An Epic 10 Week Southern and Southwest Road Trip

We originally planned to fly into Rome and road trip over a few weeks up to Venice where we were going to catch an 8 country Mediterranean cruise. We waited until the first week of August before bailing out of this trip (too many Covid restrictions in place).

This left us trying to figure out what travel we wanted to do this fall. On Monday, we cancelled out of our European vacation and started the process of putting a backup plan into motion.  Hard to believe, but we had this trip planned and booked before the end of the weekend.

Since we are retired now, we have a lot of flexibility when it comes to travel planning – but there are still time considerations. We decided to close our pool early this year (right after Labor Day) and we wanted to return home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with our children and grandkids. That established the time frame of about 10 weeks maximum.

Next we identified 2 major initial objectives:

• Big Bend National Park (West Texas)
• Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area (Northern Utah)

Next we had to identify how to get to Big Bend, from Big Bend to Flaming Gorge and from Flaming Gorge back home.  There are a few “guidelines” we tried to follow – when possible:

• Keep any day’s drive to under 5.5 hours
• Stay 3 nights minimum (allows for 2 full days of exploring)
• Stay longer than 3 nights when you need to rest a little and to allow for inclement weather
• No repeat locations within one trip
• Have access to laundry facilities at least once every 10 days
• Lodging should be within walking distance (< 1 mile) of several restaurants/bars
• Have access to a kitchen to eat healthier, save money and enjoy the place where you are staying

With a planning framework in place we began the process of filling out a trip that focuses on our favorite activities and lodging options:

• Scenic drives
• Backcountry road adventuring
• Hiking, walking and biking in interesting places
• Small towns with vibrant downtowns
• National and State Parks
• Scenic railroads
• Exploring historic sites and museums
• Staying in historic hotels
• Renting interesting AirBnB and VRBO properties
• Staying in Old Mansion Bed &Breakfasts (B&B’s)
• Camping in interesting places

As we fleshed out the trip, we added a number of other parks:

• Natchez Trace National Historic Parks
• Big Bend State Park
• Guadalupe National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns
• White Sands National Park
• Mesa Verde National Park
• Gunnison Black Canyon National Park
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Capital Reef National Park
• Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
• Goosenecks State Park

We also including the following scenic railroads:

• Great Smokey Mountain Railroad
• Austin Steam Train
• Cumbres and Toltec Railroad
• Durango-Silverton Railroad

Here we go: 23 stops in 10 weeks across the south and southwest of the United States of America.  A trip we nicknamed:  Not the European Vacation.

Not the European Vacation or 10 weeks of Adventure in the South and Southwest

 

High Level Map of the Trip

Stop 1 – Marion, Virginia – (1 Day)

My wife Nancy and I passed the General Francis Marion hotel earlier this year when we where on a trip in southern Virginia. We put it on our list for a future trip and it fits into what we want to do on this trip. This hotel was built in the 1920’s and was renovated/restored in 2006. It’s just the place for us to hang out for the first night as we start our trip south.

Driving Route:  Round Hill, VA to Marion, VA

We find we prefer to take Route 340 down to Wytheville Virginia when heading south instead of driving I-81. It’s scenic and you can make good time. I-81 itself in Virginia is scenic, probably one the most scenic interstates on the east side of the USA, however, the traffic on I-81 can be really heavy sometimes.  In fact, depending on traffic, Route 340 can sometimes be faster than this section of I-81.

Itinerary

• Travel down scenic western Virginia to Marion Virginia
• Find a great place to hang out and watch the start of the NFL season (US football)
• Anchor at the Historic General Francis Marion Hotel

Scenic Driving

When traveling south in western Virginia we often stay on scenic Route 340 before diverting over the I-81. We find this route less crowded and scenic.

Lodging:  General Francis Marion Hotel

Stop 2 – Bryson City, North Carolina – (2 Days)

We picked Bryson City as our next stop for two reasons. First it’s the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway and second it’s the home base of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Driving Route:  Marion, VA to Bryson City, NC

Most of this leg of the trip will be on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Itinerary

• Scenic Driving Down from Marion, VA down to Bryson City, NC via the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Ride the Great Smoky Mountain Scenic Railroad
• Hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on some of the Road to Nowhere trails
• Anchor at the Stonebrook Lodge

Blue Ridge Parkway

We have family in Florida and have often driven parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, the southern section we are doing on this trip down to Bryson City, is a part we have never done. We plan on taking a really nice slow meandering drive down from Marion and will find a nice place along the route for a lunch time picnic in the mountains.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

We enjoy the beauty and ambiance of scenic railroads. This one is running while we pass through the area.

Walking and Hiking on Road to Nowhere Trails

Nancy and I try and walk at least 4 miles everyday. When traveling, we seek out cool places to hike that fit our travel in the area. This area of hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is close to Bryson City and fits the bill.

Lodging:  Stonebrook Lodge

Nothing historic about where we are staying but it its near the train depot and restaurants.

 

Stop 3 – Chattanooga, Tennessee (2 Days)

We chose Chattanooga because it’s an easy “jump” distance from Bryson City after we adventure the Cherohala Skyway.  Chattanooga has enough interesting things for us keep busy for a couple of days.  It has a renowned aquarium, a river walk, hiking, Civil War battle fields, river cruises and more.  Most likely there is more than we can do on this stop.  Given the proximity to our home base, I suspect this will be a place we return to on a future road trip.  So for this road trip – we will do some “travel reconnaissance” for future stays.  oh yeah, we hear – “Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo” calling us.

Driving Route:  Bryson City, NC to Chattanooga, TN via the Cherohala Skyway

Itinerary

• Travel the Cherohala Skyway
• Walk the Chattanooga Riverwalk
• Visit Chattanooga and Chickamauga Battlefields
• Take a cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat
• Anchor at the Bluff View Inn overlooking the Tennessee River

Cherohala Skyway

This 43 mile National Scenic Highway was just completed in the fall of 1996. It was recently rated as one of the top ten motorcycle roads in America.  We are taking this as a part of our scenic driving from Bryson City into Chattanooga.

Chattanooga and Chickamauga Battlefields

I visited here back on the early 1990’s but Nancy has never been here. It’s pretty amazing that they fought a major Civil War battle here while moving up this mountain.

Chattanooga Riverwalk

The Riverwalk runs 16 miles along the southern banks of the Tennessee River with a variety of restaurants and activities. This pathway is near the Bluff View Inn where we are staying and close to the Tennessee Aquarium. We think it will be a great anchor spot for a couple of days.

Southern Bell Riverboat Cruise

We plan on taking a cruise on the Southern Belle while we are in Chattanooga.

Lodging:  Bluff View Inn B&B

This place looked really nice and it’s central to the things we want to do while we are here.  It situated right on the Tennessee river near the river walk and our room has river views.

Stop 4 –  New Albany, Mississippi (1 Day)

We needed a stopping point along the Natchez Trace Parkway.  While Tupelo was the obvious choice, right along the route, however, when searching for awesome lodging, Nancy found The Concord Inn about 30 minutes off the beaten path.  It doesn’t meet the “rule” of being within walking distance of restaurants – but this is one night.  We will be about 1/3 of the way down the Natchez Trace Parkway and near the Shiloh Battlefield.

Driving Route:  Chattanooga, TN to New Albany, MS

When we returned from our 2 month cross country trip out to Idaho and Montana in 2019 we got to do a small portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444 mile recreational road with scenic drives through three states.  It roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace”, a historic travel corridor used by American Indians and early settlers. It’s now a scenic and historic national parkway managed by the National Park Service. There are places where you can still see the old wagon road and there are numerous historical sites along the parkway.

Itinerary

• Explore the northern part of the Natchez Trace Parkway
• Visit Shiloh Battlefield
• Spend the night at the Concord Inn near New Albany Mississippi

Shiloh Battlefield

The scale of civil war battles sometimes stretches the imagination. Some 110,0000+ Union and Confederate troops battled with almost 24,000 casualties. This is one of the few remaining civil war battlefields I haven’t visited, with Vicksburg being the other (later on this trip). Shiloh is just a short distance off the Parkway and is close to where we are staying at the Concord Inn.

Lodging:  Concord Inn B&B

Nancy found this B&B not far from the end of our first days journey down the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is situated on 150 acres in one of the oldest settlements in the county.  It looks like a really nice place to spend the night.

Stop 5 – Vicksburg, Mississippi (3 Days)

We have never been to Vicksburg and this looked like a good place to stop after completing the second leg of the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Harrison has a huge interest in Civil War history and Vicksburg offers plenty to feed his soul.

Driving Route:  New Albany, MS to Vicksburg, MS

This is the next third of the Natchez Trace Parkway, We are going continue down to Jackson, MS and veer off for a few days to explore Vicksburg, MS area before rejoining the Parkway to its conclusion in Natchez, MS.

Itinerary

• Explore the Natchez Trace Parkway  from Tupelo MS to Jackson MS
• Visit the Vicksburg Battlefield
• Explore Vicksburg and the surrounding area
• Stay at the Historic Duff Green Mansion

Vicksburg National Battlefield

Downtown Vicksburg

Lodging:  Duff Green Mansion B&B

Built in 1856 this mansion served as a hospital during the civil war. There are still bloodstained floors in the house and it’s reported to be haunted by a couple of recurring ghosts

Stop 6 – Jefferson, Texas  (3 days)

Until hurricane Ida hit a few days ago, we had planned on spending this stop in Mandeville, Louisiana. We have now reoriented this stop to Jefferson, Texas and will be exploring the east Texas border area for a few days.

Driving Route:  Vicksburg, MS to Jefferson, TX

This is going to be a much longer transition day than we would normally do with the last minute change of destination.  We were a little boxed in and decided we didn’t want to break this down into another stop. The intent on this day is to finish the Natchez Trace although we may cut it short due to time constraints and head over to Jefferson a little sooner in the day.

Itinerary

• Explore East Texas Scenic Drives
• Lodging the White Oak Manor BB

Jefferson Texas

Jefferson has a lot of restored structures and B and B’s from its days as a river port. Almost every commercial building and house on the main arterial road in Jefferson has a historic marker. We plan on exploring this area and enjoying a number of the restaurants we turned up in our research.

Lodging: White Oak Manor BB

Stop 7 – Fredericksburg Texas and Texas Hill Country (4 days)

Fredericksburg was established in 1846 as a German colony.  It’s a pretty big tourist area with shopping, museums, historic walking tours, vineyards, brew pubs, art galleries, and over three hundred bed and breakfast establishments. There are over 700 historically significant structures are found in the Fredericksburg historic district. we decided that this would be a great anchor sport for us while exploring the Texas Hill Country.

The Texas Hill Country is often considered the border between the American Southeast and Southwest – because of the location, climate, terrain of rolling hills and vegetation.  The region stretches from Austin to San Antonio on the ease and Concan to Junction on the west and it covers over 10,000 square miles.

We have rented a great little house just off of main street so we can easily walk to the downtown area.

Driving Route:  Jefferson Tx, to Fredericksburg, TX

This is a big “jump” day but we decided we would rather have another day in Fredericksburg area in instead of stopping in-between.

Itinerary

• Enjoy the restaurants, bars and shopping of downtown Fredericksburg
• Ride the Austin Steam Train on the Wedding Oak Wine Train
• A ton of scenic driving adventuring
• Exploring small towns throughout the Texas Hill Country
• A day trip down to San Antonio to visit the Alamo  and catch a late lunch or dinner on San Antonio River Walk
• Lodging at the Adam Travis House

Fredericksburg Texas

We are going to be staying not far off of the Main Street area of Fredericksburg.

T

Austin Steam Train

We booked a trip on the Wedding Oak Wine Train. We thought this would be a ton of fun.

“Join us for the event of the fall as we take the train to Burnet’s own Wedding Oak Winery. Passengers will enjoy a 2-hour train ride from Cedar Park spanning the South San Gabriel River, while enjoying an intimate talk and wine tasting with members of the Wedding Oak family. In Burnet, food and wine is available for purchase during our 2-hour layover at the stunning tasting room at Wedding Oak Winery. Complete with two-story views, patio and rooftop terrace, Wedding Oak has made its home in the historic 1888 Badger Building, in the heart of Burnet’s town square. Finally, relax and enjoy the ride as the train returns to our Cedar Park Depot in the afternoon.”

d

Texas Hill Country Scenic Driving and Exploring

We researched through a number of our travel guidebooks looking at scenic drives in Texas Hill Country. We put together a multi-day plan we think we can get through that gives us a good flavor for area.

San Antonio

We are going to do a day trip down to San Antonio to visit the Alamo and hang out on the river walk for a bit. On the way down we will meander and get in some of the scenic drives that we have planned.

Lodging:  Adam Travis House

This is the house rental we have in Fredericksburg just a couple blocks off Main Street.

Stop 8 –  Big Bend National Park  (1 Week)

Big Bend was one of the main destinations on this road trip when we started thinking about what we wanted to do.  We decided to stay in Alpine, TX as an anchor point. We have never been to this part of Texas and it looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun as it has a lot of scenic backcountry roads which we really like exploring.

Driving Route:  Fredericksburg, TX to Alpine, TX

This is pretty much a straight shot from Fredericksburg to Alpine.

Itinerary

We have packed week of adventuring planned in this area  including

• We are anchoring a small house rental in Alpine TX
• Big Bend National Park Hiking and Back Country Drives
• Big Bend Ranch State Park hiking
• Big Bend back country drives
• Two nights of desert camping in Terlingua,TX at Rancho Topanga Campground
• Visit McDonald Observatory for pitch black sky gazing of the milky way
• Visit Fort Davis
• Drive the Fort Davis Mountain Scenic Loop

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend is huge with 1,252 square miles of land having

• 110 miles of paved roads
• 150 miles of unpaved backcountry roads
• More than 150 miles of hiking trails

Big Bend Backcountry Roads

There are 260+ of miles of paved and back country dirt roads in Big Bend. With our Tundra 4×4 TRD off road truck we intend to explore a great deal of them in the week we are there.

Big Bend Ranch State Park

This state park is next door to Big Bend National Park and we intend to also explore this area. It contains

• More than 238 miles of multi-use trails
• 70 miles of backcountry roads

Big Bend Camping

Nancy and have been campers for most of our life.  We recently purchased a new tent that fits over the back of the truck bed allowing us to sleep in the truck bed and have access to the tent for standing while changing clothes. You can leave the tent during the day and just re-attach when you return. This allows us to free style a bit when we are on the road. For this trip we are going to field test this in Big Bend. This national park is huge and remote and we want to hang out there for a few nights and watch the stars which are suppose to be amazing given how black the sky is there at night

McDonald Observatory

We are going to make a visit to the McDonald Observatory as a part of the day of visiting Fort Davis and going to Fort Davis Mountain Scenic Loop.

Fort Davis

One of the best examples of one of the Indian Wars frontier forts.

Fort Davis Mountains Scenic Loop

Lodging:  Alpine House Rental – Wayfarer’s Cottage

We decided to take a weekly rental in Alpine, TX which is little more that an hour from the entrances to Big Bend National Park.   We will camp mid-stay for 2 nights in Big Bend to avoid that hour long drive every day.  The weekly rental wasn’t that expensive, so “throwing away” 2 nights for camping closer works for us.  The Alpine rental allows us to have an anchor point for doing other things in the area.

Stop 9 – Carlsbad, New Mexico (3 Days)

We are using Carlsbad as our next stop to explore the Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks.

Driving Route:  Alpine, TX to Carlsbad, NM

This is a fairly short “jump” day so we have plenty of time on the first day in Carlsbad to get some hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Itinerary

• Guadalupe Mountains National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• Trinity Hotel

Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns Overview Map

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

We will mostly hike in this area as there are more than 80 miles of trails in the park.

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains some of the largest caves in North America.

Lodging:  Trinity Hotel

Built in 1892, this originally was a bank.  In 2007 it was converted to hotel and restaurant.

Stop 10 – Taos, New Mexico (3 Days)

Nancy and I stayed in Taos in 2009 and decided to go back for a couple days. It has some nice infrastructure with restaurants and is a good anchor to head up to the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. We did this railroad the last time we were in this area but are going to take a different route this time.

Driving Route:  Carlsbad, NM to Taos, NM

Itinerary

• Check out Roswell New Mexico  on our way  to Taos New Mexico
• Hang out and relax in Taos
• Ride the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

Roswell New Mexico

If you passing through Roswell how can you not stop at least for a bit and mingle with in Aliens???

Taos New Mexico

Taos Area

 

 

Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

Lodging:  Casa Benavides Inn

We have a room with a kitchen at this Inn.

Stop 11 – Durango, Colorado (4 Days)

We stayed in Durango in 2004 and have long talked about going back to ride the spectacular Durango-Silverton Railroad again to finally compete the San Juan Skyway which we only go to do a portion of last time.

Driving Route:  Taos, NM to Durango, CO

Itinerary

• Ride the Durango-Silverton Railroad.
• Visit Mesa Verde National Park
• Drive the San Juan Mountains Skyway
• General Palmer Hotel

San Juan Mountains Skyway

The last time we were in Durango we only got to drive a portion of this loop. We thought it was one of the most beautiful drives we had ever done.  This time we are going to complete the loop!

Mesa Verde National Park

Durango-Silverton Railroad

This is absolutely the the best scenic railroad we have ever done! We are going back specifically to Durango to do this again. Harrison took this photo from the parlor car in the back of the train last time.

Lodging:  General Palmer Hotel

Built in 1898 this award winning hotel looks really interesting and will be our anchor while in Durango.  We stayed at a different historic hotel the last time we were in Durango (which is not currently open).

Stop 12 – Glenwood Springs, Colorado (2 Days)

On our next leg of the journey we are going to do something that we’ve had on our list for years: swim at the world’s largest hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs. Years ago we came through this area on our way back to Denver but only had time to grab lunch.  Along the way from Durango we are also going to visit Gunnison Black Canyon National Park.

Driving Route:  Durango, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO

Itinerary

• Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park
• Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Gunnison Black Canyon National Park

We plan on visiting this park as a part of the transition day to Glenwood Springs.

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Looking forward to a full day of swimming here. We first saw this pool years ago on a early trip out west and have always wanted to go back and do this. When we last passed through here it was snowing and the steam was rolling off the pool.

 

Stop 13 – Rock Springs, Wyoming (1 Week)

Back in 2019 on our 2 month cross country trip out to Idaho and Montana we passed through this area and decided we were going to return and do a much deeper dive.  As you see on the map below, the area is in southern WY and northern UT.  We’re staying in a Homewood Suites up in Rock Springs, WY – that has a full kitchen, however, just like when we were in Big Bend, we may opt to camp for 2 days.   Hotels are more flexible with reservations, so we’ll keep an eye on the weather report to see if camping makes sense at the beginning or end of this stay.

Driving Route:  Glenwood Springs, CO to Rock Springs, WY

Itinerary

• Wyoming Backcountry roads
• Utah backcountry and scenic byways day trips

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Wyoming Backroads

We have several day trips picked out here using our guidebook.

Utah backcountry and scenic byways day trips

One of the things we do when we are in an area is find the visitor center and see what kind of detailed information they have. When we passed through here in 2019 we picked up a set of pamphlets and route maps outlining almost 2 weeks worth of scenic roads and back country adventuring in the Flaming Gorge area. We are not sure what order or which ones we will do yet, however, we have a lot of material to work from while we are there.

Flaming Gorge

A few pictures of our pass through in 2019.

Flaming Gorge Utah Area – heading south on Rt 191

Stop 14 – Torrey, Utah (4 Days)

We did a Utah road trip back in 2010 and knew we would come back some day (and probably more than once).  We could spend months in southern Utah with its amazing panoramic views and backcountry roads. We are going to take on a couple new routes in this area and revisit a few areas we really love.  We stayed in Torrey on our that trip and loved the B&B we stayed at, however, it doesn’t seem to be in business any longer.

Driving Route:  Rock Springs, WY to Torrey, UT

Capital Reef’s Cathedral Valley is just north of Torrey, We may cut through there as a part of the transition day to Torrey.

Itinerary

• Capital Reef National Park
• Cathedral Valley
• Hole in the Rock Backcountry road
• Nortom Bullfrog backcountry road
• Torrey School House B&B

Cathedral Valley – Capital Reef National Park

We love, love, love Capital Reef National Park and its back country roads. We plan on doing several new routes while there but here are some pictures from our last adventure in this area in Cathedral Valley.  This time we will come in from a different direction.

Hole in the Rock Backcountry Byway

We are going to spend a day doing this 62 mile drive (one way) which runs from Escalante, UT to the Hole-in-the-Rock on the western shore of Lake Powell.  It follows the general route of the original pioneer trails.

.

Nortom-Bullfrog Road

Another day trip, the Norton-Bullfrog Road intersects Utah Hwy 24 nine miles east of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.

Lodging:  Torrey School House B&B

Torrey is small town near Capital Reef National Park with a population of about 300. The old school house is now a B&B and it’s where we will be for a few days.

Stop 15 – Page, Arizona – (4 Days)

We picked Page for as our next stopping point so we could be within striking distance of some things that we haven’t been able to get to before. In addition, it allows us to take the Cottonwood Canyon Backcountry Byway as we transition from Torrey.

Driving Route:  Torrey, UT to Page, AZ

This route includes using the Cottonwood Canyon Backcountry Byway to get to page.

Itinerary

• Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
• Goosenecks State Park
• Highway 12
• Cottonwood  Canyon Backcountry byway

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Goosenecks State Park

Going to do a day trip to this state park when we are in Page, AZ.

Cottonwood Canyon Backcountry Byway

We will be traveling on this back country road as we transition from Torrey, UT to Page, AZ.

Stop 16 – Silver City, New Mexico (3 Days)

Sliver City is a stopping point allowing us to rest and to explore the Trail of Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway.

Driving Route:  Page, AZ to Silver City, NM

Itinerary

• Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
• Trail of the Mountain Spirits
• Silver City

Trail of the Mountain Spirits

This byway takes you to the Gila Cliff Dwellings along with other sites. This will be a all day adventure.

Gila Cliffs National Monument

Silver City

Lodging:  Silver City Cottage

In Silver City we have rented a little cottage with a hot tub

Stop 17 – Ruidoso, New Mexico (3 Days)

Ruidoso is a small mountain town packed with year round activities. It was pretty easy to find a nice little cabin to rent for a few days as we explore this area.

Driving Route:  Silver City, NM to Ruidoso, NM

We will probably stop at White Sands for awhile on the transition day.

Itinerary

• White Sands National Monument
• Valley of Fires
• Downtown Ruidoso
• Cabin in the woods

Ruidoso Downtown

White Sands National Monument

Valley of Fires

Created about 5,000 years ago, this is a large area of lava flows.

Lodging:  Our Cabin in the Woods

Stop 18 – Odessa, Texas – (1 Night)

Odessa is just a stopping point for the night that breaks up a long drive on our way to the Fort Worth area. We are Best Western Rewards members and there is a Best Western Plus where we are going to spend the night.

Driving Route:  Ruidoso, NM to Odessa, TX

Stop 19-  Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas (3 Days)

We are going to slow down and stop off and explore this Fort Worth Historic District for a few days.  We chose the Stockyards Historic District for our lodging.  It includes a former livestock market area that began operations in 1866 and has restaurants and bars galore.  We have several friends that live in this area and we are trying to connect one night for dinner.

Driving Route:  Odessa, TX to Fort Worth, TX

Itinerary

• The  Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District 
• The Historic Stockyards Hotel

Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District

Lodging:  Stockyards Hotel

 

Stop 20 – Natchez, Mississippi (2 Days)

Natchez is the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River.  It was once the home to the greatest number of millionaires.  We have read a lot about the beauty of the numerous Antebellum Mansions in Natchez and thought we would explore this town for a couple days and tour a few of them.  You may recall that Natchez is located at the southern point of the Natchez Trace Parkway – and we drove to here back between stop 5 and 6.

Driving Route:  Fort Worth, TX to Natchez, MS

Itinerary

• Explore Downtown Natchez and the surrounding area.
• Explore some of the historic homes
• Stay at The Guest House Mansion Historic Inn

 

Natchez Waterfront

Natchez Historical Mansions

Unlike some other Southern cities, Natchez emerged from the civil war relatively unscathed.  Today it still contains one of the greatest collections of antebellum architecture in the nation.

A number of these are open for touring. we plan on touring at least a couple of them

Lodging:  Guest House Mansion Historic Inn

The original one and a half story home was built in 1840 and became known as the Natchez Lodge.  It went under a significant renovation in 1902-1903 during the Victorian Era, so many architectural features were enhanced from fireplace mantels to door mantels to the addition of the 4 massive columns.  It also included a swimming pool at the rear where a courtyard exists today.  It was renovated again in 1981 to have larger suites for VIP guests of the Eola Hotel across the street (no longer in operation).  Massive storm damage in 1998 caused extensive exterior damage and was finally repaired in 2017.

Stop 21 – Fairhope, Alabama (2 Days)

We are going to stop off in the Montrose area of Fairhope for a couple days to stay with and visit friends and explore a little bit of this town.

Driving Route:  Natchez, MS to Fairhope, AL

Itinerary

• Visit a couple of long time friends
• Get a flavor for Fairhope AL.

Fairhope AL

Stop 22 – Gadsden, Alabama (1 day)

As we leave Fairhope and start our journey north to our home in Virginia we are going transition to Gadsden, AL and travel on a scenic drives. Gadsden is just a convenient stop over for us at this point and we will just snag a room at the Best Western Plus.

Driving Route:  Fairhope, AL to Gadsden, AL

Itinerary

• Talladega Scenic Drive
• Cheaha State Park

Talladega Scenic Drive

This scenic drive leads to the highest point in Alabama

Cheaha State Park

Stop 23 – Gatlinburg, Tennessee (4 Days)

When we leave Gadsden and travel up the Lookout Mountain Scenic Parkway to Chattanooga, TN before heading over the Gatlinburg, TN. Years ago when Nancy and I were married, we honeymooned in Gatlinburg. As we where wrapping up the planning for this trip we realized we had an opportunity to spend some time over our anniversary again in Gatlinburg as a stop over. We rented a cabin and plan on exploring the Great Smoky National Park area and hang out down in Gatlinburg.

Driving Route:  Gadsden, AL to Gatlinburg, TN

 

Itinerary

• Lookout Mountain Scenic Parkway
• East Tennessee Border Tour
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Gatlinburg Tennessee

Lookout Mountain Scenic Byway

This scenic drive starts just outside of Gadsden, AL, goes to Chattanooga, TN and is 93 miles long.

The scenery on this drive includes waterfalls, canyons, villages and national and state parks. We plan on meandering to enjoy the views and take in some small hikes.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

There is a lot of hiking and other activities you can do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We did part of the park at the early part of this trip.  We have been here a number of times and want to hike back up to Clingmans dome and visit the Cades Cover area that we have never been to.

Gatlinburg

Lots of fun restaurants, shops and kitschy tourist stuff to do here.

t

Lodging: Cabin Rental one mile from downtown

We found this nice little cabin close to Gatlinburg complete with at hot tub.

The Last Leg Home (1-2 Days)

We haven’t decided if we are going to do a last stop on the way home or just pass through. We have used Lexington, VA in the past as a stay over. It’s a nice little Virginia college town that is home to Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Our guess is we will probably stay a night before we head home.

Driving Route:  Gatlinburg, TN to Round Hill, VA

Itinerary

• Lexington Virginia

Downtown Lexington

What’s Next

As we work our way through this trip will will post updates. It is really rare for us to begin and plan a trip like this on such short notice although we are real happy with how it came together. On short notice, your lodging options are a little more limited but it has worked out well for us.

In the end, this trip is just a warm up for next spring where we have planned a 6 month trip across North America all the way up to Prudhoe Bay Alaska on the Artic Ocean. We plan on spending the entire summer up north with a 2 month return trip in the fall. After months of researching, the planning and booking for that trip is nearing completion, however, the final details we will finish off later this fall when we get back from this adventure. We will post the “Alaska Journey” itinerary all together in a future post.