Any particular reason you're planning to skip over Chicago? Are you already familiar with it and just looking to check out new places?
Very cool, Jeff. Keep us posted on the dates. I'll take you to a great vegetarian restaurant in P-Town. I used to do that drive (both routes) a couple times a year back in college. You're gonna have a great time.
Houston, TX -> Starting point Little Rock, AR -> 440 miles (make sure and take 59 N) Time: 6 hours 45 minutes St. Louis, MO -> 403 miles Time: 6 hours 12 minutes Indianapolis, IN -> 241 miles Time: 4 hours Dayton, OH -> 117 miles Time: 2 hours Columbus, OH -> 75 miles Time: 1 hour 15 min. Akron, OH -> 125 miles Time: 2 hours Cleveland, OH (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) -> 37 miles Time: 1 hour (what, no Cincinatti?) Erie, PA -> 102 miles Time: 2 hours Buffalo, NY -> 100 miles Time: 1 hour, 45 min. Rocheter, NY -> 75 miles Time: 1 hour, 15 min. Syracuse, NY -> 88 miles Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Albandy, NY -> 145 miles Time: 2 hours, 15 min. (Taking the Erie Canal, are we?) Springfield, MA (Basketball Hall of Fame) -> 87 miles Time: 1 hour, 30 min. Boston, MA -> 90 miles Time: 1 hour, 40 min. The return trip (same as the other)... Providence, RI (Batman Jones ) -> 50 miles Time: 1 hour New York, New York -> 180 miles Time: 3 hours, 30 min. Newark, NJ -> 10 miles Time: 20 min. Trenton, NJ -> 60 miles Time: 1 hour, 10 min. Philadelpha, PA -> 35 miles Time: 50 min. Baltimore, MD -> 100 miles Time: 2 hours Washington, DC -> 45 miles Time: 1 hour Richmond, VA -> 105 miles Time: 2 hours Raleigh/Durham, NC (giddyup ) -> 156 miles Time: 3 hours, 20 min. Knoxville, TN -> 364 miles Time: 7 hours Nashville, TN -> 180 miles Time: 3 hours, 30 min. Memphis, TN (Manny in there somewhere ) -> 210 miles Time: 3 hours, 30 min. Little Rock, AK (back through) -> 140 miles Time: 2 hours Dallas, TX -> 320 miles Time: 5 hours, 40 minutes Houston, TX -> 240 miles Time: 4 hours TOTALS: Mileage: 4,320 Time: 76 hours driving time. Ouch.
Just too far north. I want to cut across the midwest because the main thing I want to see is the Rock and Roll HOF. I've been to Chicago and like it a lot. I've always wanted to take a north trip going from up in Maine somewhere straight west through Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneaplois and then on out through the Dakotas to Seattle. That will be for next time. DaDakota: Thing is, I'm in Austin all the freakin' time. I've been there half a dozen times in the past 3 months alone. I can make that trip anytime I want. The only reason for the stop in Dallas is just because it is on a direct line to Houston anyway.
If the stop before Dallas is Little Rock, and the next stop is Houston.. I drove from Nashville to Houston this past weekend thru Little Rock etc.. 59 South is probably the fastest way between Little Rock and Houston
I actually just got done plotting it and planning out an itinerary. Thing is, I love long drives, so this is just no big deal to me at all. Like I said, it is about the journey on this one, not the destination. And Cincinnati is out of the way, unfortunately. Here's what I'm thinking as my tentative itinerary with appx drive time... Sunday, July 31 – Houston to St. Louis (839 mi – 13 hr) Monday, August 1 – St. Louis to Cleveland (560 mi – 9 hr) I'd like to do two long drives the first day to knock out a big chunck of time. Tuesday, August 2 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tuesday, August 2 – Cleveland to Albany (471 – 6 hr) Wednesday, August 3 – Albany to Springfield (87 mi – 1.5 hr) Wednesday, August 3 – Basketball Hall of Fame Wednesday, August 3 – Springfield to Boston (89 mi – 1.5 hr) Driving the long trip on Tuesday gets me into Springfield in the morning so I can spend some time at the Basketball HOF then on to Boston. Thursday, August 4 – Boston - Red Sox vs. KC at Fennway Friday, August 5 – Boston to Providence - lunch with Batman? (49 mi – 45 min) Friday, August 5 – Providence to NYC (180 mi – 3 hr) Saturday, August 6 – NYC Sunday, August 7 – NYC to Philadelphia (100 mi – 1.5 hr) This gets me into NYC for Friday night and Saturday. Plus, I'll have the whole day Sunday before heading out to Philly. May even stay one additional night and drive out the next morning. Not sure. Monday, August 8 – Liberty Bell/Independence Hall Monday, August 8 – Philadelphia to Washington, DC. (142 mi – 2.5 hr) Tuesday, August 9 – Washington, DC Wednesday, August 10 – Washington, DC This gets me into DC in the evening. I'm staying with my aunt there and hitting the Smithsonian for two full days. Yes! Thursday, August 11 – Washington, DC to Greensboro (308 mi – 5 hr) Leave early to get me in by lunchtime or so. Hang with giddyup. Friday, August 12 – Greensboro to Nashville (464 mi – 9 hr) Saturday, August 13 – Nashville to Memphis (208 mi – 3 hr) This is a little cloudy. I want that first day to be a LONG drive since it is through the mountains. That should be beautiful. But, the whole Memphis and Nashville thing is up in the air. I'd like to hit Beale Street at least one night and hang out with Manny. Sunday, August 14 – Memphis to Dallas (450 mi – 6 hr) Monday, August 15 – Dallas to Houston (240 mi – 4 hr) Visit a couple friends in Dallas and head on back home Monday.
If you're taking I-95 (which is really your only way) plan on more like 4 to 5 hours. 95 from Boston to NYC to DC is brutal
Well, I'm figuring on more time for everything around the city. That is just the nature of NY. But, thanks for the tip.
he he - well, for the Rock and Roll HOF, it is about the destination. Yup. I've been before - spent 4 days there. I liked it.
Jeff:Before I knew it, I had driven for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours. [he stops and turns around] BBS'ers: Quiet, quiet! He's gonna say something! Jeff: [pause] I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.
I figured you had, but just wanted to point out that it's really not that far out of the way if you had wanted to head up there. Let me just say that I am extremely jealous. I'd love to do something like this, but I never took advantage of my gig with Swirve to do so. Now that I'm working another office job in addition to Swirve, there's no way I can do this in the near future.
I used to like long drives. Then I went to School in Lubbock, and now I have my son in Memphis. Two of the most boring trips on this planet! If I didn't have to go to memphis so often, I might agree with the long drives. A word of advice: Just to make sure you don't start off on the wrong foot, do notspeed between Nacogdoches, TX and Texarkana, TX! Speed traps everywhere in that 2 hour run.
Jeff, I am actually in between Chattanooga and Nashville. I think the easiest way for you to get to Manchester from Knoxville is to take I-40 to Chattanooga and then I-24 to Manchester and that also will take you to Nashville. Once in Nashville, you can get back on I-40 and that will take you straight to Memphis. We can leave Manchester to go to Nashville and catch some of the sights. And of course, I almost feel like I have to order you to stay a night at my place to return the favor of your hospitality (and Mrs. JB's) from the Smeg tour in 2003. We'll definitely talk more about it as August gets here.
Sounds great, Manny. I'm glad I'm planning in advance. That will give me time to budget and get a really good deal on a rental car.
