Michigan visit

I'll second the recommendation for Petit Jean SP; pleasant camping under the pines, a decent waterfall, nice hiking trails, high overlooks, and some unusual rock formations. Also you might like to spend an hour or so digging for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds SP.

As for Tennessee, you probably know the old joke.
What did Tennes see?
The same thing that Arkan saw!

What you should look for in AR is the TN state border. lol

OK. Now you guys are making me just want to stay in TN! This is such great information for someone who has never been to the southern US. Thanks so much for your suggestions. What should we look for in AR?

ken56 wrote:
Nashville is nice but not a whole lot to do IMO with the exceptions of The Grand Old Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and the downtown area proper with all the great restaurants and shops.

IF you like Greek architecture, Nashville has a recreation of the Parthenon near down town, along with some key Greek statuary.

One suggestion for when you leave Dallas, take 20 east over to Marshall TX. and make a stop at Marshall Pottery. If that is remotely in your interests they have some neat things from coffee mugs to water urns, bowls, flower pots etc.

Now on to TN.....Memphis has Beal street, Graceland, Gibson Guitar Factory, and The Pyramid, which is now a HUGE Bass Pro store. DO NOT wander away from the "tourist" areas while there. Memphis is a rough place, it has the highest crime rate in the state. Nashville is nice but not a whole lot to do IMO with the exceptions of The Grand Old Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and the downtown area proper with all the great restaurants and shops.

Jamestown is a good day trip (not very far)for Dollywood BUT a day trip is not going to give you the true Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg experience. Dollywood is a great park really but be prepared for a pricey ticket at $58 bucks per person. There is really SOOO much to do in the area that a few days are required to see much of anything. Lots of great campgrounds in the area too.

Jamestown is also close to Crossville which has the Cumberland County Playhouse. It is a wonderful place to see a stage production play. Look up their web site to see what they are performing when you are going to be visiting your friends.

Any suggestions for must sees along the route from Carlsbad Caverns to Dallas?

I'm not that familiar with that part of your route (though we have made the drive a couple of times. But it was Carlsbad that was our first "attraction site."

I'll just repeat my appeal:

It would also be the best time to inclue Northeast Texas in your plans. Some wonderful state parks in this area, including Tyler S. P., Daingerfield S. P., Caddo Lake S. P.; and also great COE parks on Lake o' the Pines: Brushy Creek and Buckhorn. Depending on the exact dates there would also be wildflowers, dogwood trees, azaleas, and redbud trees here in the "piney woods" of East Texas.

Before you get to Carlsbad you might want to make a stop at Benson, AZ just east of Tucson and tour Kartchner Caverns in the state park. It's altogether different from Carlsbad in that it still a living, growing cavern. The tour is awesome and the caverns gorgeous with nice lighting. It also has a wonderful campground with big lush sites....lush for a desert. :)

Carlsbad is worth it but it's neat to compare the two. Nearby you could also tour Bisbee and definitely take the underground mine tour. Also nearby is Tombstone and Chirichuha Nat'l Monument and the rock formations are very unique.

padredw wrote:

punomatic wrote:
NM, TX, AR, TN

We think the best part of New Mexico is around Santa Fe and Taos. We have been there many times and always enjoy going back.

Since you don't have OK listed I think that means you will include some of the better parts of Texas (rather than just cutting across the panhandle at Amarillo on I-40). Lot's of people think they have been to Texas when all they have seen is this slice of the Panhandle. If you have time, April would be an ideal time to visit the Hill Country when the wildflowers, especially Bluebonnets, are at their peak. It would also be the best time to inclue Northeast Texas in your plans. Some wonderful state parks in this area, including Tyler S. P., Daingerfield S. P., Caddo Lake S. P.; and also great COE parks on Lake o' the Pines: Brushy Creek and Buckhorn. Depending on the exact dates there would also be wildflowers, dogwood trees, azaleas, and redbud trees here in the "piney woods" of East Texas.

We have just returned from a trip up to Arkansas. There are many outstanding state parks. I will only mention Petit Jean. Also Maumelle a COE park very near Little Rock but pleasantly separated from any urban conditions yet close to shopping if you should need or want anything.

Our most delightful experience in Arkansas was at Mountain View where we stayed right next door to the Ozark Folk Center and enjoyed the talents of young musicians and dancers.

In Tennessee there is Nashville, of course. We have also enjoyed staying on Land Between the Lakes in Northwestern TN and at David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg in Southcentral TN. On the North Carolina border with Tennessee there is the Smokey Mountain National Park, and a bit further north the Cumberland Gap National Park (actually in VA, but almost in TN and KY)

Here's hoping you are able to make that dip further south into Texas, and that Spring will be dressed in her finest.

Thanks for your insights. We have been to Santa Fe, which we loved. DW went to Taos with our DD, but she liked Santa Fe better.

We are actually thinking of taking I10 west from CA and dropping down to El Paso, then back up US180 to Carlsbad Caverns. We may stop at Guadalupe Mountains NP, too. Then we thought of taking US176 to I20 and on to Abilene (I've sung the song for years). We want to stop at the Dallas Museum of Science and Earth History.

From there I thought we would take I30 to Little Rock and I40 to Memphis and Nashville. Our friends live in Jamestown, TN. They want to take us to Dollywood.

So, yes, we will miss the TX panhandle. We have been to San Antonio and Fredricksburg in the hill country and loved that. This trip should take us right across the middle of the Lone Star State and up through the Piney Woods. Any suggestions for must sees along the route from Carlsbad Caverns to Dallas?

Thanks to all of you for your support and "local" knowledge. They are invaluable. We are getting very excited.

Keep in mind, Michigan is larger than it looks (from Detroit to Houghton, it's 8-9hrs depending on how fast you go) and with the lakes climates can very a lot.

As long as you aren't looking for suntanning and swiming, it's a really nice time to visit as you can largely just show up at the state parks and there will be a site (later in the year that's not the case). Obviously, tulip time fesitval and the like will likely call for reservations if you want to be close.

Parrothead Mike wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
hmm, we didnt see 70s-80s last May here on Lake Michigan. Maybe in south-east Michigan?

Snow wasn't gone until mid-June, garden wasn't in until 4th of July (had several frost mid-July even, zapped my tomatoes)

''

Geez Gordon, not sure where you live "on Lake Michigan", but I lived in the U.P. and the northern lower peninsula for about 25 years and don't recall anyone putting in their garden as late as July 4. Memorial day was usually the rule of thumb in Gaylord and that's the highest elevation in the LP.

Guess I'm in some sort of microclimate. Visit IBM's Wunderground and take a look at May, June 2015 for station KMBL, lots of nights with low 40s and dips into the 30s - not weather for gardening.