I am planning a trip for next year or the year after that will take my from Central, CA to South central , KY. This is a bucket list trip for my wife and I. We have some spots we want to hit on the trip. Death Valley, Lost Wages, NV, Grand Hole in the Ground, to southern TX, New Orleans, then those places where the Northerners attacked the Southerners. Is there places along this route we should think about seeing? I am planning on driving only about 200 miles a day and stopping for a day or two along the way. Places like the Alamo, Indian dwellings, air shows, points of historical meanings. All suggestions would be appreciated.

I would add Carlsbad caverns and the Guadeloupe mountains on that route.

If you're coming that far, why not stop in Atlanta and see the Cyclorama, which depicts the battle and burning of Atlanta in the war of northern aggression, as it's known around here? We also have the Kennesaw Mountain battle field. Gettysburg PA and Colonial Williamsburg VA are also great historical stops.

If you wish to come to Ohio The AF Museum is at Dayton, very interesting has a presidential plane and many other planes of all wars and experiments. Well worth a 200 mile trip north of Ky. Mississippi, The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War is what I consider the defeat of the south that cost them the war. No commerce to supply south could come down river.Lookout Mountain, Tn Chattanooga was also a major battle. For southern victories you'll have to travel to Va but it would be worth the trip. Many many old houses where both sides would take up Hdqs and run their war from. In Ky the Louisville bat company is a don't miss. Lexington horse farms are must see. Mammoth cave is must see. Corvette factory in Bowling Green if you like them.Buster52 wrote:I am planning a trip for next year or the year after that will take my from Central, CA to South central , KY. This is a bucket list trip for my wife and I. We have some spots we want to hit on the trip. Death Valley, Lost Wages, NV, Grand Hole in the Ground, to southern TX, New Orleans, then those places where the Northerners attacked the Southerners. Is there places along this route we should think about seeing? I am planning on driving only about 200 miles a day and stopping for a day or two along the way. Places like the Alamo, Indian dwellings, air shows, points of historical meanings. All suggestions would be appreciated.

If you get near Ft Benning Ga take in a training jump or two at the ft ben sch for boys. You will be astounded at a couple hundred young men falling out of the sky.

How much time are you allotting for this trip? What time of year will it start? To begin with, Death Valley is very hot by May. Also, the southern states will be very hot and humid. This might be a good trip to begin in November - January and go through the winter for the southern states.

Bucket List Trip | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

littlemo
Explorer
Apr 20, 2015
Fort Davis

Hot sauce museum

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Blanchard Springs caveerns

Pensacola Air Museum
Buster52
Explorer
Apr 17, 2015
Naio, I live in the Yosemite area and have been over Tioga pass several time. The big problem with Yosemite is that I am not Japaneses or German. When you go there you as a American you will be a minority. Why is Meteor Crater a rip off. The $18.00 per person is a little steep for nothing other then a hole in the ground. I will visit the one in Death Valley.
billkaufmann
Explorer
Apr 16, 2015
rk911 wrote:
- meteor crater in Arizona
- Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial in OK City

Meteor crater is a ripoff!!!
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2015
If you are going as far as Nevada, don't miss Yosemite, especially the Tioga Pass road, and Zion.
Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Apr 16, 2015
How fun. We are also planning our BIG adventure for next year and we want to 1) bird, 2) visit the Ancients and First Nations, 3) check out National Parks before they privatize them. I have a little notebook listing stops along the way, but what I don't know is going to be how long we stay at each place, that is going to be up to the weather, sights in the area and my feelings about driving that day. Another thing is we HATE interstates so we are trying to avoid them as much as we can and take back roads.
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Apr 16, 2015
We did a trip last year to Paducah KY, included were OK, AR, Missouri and Kansas. A couple of highlights, Red Rocks just outside Denver, great post depression WPA project. White Sands,NM the Park and the entire valley. Great Sand Dunes, CO. The caves in KY. Chrystal mining in AR. Seizemore's Travel Land in Amarillo TX. National Quilt Show in KY. Stopping on the shoulder of a Interstate in Kansa and looking around in a 360 degree turn. We don't have horizons like that in So. Cal. Wolf Creek Pass in CO. Palo Duro Cyn s/o Amarillo. Oilfield Muesuem in Canyon City opposite side of I?S at Palo Duro.

North of Branson is the home where Laura wrote the Little House books, her daughter has kept the house as it was the day Laura died. No admission, DW loved it.
ken56
Explorer
Apr 15, 2015
I ordered tourist guides from all the states we were going to go through when we did our big circle tour of the country. Go on line to the tourism site of any and all states you think you might go to and look through them for ideas. There is truly so much to see and do that you will have to be picky about where to stop and how much time to spend there. The one place I also highly recommend to go to is the Air Force museum in Dayton OH.
TomB_
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
If you are going to make it up to Virginia, I would recommend that you stop at Appomattox Court House to see where General Lee surrendered the Army of Virginia to General Grant. Cozy Acres CG in Powhatan, VA is a good base of operation for exploring all the Civil War sites in Richmond, Va.
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
In South Texas Balmorhea State Park is nice. Fort Davis Historic Site is nearby.
The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, Houston Space Center.
In Mobile Alabama, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island (ferry). Also USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park has some exhibits.
In Pensacola FL (before you head north) is the National Naval Aviation Museum.
If you like casinos, stop in Gulfport MS at the Island View Casino. Our favorite.
If you go to Atlanta, there is the Atlanta Cyclorama (battle of Atlanta), World of Coca Cola, Stone Mountain (and Laser Light Show).
Southwest of Macon GA is Andersonville Prison.
Northwest of Atlanta is Picketts Mill and Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History 2829 Cherokee St Kennesaw, GA.
In Nashville there are 2 battlefields: Stones River and Kelley's Point.
Be sure to visit the Corvette Museum in Bowling Gree KY and take the Corvette and Cadillac plant tour. Mammoth Caves is another must.
Going back west you could take in all the locations in MS (Vicksburg) and Grand Gulf Military Park (off the beaten path but worth it) and Arkansas - Fort Smith Arkansas is a neat town.
Take the Natchez Trace from just south of Nashville to Natchez MS. We stay across the river at the Riverview RV Park in Vidalia Louisiana. You can watch barges go up and down the MS river and there is a paved walking path along the river. In Natchez first stop at the Visitor Center for info. There are beautiful Victorian homes and the cemetery is very interesting. They have cemetery tours at night with the guides in period dress. Grand Village of the Natchez Indians has a small musuem and mound. The Natchez National Historial Park is interesting.
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
this link might help with location Civil War places.

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/