Another road trip!

Old Jan 26th, 2020, 05:45 PM
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Another road trip!

Hello everybody!
I'm trying to plan another road trip and this forum was so helpful on my last one (2016), that I decided to get some advice again. I'm going to cross 7 states of my list of hitting the lower 48, from Missouri to Florida. We would fly into St Louis, tour the arch, then head on to Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Our last stop would be Florida, which we've already hit, but I thought a couple days at the beach would be a nice way to relax and top it off, before flying back home. I definitely want to visit the Arch, Grand Ole Opry, Craters of the Diamonds, Cafe Du Monde (just some examples) Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas of the order in which to visit? I'm trying to minimize driving time for hubby. The last trip was about 1700 miles! I'm trying to do this in 10 days, but 2 weeks would be the max. Any help would be appreciated!
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Old Jan 27th, 2020, 05:33 AM
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Moved from Europe to United States and tagged
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Old Jan 27th, 2020, 07:15 AM
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Where are you flying into St. Louis from? The trip up the elevator in the arch is a strange sensation. It is similar to taking the inclinator up in the Luxor in Las Vegas.
In 2015 I took a geocaching trip through most of the states you mention in about a week so I know it can be done.
I started with a train trip to Galesburg IL. The Enterprise is about 150 yards from the train station. During my one week rental I drove in 20 states and found geocaches in 11 new ones. I also visited a one day geocaching event south of St. Louis before heading into Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and spending a night in Tuscaloosa AL. The next day I found an Alabama cache followed by Georgia, South Carolina North Carolina and Tennessee. I spent a night near Dollywood in eastern TN. The next day was across Kentucky a corner of Ohio and into Indiana. After a night in IN I went up into Michigan for a cache before heading back through Chicago to return the car in Galesburg. I took the Southwest Chief to Los Angeles from Galesburg and then the Coast Starlight back home in Oregon.
As a foreigner, you have the advantage of not paying a drop fee when you leave a rental car someplace you didn't rent it. Make sure you have proper insurance wherever you rent.
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Old Jan 27th, 2020, 08:47 AM
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Sorry about that! Thanks for the correction....I'm not sure how I did that!
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Old Jan 27th, 2020, 08:54 AM
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LOL, I would be flying inform Pittsburgh but I really like the idea of a train ride! That never crossed my mind! I'd like to spend 2 days in Nashville, just because friends have told me bar hopping and Grand Ole Opry are musts! In Pensacola I have a niece who happens to be the Chief of Maintenance for the Blue Angels, so It's a bonus visit there - 2 days! And I guess since I'm not actually a foreigner, I still have to pay the drop fee....4 years ago, I paid around $1000.00 for a week rental of a mid-size SUV for a week!
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Old Jan 27th, 2020, 12:20 PM
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Would you consider taking the Capitol Limited overnight to Chicago from Pittsburgh? You can take the City of New Orleans out of Chicago at 8PM any night to Memphis. The CONO arrives in Memphis early in the morning. If you return the car to Memphis, you could take the CONO the rest of the way to New Orleans with the money you save.
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Old Jan 28th, 2020, 02:40 AM
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Be sure to be on the right day for the Blue Angels.
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Old Jan 29th, 2020, 11:47 AM
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Yes, I've been in contact with my niece about that.....
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Old Jan 30th, 2020, 11:24 AM
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I like the idea of the train but I'm not sure this is the trip for that. I appreciate that input, though. I'd like to include that in part of the next trip. I think my many stops I'm trying to plan would be impossible with a train.
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