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On the Road: from Texas to Georgia. questions about NC

On the Road: from Texas to Georgia. questions about NC

Old Oct 13th, 2015, 02:02 AM
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On the Road: from Texas to Georgia. questions about NC

Hi everyone,

we are an Italian couple (sorry in advance for my english... ^_^) and USA addicted. we already had several on the road trips to USA and for next one we would like to leave from Texas heading to Georgia.
the period will probably be mid/end of March, for 17/18 days

I have some questions about North/South Carolina to plan in the best way the 2° part of the trip.
the current plan (100% draft, needs lot of arrangements) is:

11 Louiseville - Asheville (or Knoxville to have a shorter leg)
12 Asheville - Great Smoky Mountains - Charlotte
13 Charlotte - XXXXXX ( a good stop-over heading to Outer Banks)
14 XXXX - Kill Devil Hill - Bodie Island Lighthouse - Pea Island Wildlife Refuge - Manteo
15 Manteo - New Bern - Wilmington
16 Wilmington - Folly Beach
17 Folly Beach - st. Mary
18 St Mary - Jacksonville - ITA

some notes to better understand the plan:
1) I know that the time in the GSMNP it's probably not adequate but I would like to deserve more time to the coast. considering that, any good suggestion for the NP area that make more sense to be visited in a short visit?
2) I would like to go to Outer Banks, but I have some concerns: end of March potentially I can find bad weather (of course we will not go to swim, but I would like to enjoy a bit the beach); I do not want to take ferry's long trips (I'm worried about the sea conditions). what's the best Outer Banks area to be visited considering above notes? I'm also considering to totally remove OB from my trip to give more time to other areas....
3) we have already been to Charleston & Savannah (so I would like to eventually consider just an additional stop to Charleston as I love this city)
4) Cumberland Island (St Mary) is a mandatory stop

any suggestions to make this itinerary better?

thanks in advance
Chiara
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 04:00 AM
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1 Louiseville - Asheville (or Knoxville to have a shorter leg)
12 Asheville - Great Smoky Mountains - Charlotte
13 Charlotte - XXXXXX ( a good stop-over heading to Outer Banks)
14 XXXX - Kill Devil Hill - Bodie Island Lighthouse - Pea Island Wildlife Refuge - Manteo

I don't really think you can go to the Outer Banks like this.

I don't know "Louiseville" unless it is Kentucky. Where are you spending 11 days between Texas and Georgia.
Asheville is PAST the GSMNP so you have this out of order at the very least.

Since you say this is a draft, I'd suggest starting over. As this is now, it is a VERY VERY LONG time in the car with no time outside of it, IMO. Really. For instance, from Charlotte to the OBX it is an 8 hour drive (I think).
From Knoxville to charlotte it is about 7 hours straight driving, without GSMNP or a stop in Asheville to see Biltmore.
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 04:45 AM
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Hi Gretchen, thanks for your reply.
the full itinerary is the below:

1 ITA - Dallas
2 Dallas - Forth Worth- Waco
3 Waco - Austin - Lockhart - Gruene - Bulverde (rodeo) Fredericksburg
4 Fredericksburg - Luckenback - Willow City Loop - Boerne - Mission San Juan Capistrano - Mission San Francisco de la Espada - Mission San Josè - San Antonio
5 San Antonio - Bandera - Medina - Kerville - Fort Stockton
6 Fort Stockton - Amarillo
7 Amarillo - Oklahoma City
8 Oklahoma City - Kansas City
9 Kansas City - St Louis
10 St Louis - Louisville
11 Louiseville - Barboun Trail - Shaker Village - Knoxville
12 Knoxville - Great Smoky Mountains - Charlotte


I was rethinking about going to OBX and yes, I would probably be more focused in SC instead of NC, so from day 13 onward I would like to change and do something like:

13 Charlotte - Charleston
14 Charleston - Beaufort
15 Beaufort
16 Beaufort - St Mary
17 St Mary - Cumberland Island - St Mary
18 St. mary - Jacksonville - ITA

consider we are not looking for multiple days staying in the same place (just some excpetions like Beaufort to visit some islands) as we are not going on vacation for relax
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 05:58 AM
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>

That's pretty obvious from your itinerary. Frankly, as a Texan and someone who has driven most, if not all of the routes you are contemplating in Texas, I would say that you are going to spend a lot of time in the car (up to 5 hours on some portions) looking at some rather boring roads and scenery. You are also just spending 1 night (and less than 1 day) in some really interesting places in Texas, e.g. Austin, San Antonio and Fredericksburg. These are all places that are worth at least a 2 - 3 day visit.

Of course, it's your vacation, but it's not an itinerary that I would recommend.
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 08:05 AM
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thanks, and yes I know that the daily time spent on a cas would be around 3-5h.
we know that and we are fine...all our OTR are like these and we seriusly had great trips.
I also decided not to spend lot of time on Austin (I red lot of other trips report, looked for info, etc...) and I feel this place deserve (IMO) few hours. San Antonio 1 night is fine for us.
so, once again, thanks for your advice about the how many hours to be spent driving, but I'm totally aware of it! and believe me... 4h is not so long at the end.
can someone help me with the planning?
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 09:09 AM
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that's the current version; what do you think about it? of course I didn't mention all the Islands in SC & GA we will go as I still need to define details..

with this itinerary I have a free days to be allocated somewhere in the overall itinerary...

9 Kansas City - St Louis
10 St Louis - Barboun Trail - Shaker Village - Louisville
11 Louisville - Mammoth Cave - Knoxville
12 Knoxville - Charleston
13 Charleston - Folly Beach - Kiawah Island - Beaufort
14 Beaufort - Georgetown
15 Georgetown - St Mary
16 St Mary - Cumberland Island - St Mary
17 St Mary - Jacksonville - ITA
18 ?????
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 09:12 AM
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Really, if all you want to do is drive for the entire 17 days, you have a great itinerary.

There is nothing wrong with 4 hours. There is with 7 hours, IF you want to actually see anything rather than drive by it. Sorry, there are some interesting things to do in the US.

Amarillo
7 Amarillo - Oklahoma City
8 Oklahoma City - Kansas City
9 Kansas City - St Louis
10 St Louis - Louisville

After all that time in Texas, why do "more" of the same by these days--honest.
Go to St. louis from anywhere in Texas and see the arch. The drive from Kansas City to St. Louis is about 4 hours of real farmland and real boring. You will see enough of that kind of stuff on other parts of your trip. The part in Kentucky is interesting enough--but you need to go INTO places and not just drive by.
From Knoxville go to the Park for a day to drive around and then to Asheville.
Stop in Asheville long enough to see Biltmore at least. For a treat in Asheville, stay at the Green Park Inn--old south style. Then go from there to Charleston (about 5 hours).

Really, loosen it up. You have a lot of "same" in your first 8 days or so. San Antonio and that area is an interesting trip.
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 10:25 AM
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Amarillo is for the Cadillac Ranch, Oklahoma City & St Louis area for R66.
Kanasas City I think worth a visit
Louisville I would like to do the Barboun trail (just a couple of stop of course),

I understand that probably this area is mainly plains and nothing else... I have seen a lot in USA already but I'm interested in the Central/South area too
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 10:35 AM
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in Ashville I'm not interested at all in visiting Biltmore.
too expensive for the kind of experience it offers... defintely not my style.
the GSMNP for sure deserve time, I can eventually consider to spend my extra day here, even if I'n not fully attracted by this park.
I know it's the most visited in US, but after have seen great places like Glacier NP, Canadian Rockies, the red parks in the South West etc... it really doesn't seem to me a mandatory stop!
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 11:44 AM
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It's the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, just FYI.
I would drop Oklahoma and Missouri, and spend more time in the Carolinas, Route 66 is boring and I have never understood the fascination it seems to have for some Europeans.
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 10:19 PM
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Bourbon Trail I know is in Kentucky, around Louisville.
I'll probably do it coming from St Louis, heading to Louisville:

St Louis - Bourbon Trail - Shaker Village - Louisville.


regarding R66, I have already seen the section in CA and AZ and it's not boring to me...
just a different point of view...

Jamie, you suggest to spend more days in the Carolinas...where? OBX? somewhere else?

thanks
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 04:34 AM
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Trust me, KC isn't really worth the stop, with an itinerary like this.

even if I'n not fully attracted by this park.

You are the one that mentioned GSMNP as a stop--and no, it is NOTHING like the western parks, which might be the reason it IS worth the stop, but that is up to you. It is apples and oranges. Eastern US and western US.

You have done the iconic part of Route 66--which probably isn't boring. In the midwest, it could be. BIG difference in the terrain. Just a thought.

And the Biltmore isn't exactly my favorite place either, but...
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 05:18 AM
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"You are the one that mentioned GSMNP as a stop"

yes, I know... what I meant is that initially it was in the plan, but if I have to cut something probably will be the GSMNP...

"KC isn't really worth the stop, with an itinerary like this."
even if I cut Kansas City, I need to stop somewhere between OKC and St Louis (too long trip, more than 7h with things to see in the middle), so why not stopping in Kansas City? any other suggestions as stop between OKC and St Louis?
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 05:29 AM
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I suggested cutting out OKCity also. It is "more of the same".
You can head east rather than north to KC and then east to STL.
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 05:41 AM
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heading east means going through Arkansas, Tennessee that will part of a coming trip (with Nashville, Memphis, etc...) so I'm not going to touch these locations next March, so I'll keep my initial plan going to North.
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 01:25 PM
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I love Route 66 and am always happy when others do, too. Be sure and study up on the Oklahoma stretch to get the most out of your time. The sites are a little more obscure and you have to know to look for them.
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 02:28 PM
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heading east means going through Arkansas, Tennessee

Look at a map from OKC to stl. I think I'm done. Do your trip and have a good time. you are going out of your way to see nothing when you COULD see something somewhere else more interesting, fun, delicious and CLOSER.
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Old Oct 15th, 2015, 05:49 AM
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"you are going out of your way to see nothing".. ok, so please mention things I can see in these area. saying "head east" is not very helpful.


"Be sure and study up on the Oklahoma stretch to get the most out of your time. The sites are a little more obscure and you have to know to look for them."

thanks Jayne, I'm taking lot of notes to be sure I do not miss anything
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Old Oct 15th, 2015, 07:31 AM
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While in Amarillo, you might enjoy a drive down 6th Avenue, which is also Route 66. www.amarillo66.com


Also, there's a free and fun little RV museum inside an RV sales dealership. It does not take long to see.
www.rvmuseum.net
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Old Oct 15th, 2015, 08:04 AM
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great advice! thank you
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