Tennessee Road Trip
 

Hi there,
My husband and I will be heading south from New England this summer for a 12 day road trip. The focus of our trip will be Tennessee, and I'm hoping to get a few inside tips for sights to see and possibly avoid.

We're planning to camp in the Smoky Mntns for the first 3 days in TN. We have heard Gatlinburg is very touristy, which really isn't our style, so we'll probably avoid that scene. We're hoping to find a campsite that is fairly remote (not a an overcrowded city of campers), has some great views and hiking. We planned on doing some auto-touring while in the mountains, too, but after reading some of the other posts I've become a little worried about the traffic on the mountain roads. That can be a road trip joy kill!
If anyone has tips on travel, campsites or must-sees in this area, I'd love to hear them.

From the Smokies, we're planning to drive out to Memphis. We're both big blues music lovers and can't wait to see the sights and sounds of Memphis. We'd love some tips on places to see good live music, as well as dining spots. We'd like to get a local flavor and avoid the over-hyped tourist traps, if possible.

One of my big wonders: Would it be a worthwhile experience to drive from eastern TN to Memphis via Rte 64? My map shows it as a "scenic route"... do the natives agree? We're prepared (and happy) to spend most of the day driving from east to west; we'd rather see something new and scenic than drive a freeway. If, however, it's a dull/overly long/unsafe ride, we'll skip it and go out via Rte 40.

I should also point out- the other reason I'm thinking we'll skip Rte 40 on the way west is because we're planning on coming home that way, and spending one night (1.5 days) in Nashville. We'll surely take Rte 40 then.
Speaking of Nashville- I'd love to hear the "must see" list for Nashville in 24 hours. =) As I said earlier, we enjoy live music- especially the blues. We appreciate music history, though, and would like to see the Opry (thinking a matinee show, maybe). Any other tips, including a good place to stay in town, would be greatly appreciated. Right now, I'm intregued by the Union Station hotel.

I've been looking forward to this road trip for so long, I want to make sure we make the most of our first southern experience. (I'll happily trade tips if any of you would like info on New England!) I did read another post where folks were focused on the heat and humidity, and urged the traveler to avoid the southeast during August. I will put the disclaimer out that we're prepared to deal with the heat. We're both teachers, so summer travel is our only option.
Thanks!

As long as you are camping in the mountains you won't suffer too much from the heat and humidity.

What kind of campground do you want? National Forest? Full service?

Hi, Starrs.
We'll be tenting it, so a place with running water would be a bonus, since we'll be there for 3 days in August and don't want to get too ripe.
I'd love to have a site with water access, either a river or creek, but beggars can't be choosers, I know.

I was reading about Big Creek campground- it sounds nice, but there are only 12 sites, and I'm afraid it will be full, since we'll be getting there on a Saturday afternoon.

Memphis, lots to do there. Of course there is Beale St for blues, maybe too touristy for you though?
You must go to the Sun Studios for a tour, Gus's for fried chicken and we really liked Rendezvous for ribs. If you have the time and are a fan of Elvis, Graceland is a must. Downtown Memphis in parts, seems to be stuck in a time warp, very charming.

Katie, the Smokies are absolutely gorgeous and aren't crowded once you get away from Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge. If you just need running water, then a NF campground would work great. Running water and pit toilets. I'd plan to get in the area early and then have a few of interest to check out and set up camp.

WHEN are you going? The later in the summer the better because schools start up early here (less crowded for folks coming from the NE).

Do you really want to go to Memphis? Would Nashville work instead. I just hate the drive to Memphis - but then again I had to drive it for work. I've only driven it on xways, but your map should show "scenic" drives (dotted green usually). I've never been disappointed on a scenic drive.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation...ig-creek.shtml

This says Big Creek uses a reservation service.

Sorry. Wrong one.

Katie55 -

You will love Tennessee. Not sure about Rte 64 as I have only ever driven across on I-40. It's a nice drive as well if you choose to go that way.

As far as the Opry, there are no matinees. Times are Tuesday 7pm, Friday 8pm, Saturday 2 shows 7pm and 9:30pm.

If you like country music you can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Also for live music is Tootsie's or Roberts. Both on Broadway. We have historic homes such as The Hermitage (President Andrew Jackson) and Belle Meade Plantation.

Have an wonderful trip.

Don't know about traveling on 64 all the way across Tennessee. By I-40 the trip is almost seven hours. It is a long way across. Maybe taking part of the trip on backroads and the part from Nashville to Memphis on 40. As far the Smokies, I just returned from a camping trip and we stayed in Townsend. Knowing you are tent camping, you will probably want to stick with the NPS sites but Townsend is a nice place and not nearly as crowded as Gatlinberg or Pigeon Forge. There are some restaurants there as well as the Little Pigeon River. We stayed at the KOA and it was very nice.

Have fun and eat well!

Katie, don't dismiss staying in The Smokies. Check out this site. We have been to Elkmont and really do like it a lot.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisi...ry-camping.htm

You might enjoy the drive on 64 (good roads), but it's a loooong drive from Knoxville to Memphis!

Are you going to camp around the Memphis area? If not, be sure to check out the hotels thouroughly. Memphis has some of the worst hotels ever! You can get great bbq all over Memphis. One place that people go for ribs is The Rendevous. It's either a love or hate thing. They are dry ribs. I love The Rendevous. My sister hates The Rendevous.

I have been successful on pricelineing some good hotels in Nashville. Check out biddingfortravel.com before you bid and decide on an area. The Union Station might be ok. We have stayed at The Marriott Vanderbilt. It's right acrosss the street from Centennial Park and they have a great shuttle that runs until very late.

Tennessee is a great state with great cities! Don't dismiss Chattanooga.....very scenic!

Have fun.
i'2

And, I meant to also add that if you like country cooking and good biscuits go to The Loveless Cafe when you are in Nashville. Their biscuit maker had a throwdown with Bobby Flay......Bobby Flay won, but I can't imagine his biscuits really going over in the south!

Eat at Blues City Cafe in Memphis on Beale Street. If you are there on Sunday, do the Brunch at the Peabody. See the ducks at the Peabody. Several good restaurants on Beale Street, including Rendevouz. But Blues City is our fav. There has been a lot on the travel channel and food network lately about food in Memphis. Try and catch a few of those for some ideas.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful replies! I really do appreciate the responses.

i'2, when we're in Memphis, we've booked a suite at the Talbot Heirs Guest house, which seems like it should be in a good location and looked pretty nice on the website. It was also mentioned in my travel guide. Have you heard of it?
Also, I'm glad you mentioned biscuits. My mouth hadn't watered thinking about those yet today. Yum!

I mapquested directions from the Smoky Mntn area out to Memphis on alternate routes and it could potentially be a nightmarishly long ride. I'd love to make a scenic driving day of it, though, and avoid doing the same I-40 trip out and back across the state. If anybody has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them. Where are those truck drivers when you need them? ;)

We'll be in the area from 8/1 - 8/10.

Those truck drivers are on I-40!
When we drove between Memphis & Nashville on I-40, semi-trucks ruled the road...ugh!

If you want to get away from car camping see if you can get the shelter at Kephart Prong. It is 2 relatively easy miles following the creek to the shelter. Will need to reserve it in advance. Go to www.nps.gov/grsm and put backcounty camping in the search field.
For car camping try Tremont (first come)or Look Rock or Abrams Creek off the Foothills Parkway (not the Blue Ridge Parkway)also first come. In Bryson City there is a park service campground and is a great place to go tubing (be sure to get one with a wooden bottom to save your bottom.
If you don't mind getting away from everything go to Cataloochee Campground on the far eastern side of the park. Elk were reintroduced into the park several years ago and this is good area to see them. They also have a number of old homes and churches in this area. There is a gravel road running from here to Big Creek and on to TN 32 to US321 back into Gatlinburg.
Could also take the Blue Ridge Parkway (near the Oconaluftee visitor center) to the Balsam Mountain campground. There is a gravel road which takes you back into the park.
The parking lot for Clingsman Dome is a great place for sunrise or sunset as is the last pullout on the Foothills Parkway before getting back to US321.
Go to Laurel Falls and Cades Cove early to avoid the crowds.

Photodog,
Thank you so much for the camping tips. Each one of those campgrounds you mentioned looks great!

Question for you: Abrams Creek- is it very popular and crowded?

It's hard to imagine that it's not, considering how great those waterfront sites are. I am loving that you can reserve the sites in advance there, too, because the last thing I want is to have to park hop in search of an available site after driving all that way.


Also- I mapquested the route from Pigeon Forge to Memphis via Rte 64. That site says the ride will take 8 hours. If I go Rte 40, it will be a 6 hour ride. So I'm left to wonder if the scenery along 64 will be better enough to warrant two extra hours in the car. I'm leaning toward doing it.

No matter which route you take, the last two hours will be dull and flat. The Memphis/West Tennessee landscape is quite unattractive and once you get around 75 miles west of Nashville, it all looks the same. Maybe the scenic route to Nashville and then get on I-40--trust me, you want that drive over as quickly as possible.
hereinfranklin.wordpress.com

If you can get in (I think they take reservations) Elkmont would be a great choice. Although, I have to tell you that even in the mountains, August is very warm down here. Hope you have a great trip!

Sorry, have not stayed at Abrams Creek. DeblnTN is correct that Elkmont campground accepts reservations. The last time I stayed there the did not.

Hi from East Tennessee! I don't have camping experience here, but I do have a lot of mountain road driving experience.

If you don't have your heart set on the GSM, check out the national forests in the area. Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee or Pisgah National Forest in N.C.

If you avoid the main road through the GSMNP, you shouldn't have any problems with traffic heavy traffic.

And I second the recommendation of the Cataloochee Valley. We saw the elk there a couple years ago and it was a real treat. The location is very remote and thus not crowded at all. The only roads to access that area of the park are gravel.