Road trip suggestions

[runkpanole]

We are taking some time this summer on our way to Ohio to visit the family. We plan to go up I-75 and down I-65.

We have a few things planned. Braves game, Aquarium in Chattanooga, Louisville Slugger Museum, Reds game, Corvette Museum, quick stop in Nashville.

What else do you have for me within about an hour of those interstates?

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

We are taking some time this summer on our way to Ohio to visit the family. We plan to go up I-75 and down I-65.

We have a few things planned. Braves game, Aquarium in Chattanooga, Louisville Slugger Museum, Reds game, Corvette Museum, quick stop in Nashville.

What else do you have for me within about an hour of those interstates?

What’s your starting and end points

 

[runkpanole]

What’s your starting and end points

Tallahassee and Defiance, OH

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Tallahassee and Defiance, OH

Without looking through my Facebook the things that immediately come to mind is Mammoth Caves (not as good as Luray or Carlsbad in the US or Jenolan and Glowworm caves outside but worth the stop off), Rock City, stopping off at both Dickel and Jack Daniels distilleries, stopping off at Makers Mark (which is semi on the way, you could make a day or two of it but going over to Lexington, Woodford, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey etc..., but Makers was my favorite I’ve been to so far in Kentucky for the tour and it’s only a little out of the way), Moonlite Inn in Owensboro, Smoakies BBQ in Cordell GA or Fresh Air BBQ in Macon, St Elmo’s Steakhouse in Indy if you take that route on the way up or back.

I’ll go through my Facebook later and refresh my memory of other stops.

 

[Nole Lou]

South of Macon, I would suggest a stop at the Museum of Aviation on Warner Robbins Air Force Base. I think it's second only to the Smithsonian Air and Space for number of aircraft. As I remember it, focus was more on military aircraft.

I really enjoyed it. It's not fancy like the Smithsonian (at least not a few years ago when I was there) so it's pretty compact and you can see plenty in a couple hours. Just planes on top of planes, not a ton of crowds or a bunch of "interactive exhibits" crowding up foot traffic. I'm by no means a military or aviation enthusiast, and I enjoyed it a great deal given the the relatively low effort (stopped on the way back from Tallahassee) and investment (FREE). Maybe about the best bang for your (zero) bucks I've experienced in the south. Coming face to face with a Blackbird is pretty impressive.

http://www.museumofaviation.org/

 

[Nole Lou]

Good call on the Aquarium in Chattanooga. Super underrated because it's so close to the Atlanta aquarium, but give me the aquarium in Chattanooga over Atlanta all day every day.

I will admit, for pure wow factor, and if you want something you can get the entire experience in about 1.5-2 hours (give or take if the crowds are monumental or merely extraordinary) the Atlanta aquarium is something to see. But if you actually like aquariums a lot and want to see a lot more fish and get more educational information, and not blow $150-200 on something you'll be hard pressed to kill two hours on, Chattanooga is a good choice.

The College Football Hall of Fame is in Atlanta now too, which I've sinfully not made it down to, but everyone I've talked to really enjoyed it.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Missed that you said definitely going on 65. I would consider St Elmo’s in Indianapolis a must do. It’s a historic and still top 10-25 steakhouse and is world famous for their painfully delicious (it will clear your sinuses) cocktail shrimp appetizer. And amazingly enough the chopped steak isn’t just a cheap through away dish, I was told it was great so we got a high end ribeye and the chopped steak....and the chopped steak was better no joke.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Good call on the Aquarium in Chattanooga. Super underrated because it's so close to the Atlanta aquarium, but give me the aquarium in Chattanooga over Atlanta all day every day.

I will admit, for pure wow factor, and if you want something you can get the entire experience in about 1.5-2 hours (give or take if the crowds are monumental or merely extraordinary) the Atlanta aquarium is something to see. But if you actually like aquariums a lot and want to see a lot more fish and get more educational information, and not blow $150-200 on something you'll be hard pressed to kill two hours on, Chattanooga is a good choice.

The College Football Hall of Fame is in Atlanta now too, which I've sinfully not made it down to, but everyone I've talked to really enjoyed it.

I consider both aquariums must dos. Atlanta has the most aweinspiring exhibit (whale sharks) and the second heat saltwater reef exhibit after Maui, but Chattanooga has the best freshwater exhibits I’ve seen.

 

[Nole Lou]

I don't know if you are a theme park enthusiast, but around Chattanooga there is a small old theme park called Lake Winnepesaukah. By no means is it super impressive, and it doesn't have the state of the art attractions like a Six Flags. But it opened in 1925, and I personally find a charm in these old style parks with all the rides close together so you can ride everything in a couple hours, and I believe it has a few rare old rides, or the oldest versions of some classic rides. Off the top of my head, it has the oldest still operating "Tunnel of Love" boat rides, and one of if not the only remaining edition of something called Fly-O-Planes. The carousel is like 100 years old or something. They have an unexceptional but quite satisfying wooden coaster from 1967 if you're into wooden coasters like I am.

Not really a destination play, but a decent place to kill 2-3 hours if you like rides and amusement parks from a historical perspective.

Caveat...haven't been in probably ten years...

 

[Nole Lou]

I don't know if you are Catholic or would be interested simply from an architectural/historical perspective, but Macon also has an incredibly impressive 100+ year old Catholic church for the deep south, let alone small town deep south. It's a 30 minute stop probably at most, I really enjoyed visiting it, but I'm Catholic so I wouldn't suggest it unless it's the kind of think you are interested in. Obviously, it's not going to compare to some of the churches in Europe or the northeast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph's_Catholic_Church_(Macon,_Georgia)

 

[Nole Lou]

You mentioned a quick stop in Nashville. When we were there we went by the Country Music Hall of Fame and museum. I'm not a country fan at all, but I do like things country adjacent, like Johnny Cash, Sun Studios, etc, and it's Nashville after all. Thanks to some friends not getting ass in gear, we were very late arriving, within 1-2 hours of closing time, and they sold us very discounted tickets. Not being an enthusiast, 90 minutes was plenty for me to see anything I was interested in (and there were several things), and the value was right for a non-country guy compared to full boat tickets.

 

[Nole Lou]

Ok, since the Tallahassee to Knoxville corridor has been pretty much my road tripping grounds for 20 years, I'm going to keep thinking of things. Like everything else pretty much I've mentioned, these aren't destination stops to plan a trip around, these are more like places to break up a trip for 30 minutes to a couple hours, and feel like you saw something. So I'm going to stop caveating everything with "It's nothing amazing", and you can just assume that's the case that I'm not promising the greatest experience of a lifetime.

Off 75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga is the New Echota historic site. It was the capital of the Cherokee Nation founded in 1825, and was the start of the Trail of Tears. They've got about 10 original or moved or reconstructed buildings representing the time, the kind of thing you see at any old-timey towns. More about being on such historic grounds, and and there's an educational visitor center or something, and some nature trails.

https://gastateparks.org/NewEchota/

 

[Nole Lou]

In somewhat the same vein, the Etowah Indian Mounds are just north of Atlanta.

Home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D., this 54-acre site protects six earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits and defensive ditch. Etowah Mounds is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast. Artifacts in the museum show how natives of this political and religious center decorated themselves with shell beads, paint, complicated hairdos, feathers and copper ear ornaments. Hand-carved stone effigies weighing 125 pounds still bear some original pigments. Objects made of wood, seashells and stone are also displayed.

https://gastateparks.org/EtowahIndianMounds

Edit: I've been to the Etowah mounds, but I actually meant to post this one which stuck with me a little more:

More toward Macon, is the Ocmulgee National Monument, which is an archeological site dating back to pre-history. The floor of one of the lodges you can go in is carbon dated back to the year 1000. More of a historical appreciation "wow" feeling than anything that will knock your socks off.

https://www.nps.gov/ocmu/index.htm

All these Indian sites were things we stopped at as short breaks on longer drives and found worthwhile.

 

[Nole Lou]

As for a little more of a high profile stop, if you're going back down 65, you'll be passing close by Huntsville and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. We went there for a weekend as part of a Cub Scout Trip, not sure what the experience is like just dropping in as a visitor, but it's cool. Not sure what the bang for the buck is really like.

https://www.rocketcenter.com/admission

 

[tarheelinfl]

Berry College in Rome GA, along with Myrtle Hill Cemetery
Unless you're in a big rush, avoid the interstates and
see the "real" America!

 

[OrlandNole]

You've got little kids, yes? In Chattanooga, after you visit the aquarium, check out the children's museum, then walk across the pedestrian bridge and ride the carosel and get some ice cream. Also check out lookout mountain.

 

[ggmike1992]

I’m currently on my motorcycle headed to Louisville for the weekend. I think were planning to hit the Slugger Museum since it’s walking distance from where we’re staying (Galt House).

 

[F4Gary]

The US Air Force museum at Wright Patt AFB in Dayton Ohio. Lots of planes there. It's a 2 dayer for me.

 

[billanole]

As an ode to my first public job in Tally, catch a Big Boy sandwich at a Frisch’s in Ohio. I car hopped and waited tables at the one on Tennessee Street for a few years starting at the ripe old age of 14.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

As an ode to my first public job in Tally, catch a Big Boy sandwich at a Frisch’s in Ohio. I car hopped and waited tables at the one on Tennessee Street for a few years starting at the ripe old age of 14.

I had one of those about a month ago in Indiana. Not too shabby. I still prefer Burger Fi and even Steak N Shake but it was a quality burger.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

We are taking some time this summer on our way to Ohio to visit the family. We plan to go up I-75 and down I-65.

We have a few things planned. Braves game, Aquarium in Chattanooga, Louisville Slugger Museum, Reds game, Corvette Museum, quick stop in Nashville.

What else do you have for me within about an hour of those interstates?

Here’s what I mean about Mammoth Cave not quite living up to the hype but being decent and worth the visit. 1) The formations are pretty sparse for some reason, most of the caverns are just flat rock without crystal formations and 2) the crystals that are there are almost a chocolate brown, at least a dark toffee brown which differs from Luray where most are white or tan and Jenolan where most are pure white.

Mammoth Caverns example pics

Luray Caverns in Virginia

Jenolan Caves in Australia in the Blueys

Sorry I don’t know why on some of these pictures I’m only getting the thumbnail off of the shutterfly website and not the full image but you can get the gist even from the small thumbnails. Jenolan equals pure white formations, Luray equals white and tan/yellowish formations and Mammoth equals brown formations. I’m racist against caverns, so I only like the pure white formations.

But Mammoth Caves NP has more than just the caverns, there’s some really nice hiking trails that are worth the price of admission.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I would reiterate the air museum at Warner Robbins.

Stone Mountain.

 

[EconSean]

White BBQ chicken at Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, just minutes from Huntsville, if only for the historic aspect (though the food is good, IMO).

 

[billanole]

I would reiterate the air museum at Warner Robbins.

Stone Mountain.

Second Stone Mountain and also spending a bit of time around Huntsville, which doesn’t fit the Alabama narrative.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

I’m not bashing Stone Mountain, but what specifically do y’all find appealing about it?

I’ve found it a fine place to spend a couple of hours but wouldn’t go out of my way to get there.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I’m not bashing Stone Mountain, but what specifically do y’all find appealing about it?

I’ve found it a fine place to spend a couple of hours but wouldn’t go out of my way to get there.

He should see it before the SJW's scratch the monument off the side.

I love to hike the mountain, its a great hike.

 

[Squirrel J.]

You've got little kids, yes? In Chattanooga, after you visit the aquarium, check out the children's museum, then walk across the pedestrian bridge and ride the carosel and get some ice cream. Also check out lookout mountain.

What about Ruby Falls? I've never been there, but it looks pretty cool.

 

[cfbfan23]

What about Ruby Falls? I've never been there, but it looks pretty cool.

Went there with my son a few months ago. I have to say we both really enjoyed it. Get there early and beat the crowds.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Second Stone Mountain and also spending a bit of time around Huntsville, which doesn’t fit the Alabama narrative.

I agree 100% with Huntsville for Big Bob Gibson for the white sauce chicken and all of the NASA related museums and stops.

But Stone Mountain...meh. I got a couple of pretty nice pictures of a scraggly tree and Atlanta’s smog....

But most of the time you’re butts to nuts with all of the other hikers on a hike that’s not particularly scenic even if there weren’t tons of people in the way. The first two pics are basically “fake” ie taken to minimise the horde of people around me.

Here’s the reality.

So Stone Mountain is a horde of tourists smelling each others sweat from the uninteresting hike up looking at some poorly scratched out monument from the the 1910s-20s when white nationalism took hold during the Jim Crow era. Then of course nothing and then the 60s came around and more monuments and now the teens, so about every 50 years or so a bunch of whites decide oh yeah, efff those dark people and we erect monuments to them. This is the biggest from Jim Crow but not one of the best even if you’re into oppressing your melanin enhanced neighbor.

There I’ve saved the OP four hours or so of his life he’ll never get back.

Instead I’d suggest a sidetrip for a day (maybe even two) to Dalhonega and Helen.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

The Dalhonega/Helen area is best enjoyed by renting a cabin along one of the “rivers” or really creeks (or crick if you’re tapping your inner hillbilly). Very nice hikes with actual solitude abound as does tubing and fishing the creeks. Plus there’s decent food in Dahlonega, some of the best wineries east of the Mississippi (other than Niagara and Toronto area, they’re better than even the Virginia, Pennsylvania and NC wineries especially Wolf Mountain and Yona, Habersham is for tourists only), great German food (along with kitschy tourist stuff) in Helen and in general, a really relaxing, good time.

 

[DMoriarty]

I’m currently on my motorcycle headed to Louisville for the weekend. I think were planning to hit the Slugger Museum since it’s walking distance from where we’re staying (Galt House).

You probably shouldn't post on Warchant while you're riding your motorcycle.

 

[tarheelinfl]

Rock City is a nice stop, especially if you have kids.
For a fun baseball time, check out a minor league game in Rome, Chattanooga'
or Kodak TN, maybe Birmingham or Montgomery on the way back. Tickets are cheap, parks are pretty nice, just don't get the triple tacos at Chattanooga!!

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Rock City is a nice stop, especially if you have kids.
For a fun baseball time, check out a minor league game in Rome, Chattanooga'
or Kodak TN, maybe Birmingham or Montgomery on the way back. Tickets are cheap, parks are pretty nice, just don't get the triple tacos at Chattanooga!!

Ah yes, the Cattanooga Lookouts versus the Montgomery Biscuits versus the Biloxi Shuckers versus the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp versus the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

 

[Nole Lou]

The Dalhonega/Helen area is best enjoyed by renting a cabin along one of the “rivers” or really creeks (or crick if you’re tapping your inner hillbilly). Very nice hikes with actual solitude abound as does tubing and fishing the creeks. Plus there’s decent food in Dahlonega, some of the best wineries east of the Mississippi (other than Niagara and Toronto area, they’re better than even the Virginia, Pennsylvania and NC wineries especially Wolf Mountain and Yona, Habersham is for tourists only), great German food (along with kitschy tourist stuff) in Helen and in general, a really relaxing, good time.

I would also nix Stone Mountain, and endorse Helen. Thought about Helen, but it's a little bit off your track for what it is, but I always enjoy it. Tubing on the river, if the water level is high enough and it's not racked tube to tube with crowds, is a really fun and relaxing way to kill a couple hours. It's like $2-3 bucks, and they drive you up to the dropoff and you end at your car. If you have littler kids (or a scared wife) they have double tubes, or straps you can tie tubes together. If you do tube, I'd recommend some cheap water shoes or sneakers to wear, as you inevitably can get stuck and the bottom is rocky. A stick is also good to push out of those spots.

I like corny things, and Helen is that, but it's pleasant and usually not packed like Times Square on New Years like Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge can be.

If you do go to Helen, you can go even further out of the way to Tallulah Falls, which is a really nice waterfall.

But the even better reason to go to Tallulah Falls is then you can take a short trip from there to Tiger, GA to one of the stupidest, goofiest, most memorable places we've ever been to, a souvenir stand/snack bar/tourist trap called Goats on the Roof. We've been a lot of places good, bad and stupid - over the years with the family, and I don't know which one Goats on the Roof fits in, maybe all three, but I know as a family we mention it a lot. Not worth going an hour out of your way for, but worth it from Tallulah Falls.

 

[Nole Lou]

This isn't my thing, but my wife loves it...but not as far east of 75 as Helen, is a pretty impressive botanical gardens in the middle of nowhere in the Georgia Mountains called Gibbs Gardens. I'm not particularly into it, but it is an absolutely beautiful place to walk around for an hour or two, depending on what's in bloom. The most notable part is probably the largest Japanese gardens in the US that they've recreated with Japanese maples and cherry trees (among others) around some ponds. The last time we went was in the fall when the Japanese maples were changing color and it's pretty spectacular.

Definitely something more for adults than kids. Tribe, you might like this the next time you're in the North Georgia mountains though.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

This isn't my thing, but my wife loves it...but not as far east of 75 as Helen, is a pretty impressive botanical gardens in the middle of nowhere in the Georgia Mountains called Gibbs Gardens. I'm not particularly into it, but it is an absolutely beautiful place to walk around for an hour or two, depending on what's in bloom. The most notable part is probably the largest Japanese gardens in the US that they've recreated with Japanese maples and cherry trees (among others) around some ponds. The last time we went was in the fall when the Japanese maples were changing color and it's pretty spectacular.

Definitely something more for adults than kids. Tribe, you might like this the next time you're in the North Georgia mountains though.

Thanks for the heads up, that is something I’m into yet I haven’t heard of it. My wife and I have gone to multiple Japanese Gardens including the famous ones in San Francisco and Vancouver and of course Morikami in Delray Beach several times.

 

[funksouljon]

I consider both aquariums must dos. Atlanta has the most aweinspiring exhibit (whale sharks) and the second heat saltwater reef exhibit after Maui, but Chattanooga has the best freshwater exhibits I’ve seen.

I lived there for 5+ years and never went. Still regret not going and have to find time.

I don't know if you are Catholic or would be interested simply from an architectural/historical perspective, but Macon also has an incredibly impressive 100+ year old Catholic church for the deep south, let alone small town deep south. It's a 30 minute stop probably at most, I really enjoyed visiting it, but I'm Catholic so I wouldn't suggest it unless it's the kind of think you are interested in. Obviously, it's not going to compare to some of the churches in Europe or the northeast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph's_Catholic_Church_(Macon,_Georgia)

You definitely don't have to be Catholic to enjoy impressive architecture. Notre Dame in Paris is truly awe inspiring no matter your religion, but this cathedral in Macon is a solid new world effort.

 

[kj9127]

South of Macon, I would suggest a stop at the Museum of Aviation on Warner Robbins Air Force Base. I think it's second only to the Smithsonian Air and Space for number of aircraft. As I remember it, focus was more on military aircraft.

I really enjoyed it. It's not fancy like the Smithsonian (at least not a few years ago when I was there) so it's pretty compact and you can see plenty in a couple hours. Just planes on top of planes, not a ton of crowds or a bunch of "interactive exhibits" crowding up foot traffic. I'm by no means a military or aviation enthusiast, and I enjoyed it a great deal given the the relatively low effort (stopped on the way back from Tallahassee) and investment (FREE). Maybe about the best bang for your (zero) bucks I've experienced in the south. Coming face to face with a Blackbird is pretty impressive.

http://www.museumofaviation.org/

The museum has a C46 there which is what my Dad flew over the “hump” in WW2. It was really neat for me to see.

 

[billanole]

If you have time to “cut up” a little, head east on I-40 (it runs together with I-75 thru Knoxville) for a little while out to Sevierville to a massive knife store and museum.
https://www.tnvacation.com/local/sevierville-smoky-mountain-knife-works-national-knife-museum
Huge selection of all types of blades and other stuff. Good quality kitchen cutlery...
This also gets you within range of all kinds of good stuff in the Smoky Mountains.

 

[ChimpNole]

There are train trips in north GA and around Chattanooga. The trips vary from a full day to about 4 hours. Interesting for kids and old people too.