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?

probably too cold for a bike unless you have heated suits

The leaf color season varies. This year it was late. Who knows what next year will bring. I would plan on mid October to mid November. Bring your bike and ride the Dragon. One ride you will never forget.

Yes or No. ????Most often November is very pleasant in TN, but yesterday 11/21 we had a low of 25 F outside Nashville. There was snow in the Eastern part of the state around Great Smoky Mountains. I think we may have a high of the low 60's for Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in Nov) which is different than in CA.Google to see the average first day of frost. When I was a farmer in TN we planned on the first frost on Oct 20th thus all the leaves will be brown by this time.While the fall colors are nice, they are not as brilliant as the colors in New England.If fall colors are what you wish for, I would suggest that around early-October to mid-October you travel east to New England (when I lived in MA the peak color was around Oct 12 -- CA's Thanksgiving) and then south (with the colors) to Pennsylvania. I know that this will add 100's of miles to your trip.

Peak color is usually mid-October in higher elevations, to the end of October in lower elevations. Elevations in the Smokies range from 1000-6000 feet.Temps are also highly variable and can change drastically in a very short time. You might have great weather for riding and it might be awful. If you bring your bikes, bring cold-weather gear.

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

Alberta to Tennessee | Good Sam Community

garyp4951
Explorer III
Nov 28, 2017
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
Explorer
Nov 26, 2017
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
Explorer
Nov 25, 2017
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
Explorer
Nov 25, 2017
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
Explorer II
Nov 25, 2017
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
Nomad
Nov 25, 2017
There is a good alternative at Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, Arkansas, right on the river.
ken56
Explorer
Nov 25, 2017
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
Nomad
Nov 24, 2017
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
Nomad
Nov 24, 2017
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
Explorer III
Nov 24, 2017
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.

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