“A very good place to start!” Please excuse the Sound of Music quote, but I really could not think of a better way to begin writing this blog I’ve been talking about doing for at least five years. People often ask us about road trip routes we have taken in the past and how we are able to do it affordably. I hope this blog can serve as a resource for your family as you get out and explore this great country!
Brian and I have always enjoyed traveling, but it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that we came up with this crazy goal of our girls seeing all 50 states before they graduate from high school. I remember well being on the treadmill at the gym and reading a Guidepost magazine article (don’t judge me…I’m an old soul!) about a family who had this exact same goal. I came home and shared the idea with Brian, he was totally on board, and the rest is history! Now….just how were we going to accomplish this goal?! It definitely seemed pretty lofty and out of reach at the time, but along the way we have learned lots of tips and tricks for road tripping frugally that we hope to pass on to you.
Our first family road trip with multiple sight seeing stops was back in 2009 when the girls were just one and four. We live in Georgia so we decided to explore some of our surrounding states and visit with some great friends along the way.
First stop…Tupelo, Mississippi (we didn’t really stop in Alabama on this trip, but I’ll post some great Alabama spots to see in a future blog).
The girls’ Paw-Paw (my father-in-law) and Mimi (my mom) both have a great love for Elvis so of course we had to stop to check out the birthplace of the king! It was fun to sit on his front porch, see his car, and even his outhouse!
Next stop…MEMPHIS! We were able to go spend a few days with some great friends, who have since moved near us and our kids even go to the same school now. I just love how God works! Despite our appreciation for Elvis, we didn’t make it to Graceland on this trip so we’ve still got that one on our list. We did, however, see a few other must see spots in Memphis!
The Peabody Hotel is a beautiful historic hotel in downtown Memphis with an unusual claim to fame. Each morning trained ducks walk a red carpet downstairs to the lobby where they swim in the fountain all day and then return to their room upstairs at the end of the day. Definitely a fun tradition to check out!
And of course you can’t come to Memphis without eating BBQ! We grabbed lunch at nearby Rendezvous and it did not disappoint! The ribs were out of this world!
The Memphis Zoo is also a great stop while in Memphis, especially if you have young kids. It also has a very affordable admission price which makes it a winner!
Kentucky, here we come! When we came to visit friends in the bluegrass state, we had no idea we would end up living there just one year later! There will be a future blog with several other places to visit in Kentucky, but on this trip we met our friends at a fun and completely random, kid-friendly place called Kentucky Down Under. It really is out in the middle of nowhere, but worth the stop if you’re passing by on I-65. I mean where else can you hang out with kangaroos and wallabies?!
We also made a quick stop at Mammoth Cave National Park but we didn’t do too much exploring because the girls were so little. We were able to venture to see the historic entrance of the cave though.
Back to Tennessee we go…
On our route back to Georgia we stopped in beautiful Nashville. While we didn’t check out too much of the music scene on this trip, we did get to go on a really fun Riverboat ride on the General Jackson. Looking at the website now I can only see dinner cruise options, but years ago we went on a cruise that did not include a meal that was much cheaper.
Just one more stop in Tennessee before we head back to Georgia. Chattanooga has had a special place in my heart since college when my friends and I used to visit often from our nearby college town of Rome, GA. I knew I wanted the girls to see on of my favorite spots in town, Coolidge Park. Its a beautiful waterfront park with fountains for kids to play in and a historic carousel.
Thanks for journeying with me back in time to relive our first family road trip! This trip is where we caught the Road Tripping bug and where it all started!
Stay tuned for more fun and exciting road trip routes!
Traveling Light 