Alberta to Tennessee

[4x4ord]

Im starting to think about taking the fifth wheel south for about a month long vacation next fall. If the weather permits we would like to make our way down to Tennessee. How late in the fall do the brilliant colors stay on the trees in Tennessee? If we could leave October 20th what route would be the nicest to travel. Would it be worth loading up a motorcycle or is November a little too cool to enjoy a bike in Tennessee?

[garyp4951]

I've lived in the Memphis area for 66 years, and these post are some good info.
I would stay at the Graceland RV park for convenience, and take the shuttle to Beale St., and Sun Studios. My dad George Pierce was the photographer for the Million Dollar Quartet photo btw. I grew up a few blocks from Graceland, but sadly now its a little risky to shop or eat in the area.
Then head to Nashville to see Broadway,The Country music hall of fame, the Hermitage just to name a few, and on towards Severeville, and Gatlinburg.
You are welcome to PM me any questions.

[Ramp_Digger]

jhfxrtleeh1 wrote:
When you leave Memphis, you can go US 64, too. It runs west-east all the way across the state. It's pretty much 4-lane the whole way, too. You can hit the Shiloh Civil War Battlefield if you're interested. I've never camped there, but the David Crockett Park in Lawrenceburg is just off US64. It used to be right on it, but the new bypass misses the whole town now.

If you want to do the Nashville-Grand Ole Opry thing, you can hit I65 north from 64 and easily be in town in about 30-45 minutes. US64 continues east and you can visit Lynchburg - home of Jack Daniels with a great tour of the facilities.

US64 continues on to Chattanooga -- more Civil War battlefields, a great aquarium, and Ruby Falls, among other things, and then on to the Smokies. X2 on the US-64 route if you are not in a hurry, we no longer travel the I40 or I24 route any more just too much truck traffic. You can detour off of US64 at the Natchez Trace Parkway intersection for a side trip up to Nashville. The Parkway has some really nice NP campgrounds. Also highly recommend the campground at David Crockett State Park near Lawrenceburg TN. Very friendly and helpful staff there. Also there is a small city park campground in Waynesboro TN. just off of us64. The local city police collect the 15 dollar fee and are very friendly and helpfull. If camping in there in the fall stay away from the walnut trees. Same anywhere in the south that time of the year,those things can damage a camper severely.

You'll have a great time!

[jhfxrtleeh1]

When you leave Memphis, you can go US 64, too. It runs west-east all the way across the state. It's pretty much 4-lane the whole way, too. You can hit the Shiloh Civil War Battlefield if you're interested. I've never camped there, but the David Crockett Park in Lawrenceburg is just off US64. It used to be right on it, but the new bypass misses the whole town now.

If you want to do the Nashville-Grand Ole Opry thing, you can hit I65 north from 64 and easily be in town in about 30-45 minutes. US64 continues east and you can visit Lynchburg - home of Jack Daniels with a great tour of the facilities.

US64 continues on to Chattanooga -- more Civil War battlefields, a great aquarium, and Ruby Falls, among other things, and then on to the Smokies.

You'll have a great time!

[FF286]

If you go to Memphis be sure to eat at Rendezvous’s. It’s down an alley off Beale st. I assume your wife wants to go to Graceland. Be sure to check out Beale st, may be quite that time of year but still interesting. You can probably do both in one day, and personally the next day I would pack up and move on while you still have all your belongings. Going east from Nashville take I40 not 24 traffic will be much better.

[Veebyes]

X2 on Tom Sawyer. We showed up there last month. No reservations. They were full. Very apologetically they said all they had was dry camping sites. Here we were thinking, Oh great, back in the trees somewhere. Nope the 'sites' were an open grassy area right on the river bank. Better than the FHU river front sites for top $.

[padredw]

There is a good alternative at Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, Arkansas, right on the river.

[ken56]

Graceland has an RV park that is gated....you need that in that area. There are areas of Memphis that are not, lets say tourist friendly. Stick to Beale street and the tourist area of downtown. There are plenty of homeless on the streets who will approach and ask for money. I don't mean to scare you because Memphis is worth seeing but like most big cities caution is always good.

[padredw]

my wife wants to see Memphis

OK, that helps. In rounded terms it is 1800 miles from the Alberta/Montana border to Memphis. As a minimum, I would make stops in the Black Hills and in the Northern Ozarks (around Branson). It would be about 600 miles to Rapid City and another 900 on to Branson. (Just using these specific cities as waypoints--not as the exact stops.) From the Branson area on to Memphis is another 300 miles.

From Memphis to the Tennessee area of the Smoky Mountains National Park is 450 miles. There are several choices of routes: one that would include Nashville, a southern route that would include Chattanooga, and of course, one in between.

I won't go into possible return routes, but in the Fall it wouldn't be bad to swing down to East Texas and back up through New Mexico and Colorado (or Utah).

Just some observations. We enjoyed a trip up from East Texas in July/August to Banff, Lake Louise, and Waterton Lakes, so we have some experience about that route.

[TenOC]

4x4ord wrote:
The only thing I know for sure is that my wife wants to see Memphis. I like the idea of riding in the Smoky Mountains. North Carolina is certainly a consideration as well. Probably going mid October to Mid November is a good idea so long as I happen to pick the right year.

Memphis (flat land) to the Smoky Mountains (hills not like the Rocky Mt) is 400 plus miles.

[4x4ord]

The only thing I know for sure is that my wife wants to see Memphis. I like the idea of riding in the Smoky Mountains. North Carolina is certainly a consideration as well. Probably going mid October to Mid November is a good idea so long as I happen to pick the right year.

[Bob806]

Check out the Cherohala Skyway. I'd suggest the Indian Boundary campground, it's really beautiful.

If you have extra time, or are interested in other options, look into Transylvania County North Carolina too. Land of Waterfalls, great fall colors also.

[lizzie]

What part of TN do you plan to visit? East TN has beautiful fall colors just like New England. Our NC home is just 3 miles from the TN line and our best color was the first week in Nov this year so I agree that Oct 15 to Nov 15 is the best. lizzie

[ken56]

Being from Alberta you know when the first snow starts to fall in those parts. Weather will be the biggest variable until you get out of the higher elevations and more south. It seems like the most direct route south is I-15 then cut over on either I-90 or I-80 and point it toward St. Louis, then south from there over into TN. Keep an atlas handy because you have many choices in routes to take. The best one is a matter of opinion.

Any particular area of TN you interested in seeing? Memphis, Nashville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg? Color is mid October to mid November and we still have some lingering here yet, but the trees are losing their leaves fast now. Weather could be a bit cool for bike riding unless you are perpared for it.

[path1]

From the people we know from Alberta that "snowbird" to WA state be careful you don't get a heat stroke while in Tennessee:)