Gretchen

To be clear, going from OKC to KC to StL is 2 days.
Go from OKC EASTWARD --I44 -- direct to STL and save a day and a half for other places in the east that could use more time.

chiara_jk

"OKC EASTWARD --I44 -- direct to STL and save a day" this trip is 7h long.
you previously told me "There is nothing wrong with 4 hours. There is with 7 hours" and now you are suggesting me a 7 hours leg...
anyway... thanks for the suggestion

Gretchen

I really will stop after this.
It really DOES (to me) depend on what the 7H leg gets you. The part of the country you are travelling there is very much the same as where you have just spent a week or so. My suggestion, if it's a 7H drive, suck it up and so that to SAVE a couple of days for more interesting parts of the country.
A 7H drive in the west is at 80MPH (so maybe NOT 7H) through flat land. I have driven from KC to STL MANY times. It is boring. It is about 4-5H.

Actually the I44 to STL has some interesting looking stuff on it.

You conveniently left off the end of my suggestion about 4H vs. 7H which I suggested here--drive that time in order to cover the distance.
I said "There is nothing wrong with 4 hours. There is with 7 hours, IF you want to actually see anything rather than drive by it."

chiara_jk

ok, got your point. thank you.

I'm reconsidering again the itinerary, trying again to include at least couple of days at OBX.

what do you think about that guys?

8 Oklahoma City - St. Louis
9 St Louis - Bourbon Trail - Shaker Village - Louisville
10 Louisville - Mammoth Cave - Knoxville
11 Knoxville - Charlotte*
12 Charlotte - Manteo*
13 Manteo - Hatteras - New Bern
14 New Bern - Charleston
15 Charleston - Kiawah Island - Beaufort
16 Beaufort - Tybee Island - St Mary
17 St Mary - Cumberland Island - St Mary

* Charlotte and Manteo: I indicated these 2 places just as stops trying to equally detach the road between Knoxville and the area of OBX I would like to visit (Highway 12). the idea is to arriving in the Roanoke Island and the day after go down 'till Hatteras. Ideally we should take a ferry from here to Cedar Islands, but I'm not sure I can manage 3h on a ferry in a bad weather day...
so the only alternative I see is to go back travelling on the 12 and stop around New Bern that I would like to visit.
from here, go south to SC.
any suggestions on very good places in OBX/SC/ GA coasts we shouldn't miss? we like wild places (so I'm not considering places like Hilton Head)
thank you!

sallytakemyhand

>>>
11 Knoxville - Charlotte*
12 Charlotte - Manteo*
>>>

If this is a list of the cities you want to see and the order, fine. But if you are just driving from Knoxville to Manteo, Charlotte is out of the way. Drive from Knoxville to stopping somewhere around Greensboro to Raleigh before heading to the OBX.

chiara_jk

Charlotte it's not mandatory, so thanks for the advice.
I have another version of the intinerary, I totally changed the part from OKC to OBX...
I perfectly know that around these places i will list there are lot of things to see, but I will take a trip next year in the area so makes sense now not to focus too much on that:

Oklahoma City - Memphis
Memphis - Mammoth Cave - Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown - Bourbon Trail - Louisville - Lexington
Lexington - XXXX [what could be a good stop?]
XXXX - Roanoke Island


anything to see between Lexington & Roanoke Island?

Gretchen

I would again and now moreso, suggest droppping Amarillo and going from wherever in central Texas to either Memphis or StL and forming a part of the itinerary from there. There is also Nashville if you want for that area--to me, still more interesting than long drives in Texas to see an RV "museum".

However, to answer the above, you can go Lexington-Knoxville-Asheville-Charlotte-OBX.
Lex to Knox is about 4h. Knox to Asheville is about 3-4H and you pass north of GSMNP. Asheville-Charlotte is about 2-3H. And to the OBX is about 8+.

chiara_jk

Hi
I spent couple of hours talking with my boyfriend about the trip and I asked him what he would like to see... he replied Memphis (Elvis house) and Mammoth Cave.
so I tried to satisfy his and mine needs:

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 - Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - Oklahoma City
8 OKC - Little Rock
9 Little Rock - Memphis - Nashville
10 Nashville - Cave City
11 Cave City - Mammoth Cave - Bourbon Trail - Louisville
12 Louisville (*FLIGHT* to Norfolk) - Norfolk- Manteo (or Salvo)
13 Manteo - Hatteras - Alligator RWR - Buffalo City o Columbia
14 Buffalo City - New Bern - Surf City
15 Surf City - Georgetown - Charleston
16 Charleston - Edisto Island or Hunting Island - Beaufort - Georgetown (GA)
17 Georgetown - St Mary (ferry at 9am) - Cumberland Island - St Mary
18 St Mary - Jacksonville - ITA

chiara_jk

and now the Texas part is:

1 ITA - Dallas
2 Dallas - Forth Worth- Austin
3 Austin - Lockhart - Gruene - Bulverde (rodeo) - San Antonio
4 San Antonio - Mission San Juan Capistrano - Mission San Francisco de la Espada - Mission San Josè - San Antonio - Bandera - Medina - Luckenback
5 Luckenback - Fredericksburg - Willow City Loop - Kerville - Abilene
6 Abilene - Amarillo

Gretchen

Well, again, if you want to get out of the car and see something on the way, Brookgreen Gardens is between Surf City (really) and Georgetown and worth a look for the gardens and the sculpture and art.
Are you stopping to see anything in Charleston or just for the night before going on. I'd guess the latter since from Wilmington (below Surf City), it is about a 4.5 hour drive to Charleston. no time for Brookgreen! Georgetown is a lovely Revolutionary War era town and it does have a historic district you can drive through.
Do not exceed the speed limit south of Georgetown--big wide open underused 4 lane highway that is well patrolled.

chiara_jk

I'm thinking to move the night from Surf City to Wilmington so I gain some miles for the next day. thanks for mentioning Brookgreen (I'll see onsite if I have time or not to visit it)

13 Manteo - Hatteras - Alligator RWR - Buffalo City o Columbia
14 Buffalo City - New Bern - Wilmington
15 Wilmington - Brookgreen garden - Georgetown - Charleston

.
I have already visited Charleston, so I'll probably spend there just some hours.

charsuzan

Please let me know if you have any questions specific to KY and the Bourbon Trail. Do not miss Maker's Mark Distillery. I also think you will enjoy Shaker Village-you may want to make it a stop for the night for a night away from chain hotels. Very good food too.

Orlando_Vic

Paul, No advertising on Fodors. Pay for your ads like everyone else.

Gretchen

I think the Shaker Village has been dropped. That day/stretch is already over planned. It is SUCH a beautiful part of Americana too.

chiara_jk

I would love to have time for Shaker Village too, but I don't think it will be possible.
how much it would take? what is possible to see there? the historic district or something else?

Gretchen

It is a Shaker village, examining the Shaker way of life. While the exterior of the buildings is quite stunning in its very bare way, there is more to be learned inside about beliefs and their very beautiful furniture making.
Not everything is a drive by. ;o(


ANd the "wide open spaces" of Texas and Oklahoma are interesting in another way--but there is a LOT of space down thataway!! And there can be a lot of "sameness" in it.

chiara_jk

Hi

what you think about that?

Dallas - OKC
Oklahoma City - Walmart Museum - Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs - Cosmic Caverns - Little Rock
Little Rock - Sikeston (??)
Sikeston - mammoth Cave - Louisville
Louisville - GSMNP - Gatlinburg
Gatlingburg - Charleston

I was thinking to Arkansas as an alternative to head to the coast.

jayne1973

That will save you a lot of time, and you can catch a little Route 66 in Oklahoma City.

Gretchen

Go to Asheville from Gatlingburg and then to Charleston. Gatlinburg is only good because it is in the GSMNP and should be a drive by!!

Have you given up the OBX?
Amarillo?

Sikeston?

If you do this you could also see the Shaker Village.

Not really sure what your itinerary looks like now.

Yes, definitely head up through Arkansas--even from Dallas-as I think i suggested a bit further above.

chiara_jk

To go to OBX we need to take a flight fron Louisville and that means paying 2 drop-off fee... Too expensive!

I had to give up Amarillo 'cause days are not enough to do it.
I also do not have time for an additional stop in Asheville.
Sikestpn os just because it's in the middle of that leg