I agree that those are the logical stopovers.
In Memphis, favor the eastern burbs like Germantown.
Several of the freeway exits on 240 just east of the city are new areas with nearby restaurants. Avoid the airport area.

Little Rock gets you another couple hours closer to your destination. Little Rock is a much smaller town. I am not an expert on Little Rock, but I recently stayed at a Hampton near the intersection of 30 and 40 on the north side, and it was a mistake.

What route are you planning to take from Ohio ?? If the I-40 routing from Nashville thru Memphis I would suggest that you look at the Exit 16B which is Germantown Parkway. Wolfchase Mall is there for shopping, a number of chain hotels, and there are LOADS of good family restaurants in the mall area and up and down G'twn Parkway. Safe area and right at Interstate exit.

Thanks for your help! We're taking I-65 to I-40. I'll look into Germantown...it sounds ideal. I thought about trying to stay downtown, but I think that might take too much time in terms of getting on and off the highway, finding our way, etc. We won't be in town that long anyway; might as well do what's easy!

Has anyone stayed at a Germantown hotel that they can recommend?

Also, any suggestions of what we should do in the evening? (We'll have a little one with us.)

Any good breakfast places in Germantown?

Problem with staying in Germantown is that next morning you'll hit rush hour traffic into Memphis. Unless it's the weekend.

There are also hotels at exit 15, Poplar Ave.
If you go W on Poplar from 240, on the left is Corky's BBQ. Corky's is one of Memphis better BBQ's. Very casual. If you've got kids along or are in your travel clothes, no problem. Corky's has really fine ribs.
Further down Poplar, L on Winchester is the Half Shell, a casual but good seafood spot.
Nearby the Half Shell on Poplar is Houston's. A chain and a little more upscale, but always good.
Then, if you are looking for a fine meal on the trip, Folks Folly Steak House is on Mendenhall. Go past Houston's and Mendenhall is a right turn very close.



I know there is a Hampton Inn off exit 16.

Agreed with the above - Little Rock would be fine for an overnight, but if you're looking for a touristy activity in addition, Memphis has more to offer. And especially with a U-Haul or equivalent (if you're moving yourself), Germantown or somewhere near is the way to go. My brother lived there for a few years and the Germantown Commissary was one of his favorite barbecue spots there. It's a bit away from I-40, but not hard to get to - straight down Germantown Parkway, looks like.

Depending on when you get into town, you might see if the Redbirds are playing. They're Memphis's minor league baseball team, and the stadium (AutoZone Park) is right downtown. The Memphis Zoo is also supposed to be good, although I haven't been myself. And there's always Graceland.

Good point, Rkkwan. I hadn't thought about traffic...

Thank you stumpworks73 and jent103 for the restaurant suggestions. BBQ sounds good to me!

A baseball game or a trip to the zoo are both possibilities. Might be nice to get some fresh air after being in the car all day.

Just want to add one thing about routing. I have taken I-65/40 way too many times through Nashville while I was a trucker some years ago. Truck traffic was/is so heavy that I'd rather take West KY Pkwy/Purchase Pkwy to I-155 to I-55. It's only about 20 more miles, but you get to bypass BOTH Nashville AND Memphis, and on this route you basically get to set cruise and forget about it.

I highly recommend this route over I-65/40.

Take the Briley Parkway West around Nashville and stay out of the traffic.

It's not just traffic around Nashville and Memphis. It's the heavy truck traffic for much of I-65 and I-40. The West KY Parkway option starts from Elizabethtown, KY. Except for a small stretch of 4-lane divided highway in TN (and I think 2 to 3 traffic lights in Union City), it's all freeway.

Hmmm...hadn't thought about taking a different route. Let me look at a map...

So, in this case we would still be stopping near Memphis, right? But it looks like we'd go around Memphis to the west. Decisions, decisions.

The route I suggested will bypass Memphis, and rejoin I-40 in West Memphis, AR. You will have to backtrack 10 miles east on I-40 to Memphis downtown.

siena - our daughter goes to college in central Ohio and drives back and forth to our home in Texas up to 4 times a year (usually with my wife). They've gone a variety of routes and would agree with rkkwan on traffic in and around Memphis and Nashville and along I40; sometimes going through 1 of the cities, but not both.

They tend to prefer 2 routes: 1) the one rkkwan suggests [I155 to 55 then 40] or 2) I71 to I65, down to Birmingham, then I20 to I59 where they connect with I12 and I10 all the way to Texas. You could also stay on I20 through Jackson to Dallas, then I35 to SA.

Skip Graceland, it's the tackiest tourist trap I've been to. The Civil Rights Museum is far more interesting.

If you stay in Little Rock, the Clinton Presidential Libary is also very good and its within walking distance to shopping and restaurants downtown.

Dfr4848--Thank you for those additional route ideas. It sounds like it might be best to find an alternate route. I was just following Mapquest's lead!

RBCal--Yes, I've heard that Graceland isn't worth it. Thank you for reminding me about the Clinton Library!!! Maybe we DO want to try to make it all the way to Little Rock on Day 1!

Of the two, choose Memphis. Little Rock is pretty much flat scary @ night, w/little to do and even less reason to stay there...It is not a nice place.

Thanks SAnParis! Good to know.

I just looked at the Birmingham to Jackson route suggested by Drf. Looks like the logical place to stay the night would be Jackson, MS. What's that like??? I've never been to Mississippi.

Thanks to everyone for your help and patience!

If you are that close, I'd stay in Natchez, MS. It is a great little town.

Downtown Memphis is far scarier than Little Rock.

However Beale Street can be fun in Memphis. I was surprised how small it is in comparison to Bourbon Street in New Orleans though.

If you consider the Birmingham to Jackson route, my family usually stays in Birmingham, on the north side near the airport. Several good, decent chain motels in the area.

Check on freetrip.com, which will give you hotels and restaurants along any given route.

If you want to go further, Jackson is a nice town. But we haven't stayed there in years and I'd rather not give you old info. But I do like SAnParis' idea. In fact, if you've got time, the Natchez Trace would be a really enjoyable trip. You could take it the whole length from just outside Nashville all the way to Natchez. Several of the ante-bellum homes offer accommodations, but some do have age restrictions.

At least there are people in Memphis, not homeless people & other miscreants wandering about (& little else). I topped a useful Natchez post for you as well.

RBCal, please feel free to share all you know about Little Rock, I'm looking forward to hearing about all the cool places you have visited while there...

Little Rock Things to Do

Clinton William J Presidential Center and Park
111 Center St
Little Rock, AR 72201

Flying Saucer brewpub
323 President Clinton Ave
Little Rock, AR 72223
www.beerknurd.com

Doe's Eat Place
1023 W Markham St
Little Rock, AR 72201
www.doeseatplace.net
Lots of pictures of Bill and Hillary when they used to eat there.

Little Rock River Market
400 President Clinton Ave #200
Little Rock, AR 72201
www.rivermarket.info

All of the above are more fun than Graceland or watching the ducks at the Peabody in Memphis.

SAnParis--Thanks for topping that post.

Oh boy, so much to consider. Let me talk to the hubby...

Thanks again!

RE: Little Rock & RBCals expertise on the subject - Pres. Clintons' Library is, well, a library, The Flying Saucer is a brew pub chain that is everywhere (& also about the only place to eat in downtown Little Rock on a Sunday) & the River market is almost empty except for a few lunch places, as you'll notice there are no pics of the inside portion. Obviously RBCal you've not been there recently, if at all. Sorry your feeble attempt at a web search failed you. They do have a trolley which is a convenient way to get around & there are a couple of decent galleries. The best brew pub is actually Cregreens which is off the one trolley line. Since I'm not a huge fan of the Clintons' where they may have eaten at one time has little interest. The new(er) baseball park is also near downtown.

If you stay in Memphis (haven't read all the posts to figure out if a decision was made) I can recommend the Hampton Inn & Suites on S.Shady Grove Rd or the Embassey Suites on the same road. They are next door to each other, right off Poplar near Rt 240. No more than 2 to 3 minutes from the highway. The Embassey Suites is a little nicer. I've stayed at both dozens of times. There is a zoo in Memphis that has pandas so that might be a nice morning for your little one.

Ok SAnP please tell me about the great shopping in downtown Memphis. When I was there last August it was basically a ghost town (except Beale St.)

At least LR is gentrifying their downtown instead of letting it die.

and yes Peabody Place is included in being part of the ghost town.

Who said anything about shopping ?? LR may be attempting to gentrify, but they are failing, miserably.

Thank you Bennnie! Still trying to decide on the route at this point, but if we do stay in Memphis, I will keep your recommendations in mind.

siena, last month I moved from San Antonio to Maryland over a Saturday / Sunday--through Memphis we took Rt. 40. Honestly, the trucks didn't bother me and we hit no traffic anywhere along the route except outside Dallas. There were a lot of trucks but crazy drivers in cars, etc. bother me more than trucks so perhaps it's what you feel comfortable with. We have yet to move my husband (and our furniture!) but when we do plan to take the same route which AAA TripTik-ed for us. Gorgeous state that Tennesse. Good luck to you!

Thanks AnnMarie! I will keep that in mind. I guess I still have some time to think it over.

Finally decided on a route! After talking to my dad, who has travelled extensively throughout the South, we've decided to drive through Nashville, Birmingham, Jackson, etc. to San Antonio. Sounds like there will be less truck traffic. Plus, we've never been to Mississippi before, so it will be a fascinating drive.

Thank you so much to everyone for your suggestions!

siena - should be a nice route. Glad you decided. And thanks for getting back. Let us know how it works out.

Well, what little time I've spent on roads in Mississippi would not be classified as "fascinating," but hopefully you'll enjoy it. Do try not to hit Nashville during rush hour - if you're taking 65 south, it can get pretty crowded through the downtown area between 4-6 or so (on weekdays, of course). Just a fairly small area with a lot of interstates running through.

Hope you have a great move and enjoy your new home!

I'll let you know how things go! We'll be leaving in late May, so expect an update after that.

As for Mississippi, I just have this idea of what it will be like and I'm very curious to see how that compares to the real thing. We'll see...

We'll make sure to avoid rush hour in Nashville!

I'm with ya, siena, sometimes I just want to see for myself! Been to Birmingham a couple of times--the surrounding country side is beautiful. Did you find a place to live in SA? The market there has steadied / slowed so I hope you found a great deal. Enjoy a safe trip!

AnnMarie--We've decided to rent a house until we can sell our home in Ohio (who knows how long that will take). We're heading down to San Antonio in a few weeks to look.

Thanks again, everyone!

Sorry to revive this thread again, but I have yet ANOTHER question!

What is Meridian, MS like? Would this be a good spending-the-night town?

Thanks.

Although having been through there, I don't recall any reason to stop there (or we likely would have stopped), I'd still opt for Jackson or Natchez or even Vicksburg. I'm guessing you are thinking of 20 to 59, but 55 would not be that far out of your way. Probably only about 10-15 minutes difference.

Its only 11 miles more to go via Jackson (or so my little mapping device says). A bit farther if you go on to Vicksburg or Natchez, of course.

I was thinking that 59 to 12 might be faster than 55 to 10/12. The extra 11 miles might be worth it though to stay in Jackson.

As for Natchez and/or Vicksburg, I'd love to make it that far, but I think that might be a lot to ask of our 2 year old. The 10 hour drive to Jackson will probably end up being 12 or 13 with stops. And it looks like Natchez and Vicksburg would both add an hour or two to that estimate.

This will have to be a quick post. We're still trying to get unpacked and settled in, but I just wanted to let you know how things went. I hope to write a longer trip report when I have time.

We ended up taking the "mapquest route" despite the good advice here and from my father. We knew some other people headed the same direction and thought it would be fun if we all travelled together. We went through Nashville, Little Rock, Dallas, and then south to San Antonio.

We decided to break-up the trip into four days/three nights, and I'm so thankful we made this decision. We only had about five hours of driving per day, so we had time to see some sights along the way. We spent the night in Nashville, Little Rock, and Dallas.

I have to say, I actually loved the part of Little Rock that we saw...the river market district, I think it was called. We went out to dinner at a place called Bosco's and the area was very lively and there were lots of people out-and-about. I'll elaborate more in my trip report!

Anyway, thank you all for the advice! Look for my trip report in a week or two!

Welcome siena! Thanks for the quick report and update. Look forward to report later. Glad trip went well.

I was wondering how you made out--glad you enjoyed a safe trip.

I'm glad this post was revived because it gives me an opportunity to add some information about Little Rock. The River Market district is alive, well and bustling and bars and restaurants are open there (and the rest of Little Rock) at 11 a.m. on Sundays.

Here's another post I added on this subject when a disgruntled traveler complained about how bored he and his companions were when they went on a business trip to LR.
--------------------------------------------------------
Your problem isn't Little Rock, it's that you're there "on the Feds dime, so no cars" etc.

I spend 4 to 6 weeks a year in Key West, have been to New Orleans more times than I can count over the past 45 years, and to San Francisco a number of times, too. When I'm not traveling, I live happily and comfortably in Little Rock.

Surely you and your cohorts can pool your money and rent a car. It sounds to me as though you're happier grumbling about the lack of things to do than actually looking for a way to entertain yourselves. In addition to wonderful restaurants all over the city, and great outdoor and recreation opportunities all over the state - including Pinnacle Mountain State Park at the edge of Little Rock - you could check out:

Dickey-Stephens Ballpark just across the river in North Little Rock that won the 2007 Ballpark of the Year;
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs for gambling and horse racing, and in Little Rock:
Arkansas Arts Center;
Old State House;
Arkansas Repertory Theatre;
MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History;
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra;
Heifer International;
Historic Arkansas Museum;
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

I might add that you were "um, less than impressed with the Clinton Presidential Library," but it's won critical acclaim and all sorts of design and environmental awards.

SusanCS - Since you were referring to my prior post I will happily respond, again. There is nothing in LR to make it a tourist destination. As stated prior, we weren't able to travel afar as we had to be available to be 'called' to testify. In addition, we had no idea how long we would even be there. On 4 separate occasions, adding up to 3-4 weeks of my life, which I will never get back, I was trapped in downtown LR w/nary a chance of escape. Much of the time downtown LR is a flat scary place & I am quite well-traveled. Happy the OP enjoyed it. For 1 day, I could probably deal as well. Interestingly enough, the places you travel to & enjoy are much the same places I travel to & enjoy. Your definition of 'bustling' is certainly different than mine. San Francisco & NYC are bustling, LR would be the opposite.

I have to chuckle because I once got into a "side argument" on someone's thread and was told by the OP to leave and start my own thread. But I actually like these kinds of debates...

I spent less than 24 hours in Little Rock, so I'm certainly no expert. I don't think anyone is suggesting that LR is a "tourist destination." But, if one is passing through, there are things to see and it has more character than the Ohio city where I spent the last three years.

Hoping to post that trip report soon!

Just posted my FIRST EVER trip report!

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/trip-report-ohio-to-texas-roadtrip.cfm