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I have a sister who is moving to Fort Riley,KS in August, and my family is wanting to travel there later this year. I love road trips, so I was wondering which route to Kansas would be the most enjoyable. I want a route that has as little traffic as possible. Plus, I would like to see some unique places along the way. My #1 factor is great places to eat. I absolutely know there is great BBQ in Memphis and KC. Also, are there any great scenic drives I can take?( like the drive from Chattanooga to Nashville on I-24) I want 2 make the best out of this cool chance to drive half-way across the nation, so I will see what y'all recommend.
I have a sister who is moving to Fort Riley,KS in August, and my family is wanting to travel there later this year. I love road trips, so I was wondering which route to Kansas would be the most enjoyable. I want a route that has as little traffic as possible. Plus, I would like to see some unique places along the way. My #1 factor is great places to eat. I absolutely know there is great BBQ in Memphis and KC. Also, are there any great scenic drives I can take?( like the drive from Chattanooga to Nashville on I-24) I want 2 make the best out of this cool chance to drive half-way across the nation, so I will see what y'all recommend.
Bout all I can recommend is around my local area. Once you get up to around Paducah, KY or maybe before you may want to divert over to Missouri (You'll have to cross over through Illinois tho) and get over to I-55. Illinois State Police will pop you for 1 over if your out of state trust me. Be especially careful going through Cairo, IL (Which is where you'll have to go through if you want to cross to MO right away). Then you can go to Lambert's in Sikeston (Throwed Rolls ) If you want to bypass St. Louis get off I-55 at exit 150 North and go west (Highway 32, Highway 8, I-44 & U.S. 63). That will take you through Farmington, Rolla, Jefferson City, and Columbia. You can get on I-70 and then shoot straight over. Highway 8 is a neat drive for sure because your really get that feeling that your in the middle of nowhere.
thanks. The Mapquest directions said I should head up to St.Louis and then over to KC on I-70 anyways. Google gave me some crazy directions taking me over to Memphis and then through Middle of Nowhere,MO.
thanks. The Mapquest directions said I should head up to St.Louis and then over to KC on I-70 anyways. Google gave me some crazy directions taking me over to Memphis and then through Middle of Nowhere,MO.
I thought about giving you that route but it seemed to me like it'd take quite a bit longer to get out that way.
First thing I would do is dump the Mapquest altogether. Get a Rand-McNally Road Atlas and go where things look the most interesting. If I were doing it, I'd do Chattanooga, then Nashville, and have absolutely no qualms about going to Memphis next and checking out what's to see and do there. Then, head up the Arkansas side into Missouri to St. Louis, etc. Don't blow this. Take a GPS if you have one (and find yourself needing it), but at this stage, like I said, dump the MapQuest. It has no soul.
First thing I would do is dump the Mapquest altogether. Get a Rand-McNally Road Atlas and go where things look the most interesting. If I were doing it, I'd do Chattanooga, then Nashville, and have absolutely no qualms about going to Memphis next and checking out what's to see and do there. Then, head up the Arkansas side into Missouri to St. Louis, etc. Don't blow this. Take a GPS if you have one (and find yourself needing it), but at this stage, like I said, dump the MapQuest. It has no soul.
Specifically, get a Rand McNally Truckers Atlas. It's got a LOT more information in it, but be prepared to spend about 50 bucks for it at just about any truck stop. It shows roads which don't appear on their regular atlases. Anything paralleled by a yellow, dotted line is a "scenic route."
So...you'd like the scenic route from Gwinnett County to Ft. Riley? Ok, here ya go! Depending upon your time constraints, you can chose all of this route or just part of it:
Leave Atlanta on I-20 west over to Birmingham. If you have the time, get off the interstate anywhere west of Villa Rica, GA and go north a couple of miles to US-78, then follow it west to at least Oxford, where you can get back onto the interstate in time to stop at the Talladega race track, if you like. If you're not interested in that, you can just stay on 78 all the way into Birmingham and, actually, right on through it.
Birmingham has several interesting stops, including the statue of Thor and various civil rights museums.
From B'ham, stay on I-22/US-78 up toward Memphis, but get off it at Jasper, AL (Al-269 north to Al-5 west) and go through Natural Bridge. If it's a rainy night, watch out for the ghost near the race track. She's real. I've seen her. (But, since she's looking for the truck driver who ran over her, she probably won't bother you.) Natural Bridge state park is just up Al-13 a mile or so beyond the junction with US-278, which you'll want to take west over to Hamilton and back onto I-22.
At Tupelo, MS, you can visit the Elvis birthplace and several nearby Civil War sites.
I-22 leads you into I-240, which you'll want to take west until it junctions with I-55 north. Take that across the river into Arkansas, but don't forget to stop and see the sites in Memphis, which range from Graceland (Elvis's home, just down Elvis Presley BLVD) to Beale Street to Mud Island to the Memphis Belle to that damn pyramid.
Stay on I-55 north up to US-63. Don't stop in West Memphis as there's nothing there but truck stops, prostitutes and a dog track. But, do note the river as you pass over the "old bridge." Just below you is the site of the largest naval battle ever fought in North American waters, in terms of the number of ships involved. The Confederates lost...badly.
US-63 takes you up through some of the prettiest parts of Arkansas, first across the unbelievably flat Mississippi flood plains and then into the Ozark plateau. It's mostly two lane, and pretty curvy in places, but it's not usually very heavily traveled. You can research attractions along that route, but take note of the little town of Marked Tree. It's home to the most active fault line in America and site of our worst ever earthquake. Another "big one" is predicted any day now. the last one caused church bells to ring in Boston and the Mississippi to flow backwards.
You can stay on US-63 all the way up to I-70 at Columbia, MO. Along the way, you can visit the beautiful church at Vienna (Or, Freeburg. I forget which. You'll see it, just off to the right.) and America's prettiest capitol city, Jefferson City. It's a neat little town. At the junction with I-70, you could visit the University of Missouri campus and have a root beer with the Beetle Bailey statue.
I-70 west will take you right on into Ft. Riley (You'll know when you're there by the big cannon up on the hillside. Don't worry..it's not loaded). I-70 will take you through Kansas City, both MO and KS, and there's lots to do and see there if you like. Everything from casino's to the Subtropolis. Just north up I-35 a few miles is Clay County, MO with several Jesse James historic sites, including his home and grave. Nearby Independence, MO is home of the Harry Truman Presidential Library. Lawrence, of course, is the site of the University of Kansas and Quantrill's Lawrence Raid during the Civil War.
There are other, alternate routes, but that's how I'd go if I really wanted to experience the best your trip has to offer.
Great advice. That is the longer way that I refered to on Google, but I'd really like 2 see some of those attractions. My dad is the person who really got me into history, so I want 2 take advantage of having my license 2 do some road trips to places I've never seen. Going to Kansas will be my first chance 2 hit the open road in the driver's seat.
Oh, and a few quick facts on Fort Riley. It is home to the famous Big Red One. George Custer was stationed there most of his military career. And, there are a TON of ghost stories about the base, making it the most haunted military base in THE WORLD.
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) If you want to bypass St. Louis get off I-55 at exit 150 North and go west (Highway 32, Highway 8, I-44 & U.S. 63). That will take you through Farmington, Rolla, Jefferson City, and Columbia. You can get on I-70 and then shoot straight over. Highway 8 is a neat drive for sure because your really get that feeling that your in the middle of nowhere.
. That is the longer way that I refered to on Google, but I'd really like 2 see some of those attractions. My dad is the person who really got me into history, so I want 2 take advantage of having my license 2 do some road trips to places I've never seen. Going to Kansas will be my first chance 2 hit the open road in the driver's seat.
