Hello,

I'm planning to make a 3 day driving from Chicago to Dallas next September. Is it worth to do from a scenic point of view? What places and highlights to stop? St. Louis, Indianapolis, Memphis, Little Rock?

Please, give me all of your helping thoughts because I don't make a clue out of it.

Thanks,

Portela

In September it might be really pretty to go directly south to KY and see the lakes area. Then go to Hot Springs AR for the spas. Then go to Memphis for jazz and Elvis.

I like St Louis as a city... the Arch is a little overblown as an attraction, but the Lewis and Clark museum underneath is very good. The Soulard district south of downtown is a fun place... didn't have a chance to tour the museums in Forest Park... but I hear they're worth a visit.

South of St Louis, on the way to Memphis, the countryside is scenic and hilly...

Take I-55 to St. Louis, then I-44. Cross the Ozark mountains, though you may want to skip Branson, MO. Then cut into Oklahoma and down to Dallas. I think the scenery is much more varied and interesting than going through Memphis & Little Rock.

Thanks for the suggestions until now.

I think that I will have to choose between 3 itineraries:

1 - Chicago / St. Louis / Memphis / Little Rock-Hot Springs / Dallas

2 - Chicago / St. Louis / Tulsa / Oklahoma City / Dallas

3 - Chicago / St. Louis / Springfield / / Ozark Mountains / Little Rock-Hot Springs / Dallas

Please, send me your advises. Best sceneries, best places to stop and see, etc.

Thanks,

Portela

If you have never had a western trip, you need to take the time to savor it. I have taken Chicago / St. Louis / Tulsa / Oklahoma City / Dallas and enjoyed seeing the local western vibe. But if your Dallas trip will include Fort Worth, then you could skip Tulsa/Oklahoma City.

I have also taken Chicago / St. Louis / Springfield / / Ozark Mountains / Little Rock-Hot Springs / Dallas. Ozark Mountains/Branson is not where I want to be, but it could offer a nice, fairly economical entertaining break along the way. They have many family friendly shows plus the nature aspect which might be a nice break from Chicago urban life.

My personal favorite route is the Chicago / St. Louis / Memphis / Little Rock-Hot Springs / Dallas.Fort Worth. You can get the unique Elvis/BBQ/Blues trip plus the historical Hot Springs pampering spa experience. Hot Springs National Forest has nature trails and is a good nature experience that I would prefer over the pancake houses/car traffic of Branson. As your final destination, I do much prefer Fort Worth over Dallas though. You can see the herd in the stockyards and there is some fabulous western art in the museums.

I live in St. Louis and have traveled south fairly often. I would do either #1 or #3. Personally I think #3 is a little more scenic, as I don't recall the scenery from St. Louis to Memphis being that great compared to traveling more through the Ozarks. I personally would skip Branson, but of course that is a personal choice. But Memphis is more interesting than Springfield, so either one would probably be fine.

Tracy

Just to throw one more ito the ring. Drive to Des Moines, then down.

Interesting stops could include the Amana Colonies, Steamboat Arabia and/or the Jazz and Negro Leagues Baseball Museums in Kansas City, the Cosmosphere (world class space museum) in Hutchinson near Wichita, and Oklahoma City.

Keith

I believe will spend some time digging arguments between my routes #1 or #3. The Dea Moines idea sounds nice, but takes a little more hours and skips St. Louis, which is a must stop for me.

I'll probably do the Memphis route, although the scenery comments are not the best and most promising. Is it really boring?

Anyway, by what I've reading I would defenetly skip Branson and if I go that direction Eureka Springs sounds much better.

Still needing your help and suggestions,

Portela

A quick 20 minute side trip from St Louis is Cahokia Indian Mounds, Collinsville IL.
CahokiaMounds.com

Really the St Louis to Memphis trip goes pretty quickly - 4 hours?

The question is whether you treasure the attractions at particular cities more, or just general scenery.

Chicago - St. Louis is totally boring. But St. Louis to Memphis, and Memphis to Little Rock is the same. So, the question is how much you want to visit Memphis. In your original post, you ask for "scenic point of view" - and that's highly lacking with Route #1.

I'll mess things up and make a case for #2. I agree with what was said earlier: the terrain is more diverse if you take this route. You go from Midwest brush to the Ozarks, into Oklahoma's gorgeous Green Country, and then into the flat grassy plains.

Many will lump OKC and Tulsa together and say you're not getting anything different. But the two cities are decidedly different: Tulsa has a reputable arts heritage (through the Gilcrease and Philbrook museums), is suburban in character, and is relatively hilly. You can jog down its river for miles. It has a fine shopping center in Utica Square, one of the original "lifestyle centers" you see today. The Cherokee casino is right on the highway.

Oklahoma City is the the flat and brawny capital city, huge in size and ambition. Its downtown is host to topnotch sports (NBA's Hornets and Blazers hockey), fine restaurants (The Mantel), and some unique attractions (the National Memorial, Myriad Botanical Gardens, and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which features a more modern collection). Its Bricktown is the place where people go for "a night on the town". Just south of Bricktown is OKC's own trail-lined river, with a spectacular new boathouse. There are also pocket Asian, Hispanic, art, and stockyard communities within the innercity. The city's "Adventure District" boasts a casino/racetrack, one of the best zoos in the country, an IMAX theater/science museum, and the city's most beloved place, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

If anything else, there is a 75 mph speed limit through much of OK's highways, getting you there "sooner".

http://ww3.visittulsa.com/
http://www.cherokeecasino.com/home/index.aspx

http://www.visitokc.com/
http://downtownokc.com/
http://www.chesapeakeboathouse.org/index2.html

Cahokia Indian Mounds will take a minimum of 1.5 hours.

Keith

Well, I finally made up my mind. I'll go for my #3 alternative: Chicago / St. Louis / Springfield / Ozark Mountains / Little Rock-Hot Springs / DallaskllFirst.

The scenery factor was crucial and Memphis for just a couple of hours (with the body tired of driving) was not relevant in the end.

So now, I will need detailed suggestions for intermediate stops.

1st Day - Chicago / St. Louis (hotel)
2nd day - St. Louis / Springfield or Eureka Springs or Tulsa or ???
3rd day - Springfield or Eureka Springs or Tulsa or ??? / Dallas

As you see, I still needing your help and suggestions,

Portela

Well, I finally made up my mind. I'll go for my #3 alternative: Chicago / St. Louis / Springfield / Ozark Mountains / Little Rock-Hot Springs / DallaskllFirst.

The scenery factor was crucial and Memphis for just a couple of hours (with the body tired of driving) was not relevant in the end.

So now, I will need detailed suggestions for intermediate stops.

1st Day - Chicago / St. Louis (hotel)
2nd day - St. Louis / Springfield or Eureka Springs or Tulsa or ???
3rd day - Springfield or Eureka Springs or Tulsa or ??? / Dallas

As you see, I still needing your help and suggestions,

Portela