . Memphis route. I think they’re just making it up as they go in the middle section. I passed along all the suggestions in the comments, and they were gratefully received. Thanks to everyone for your input.
Driving across the country is still on my list of things to do before I die, but there’s only one route I’d even consider:
Route 66
Comment 8/16/2007
Highway 20 doesn’t go through Houston/New Orleans (that’s I-10); it goes through Dallas and Jackson, MS. In any case, either one is too far South.
If you take I-40 through Memphis, and if the kid were older, I’d say DO NOT MISS the National Civil Rights Museum. But as it is, it’s pretty heavy stuff for a ten-year-old. He’d more likely be impressed by the Peabody Ducks (5 PM daily recession in the Peabody Hotel lobby). Sadly, most of the stuff worth seeing in Memphis isn’t all that kid-friendly. Kevin says the children’s museum is nice, but 10 is already too old for that, I suspect, and LOTS of places have a nice children’s museum.
A Memphis Redbirds game would be nice if the kid likes sports. But you could also check out the Oklahoma City Redhawks on the same path. And now that I think about it, OKC has a nice Cowboy museum, if you’re in to that sort of thing.
Another nice thing about the I-40 route is that you can make a side trip to Santa Fe, NM, which has a vibrant food-and-arts scene; again, not sure how much the kid would care about that.
If you take I-10 to I-20 to I-30 to I-40 (which, actually, is pretty easy from LA), you’ll miss Santa Fe and OKC, but you can catch a rodeo or parade at the Stockyards in Fort Worth, TX. And if they’re baseball fans, they could catch a Texas Rangers game in Arlington along that route. There’s also a very large Six Flags theme park there, if they’re in to that sort of thing.
Looking at a map, the best (fastest) way is I-15 to I-40 as far as Oklahoma City (which allows the Santa Fe side trip), then pick up I-44 to St. Louis (where you could catch a Cardinals game, and where there’s supposed to be a nice zoo). From St. Louis, you can take I-70 the rest of the way.
Modifying the trip to stay on I-40 through Memphis adds 102 miles to the total (not much in the grand scheme of things), and that would allow a side trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee, as well as some scenic driving through Western Virginia (I-81), and a possible side trip at Luray Caverns.
The 10/20/30/40 route is 200 miles farther than the St. Louis route, and would allow stops at Carlsbad Caverns in Southern NM, the Arlington/Fort Worth stops I mentioned, Hot Springs National Park, and a stop at the ever-popular Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock! (Bring the kids! Leave the interns!) It would also allow the Memphis/Great Smoky Mountains/Western Virginia stops.
Doubt this helped, but hope so.
P.S. If in Memphis, stop at Corky’s for BBQ, not Rendezvous. And if they come this way, have them give us a call; I’d be glad to show ‘em around.
Comment 8/16/2007
Google Maps gives the shortest route between LA and DC as a little under 2700 miles. If you divert south through San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta, it adds about 350 miles. That’s the route I’d take, and I’d call it well worth the extra six hours driving.
More later…
Comment 8/16/2007
Hmmm, yeah, 10 years old is too old for the Memphis Children’s Museum. The Nashville Children;s Museum is better for that age group, and Nashville has that kinda campy DinoLand thing which I am told is good (our kids are still too young for that). Bot Zoos are good. The Nashville Zoo is bigger, but the displays aren’t as good as the best of the Memphis zoo. Jackson Tn, between the two, has a Thomas the Tank Engine museum which is actually a train museum. 10 might be too old for that, but that age is right on the borderline, so he might like it. A Redbirds game is good, and a trip through the Gibson Guitar Factory is supposed to be fascinating (again, a little too noisy for our Aspy kid). Both of those are in Memphis. I would take the 10 year old through the Civil Rights Museum. Its a close call, but I think 10years is old enough to get the gist of the thing.
I second the Corkey’s recommendation, though Rendevouz is good.
West of here, I don’t know. Everything I know in Dallas or San Antonio is adult oriented.
Comment 8/16/2007
Here are some ideas: www.blondins.com
Comment 8/16/2007
In the Southwest, I’d be tempted to do Vegas - Hoover Dam - Grand Canyon - Four Corners - Mesa Verde - Santa Fe - Carlsbad Caverns - San Antonio. There are really a million things to do in the Southeast, and a million routes to take among them.
Comment 8/18/2007
Minor league baseball is wonderful in the south. Many cities have teams.
Comment 8/18/2007
Go through New Orleans. Let him see what naure and the feds (not necessarily in that order) have done to the city. Also, visit the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. It’s not to be missed: films, great displays, etc.
Comment 8/19/2007