'Grand Ole Music' is the theme of today's featured AAA Drive Trip - just one of over 100 available.
Click here for a printable itinerary of this 1,071-mile trip, which is broken into four segments as it goes from Nashville to Memphis to Little Rock to St. Louis. You might well get 50 different answers if you asked the question, "Which state is most closely identified with music?" This five-state jaunt can be traveled on one grand journey or broken into shorter trips that suit your musical tastes.
AAA Road Reporter Mike Robb says, "This Drive Trip covers a rather large chunk of the Midwest & Ozark country. Allow at least a good week to drive this route and enjoy many of the sites. Nashville, of course, boasts the largest country music culture and history in the world. There is a lot to do there that can easily take a week to do them all so you can pick & choose a couple of days of activities. Opryland (I would say) is the #1 attraction in the city. The Ryman Auditoriums (both the old and new auditoriums) are popular as well. The other ‘must’ is the General Jackson riverboat cruises on the Cumberland River. There are river taxis as well. Check out this post,
The Other Broadway In Nashville, for recommendations.
H
eading west to Memphis offers some pretty lush green scenery along I-40. In Memphis, obviously Graceland (Elvis’s Grave Site) is the best known attraction in the city. Beale Street is also a must for the visitor. There are a lot of interesting sites in the area as well as some old record stores (Ernest Tubbs—to name one). Another great drive is the North Parkway & Summer Avenue with a lot of large beautiful mansions. (The mansions are considered so ‘precious’ and historical that Interstate 40 was NOT allowed to be completed through this 5-miles stretch of Memphis). They didn’t want any of these homes destroyed!! So I-40 had to be routed (north along I-240 around this area.
Note: The interstates (I-55 & I-40) in and around the downtown Memphis area can become very congested during rush hour, as can the bridges across the Mississippi River into Arkansas. Read more on how to do
One Day In Memphis.
Heading north to Branson, Missouri, US 65 is a narrower winding two-lane highway for some 100 miles between I-40 near Conway, AR and Harrison, AR. Just be cautious and patient. The highway improves dramatically and is four-lane divided from Harrison-on north to Springfield, MO. Branson is a unique area. Until 1990 is was just a little-known tourist town boasting Silver Dollar City and Marble Cave as its chief attractions. In the last 20 years, Branson has become the second largest country music haven in the country behind Nashville. Hotels, motels, large indoor and outdoor theatres and auditoriums dominate Branson & the area, which is five times the size that it was in 1990. US 65 now bypasses Branson to the east as a four-lane divided highway with interchanges/exits for Branson.
Many people stay in Springfield (40 miles north) and drive down to Branson for the day. The post Branson: Music and Nostalgia can tell you even more.
Heading up I-44 to from Springfield to St Louis offers some somewhat scenic green quintessential Missouri Ozark scenery. St Louis is the largest city/metro area on the drive trip with nearly 3 million people. The Gateway Arch is the main attraction in town and, obviously, the most visible. It not only amazing to look at but offers great views from the top. The elevators (going up the arch) are very small and are not for the claustrophobic. The Anheuser Busch Brewery is well worth a visit as well. The Six Flags theme park is located 20 miles southwest of St Louis on I-44. Watch out for rush hour traffic in this city of nearly 3 million people. It can get particularly congested around the downtown where I-70 & I-64 & I-55 all meet. This area is scheduled for a major overhaul and revamping in 2013 with I-70 being relocated to the north of its present location.
Heading back to Nashville, if one has time to stop off and spend time at Land Between The Lakes in Kentucky, it is well worthwhile. Kentucky is a beautiful plush green state in itself."
Have you driven these areas? Tell us your experiences and suggestions in the comment box below.
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