Let me say up-front that I’m a huge fan of road trips, and I prefer them to flying if I’m travelling through scenic country. That having been said, I’ve got a June trip to Chicago coming, and the route that Google’s recommending (Dallas-Memphis-Chicago) doesn’t look too terribly interesting.
Am I wrong? Is there any pretty scenery along that drive (or any alternative routes) that I might find interesting? I’m not looking to spend an extra week driving, mind you - I know I could stop for a few days in Memphis and have a blast - just asking about the drive.
I’ve driven from Memphis to St. Louis, and, while it’s a good road (as the old folks say) there isn’t anything terribly interesting along the way, and it carries a goshawful amount of traffic.
I think the leg from Austin to Memphis would be much more interesting, as you’ll be crossing some very pretty parts of Arkansas.
Now that I think of it, turning north at Little Rock and going through Kansas City might be a tiny bit better. But not much, if only for avoiding Memphis (terrible drivers).
While I can’t find anything to recommend it over any other route, if LA (the state) holds appeal, I-10 to I-65 works (the one and only time I drove in Alabama (1974) was a straight shot up I-65 at 2:00 A.M., while letting the fool a mile ahead of me find the cops. He did a good job, and, to this day, I thank him…
tips for x-country:
- Drive in the wee earllies - the drunks are off the road - it’s just you and the pros - truckers and cops.
- Stay in lane 2 or 3, at the limit, until some bozo blows by you (it rarely takes long). This person is your bush-shaker. Watch him until just his taillights are visible. NOW you can speed up to match his speed - the cop will find him, and his lightbar is your signal to slow back dowm - FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES - cops work in pairs. If you see one, there is another you don’t see.
After the 10 minutes, find another bush-shaker
On my move to Austin, I stopped in Cairo, Illinois, a fascinating little city in southern Illinois that is now practically a ghost town. Its population fell from a peak of about 16,000 to 3,000 today.
I also recommend a stop at Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri. It’s like a Cracker Barrel on steroids, with much better food and atmosphere, and its famous “throwed rolls”. Yes, restaurant staff throw rolls at you from across the room.
The dullest stretches, IMHO, are between Dallas and Texarkana, West Memphis to Cairo, and central and northern Illinois.
If you want to route your trip via I-44 through Oklahoma and Missouri the Ozarks can be quite scenic. The downside to that is that the entire trip excluding the Ozarks (roughly Joplin to about an hour west of St. Louis) is somewhat less.