okp greg Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 So I'll be making a very round-about trip from Connecticut to New Mexico(for good, screw CT!), come April and am looking for suggestions on roadtripping. I've tried not to give myself deadlines other than being in New Orleans on April Ninth to see Iron & Wine, but so far I've basically just mapped the itinerary on google maps and I've been mapping out campgrounds in the vicinity of where I'll be stopping each night. The rough route is basically NY, PA, MD, WV, KY(stay the night), TN, NC, SC(stay the night), GA, MS, LA(stay the night), MS, AR, MO(to meet up with girlfriend). After that, I haven't decided yet. If the route so far seems crazy It's just because I want to finish going to states I haven't been to on the way to NM, and with the current route I'll have east of the mississippi river done! So basically I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions or sites for me to check out as far as planning the trip, or anyone with any places they think I should definitely check out? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Stay away from Memphis. This place sucks ass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 check the towns along your route to see who might have a minor league baseball team. seeing a game in a small ballpark is great fun.minor league baseball! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiokills Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 So I'll be making a very round-about trip from Connecticut to New Mexico(for good, screw CT!) im from connecticut, and it definitely has its share of negatives. but i love its proximity to NYC anyways, north carolina, virginia, etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fatheadfred Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 stay off the beaten path, traveling on interstate sux. eat lots of green chile...on everything. in april the buffalo river in Ar will be flowing fast, bring your flask cuz it's dry. a good drunken float can be had in southwest Mo in the Elk River area, camp too. might still be a little chilly hmmm, don't know much about OK, going to Tulsa to see Wilco, will report back New Mexico...Santa Fe, touristy but super cool architecture and, once again, green chile. Some of the in between dives are better though, 'specially if you see a pepper field in the back of the restaurant. we live near warrensburg if you're in the area, we have an unfinished house but plenty of solitude to camp. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Twisted Acres Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 check the towns along your route to see who might have a minor league baseball team. seeing a game in a small ballpark is great fun.minor league baseball! Will you marry me? Seriously, filling road trips up with minor-league baseball games, county fairs (when in season) and odd festivals (like Bob Wills Day in Turkey, TX, last Saturday of April), is the stuff of life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 im from connecticut, and it definitely has its share of negatives. but i love its proximity to NYC anyways, north carolina, virginia, etc. I will definitely miss it's proximity to boston philly & nyc. I'm movin to alamogordo, it's close to... sand. hahah. I'll welcome the change of pace in life though. fatheadfred & ms yvon thanks for the tips. I'll definitely look out for some minor league teams. I enjoy going to the local teams in ct now! and PigSooie, thanks for the tip. I won't step foot in Memphis! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alison the wilca Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 drive through the Great Smokies. its gorgeous. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 drive through the Great Smokies. its gorgeous. Yes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Steve Brule Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Eat at Lizard's Thicket in Columbia, SC. While there, mourn the loss of one the best indie record stores in the US, Manifest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
markosis Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Just wanted to add my elitist perspective that state lines are pretty arbitrary and they mean nothing. Just do some cool shit on your trip and enjoy it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VenusStopsTrain2 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I'd say you should definately try restaurants that you wouldn't normally eat at...try local eateries and maybe some VC'ers can give recommendations for places they live or live near for good places to try on your road trip. OO and go to Borders or Barnes And Noble and look through travel guides they usually have some good recommendations or go online and type in locations you plan to drive through. When you get home you can give us a guide of eateries and things to see Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 I'd say you should definately try restaurants that you wouldn't normally eat at...try local eateries and maybe some VC'ers can give recommendations for places they live or live near for good places to try on your road trip. OO and go to Borders or Barnes And Noble and look through travel guides they usually have some good recommendations or go online and type in locations you plan to drive through. When you get home you can give us a guide of eateries and things to see Ohhh I love trying food i haven't eaten!! Gator, buffalo, conch, & frog legs have been some of my unusual favorites so far, anyone with any local stops along the way is definitely welcome to give me tips!. Dr. Steve, Lizard's Thicket definitely sounds like a must stop! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VenusStopsTrain2 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I just re-read your original post..you should go here Lamberts it's on the MO border. It's really fun Oh and if you are going to be in St. Louis go to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Griddles Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I just re-read your original post..you should go here Lamberts it's on the MO border. It's really fun Oh and if you are going to be in St. Louis go to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Lamberts is amazing. A friend of mine and myself drove 12 hours round trip just to eat dinner there. That is how amazing it is. I would recommend it to you and everyone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 ...Bob Wills Day in Turkey, TX, last Saturday of April... roadside antique shops are often a place to get swell souveniers. last summer i brought home a glass mug from indiana that was a prom favor from 1974. the prom theme: stairway to heaven. oh yes. there is a book series called "off the beaten path." if you know you'll be driving thru a particular state, leaf through a book on it. you might find some cool suprises. unexpected gems i've visited while road tripping: nebraska's baseball hall of fame museum in st. paul ne, a sod house exhibit in minnesota, and the spam museum. oh! kentucky is known for having a crazy number of caves! a lot of them have guided tours. very cool! (am living vicariously through your roadtrip planning now... ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 If you are driving along I-55 in MO, hop off the Hayti exit in the bootheel and get a prok steak from this place. http://www.strawsbbq.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kimcatch22 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Watch Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel. He's done episodes on New Jersey, South Carolina, New Orleans, and the US/Mexico border of western Texas. Always good for some ideas. And if nothing else, he'll inspire you to eat without fear along your journey. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Eat at Lizard's Thicket in Columbia, SC. Ewww really? I'm not a fan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
borracho Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Stay away from Memphis. This place sucks ass.i beg to differ! there's some neat things in Memphis... the dry ribs at Rendezvous... wet ribs at Corky's... Graceland!... MLK-Lorraine Motel... Memphis Redbirds baseball...the ducks at the Peabody... not a big fan of Beale Street, though... all the music coming out the doors sounded the same, and not very good... further west on I-40 is Little Rock and the Clinton Presidential Library, which is pretty cool, architectural-wise and for all the history inside... i thought Oxford, MS was a neat college town, the Square is a cool area with great places to eat and a great bookstore... Clarksdale, MS is neat - the Delta Blues Museum, and Morgan Freeman's got 2 restaurants there - we ate at the cheaper one (Ground Zero Blues Club)... authentic down-home southern cooking... a cool store downtown - Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 i beg to differ! there's some neat things in Memphis... the dry ribs at Rendezvous... wet ribs at Corky's... Graceland!... MLK-Lorraine Motel... Memphis Redbirds baseball...the ducks at the Peabody... not a big fan of Beale Street, though... all the music coming out the doors sounded the same, and not very good... Tell me those aren't the only places you ate BBQ here. A&R, Cozy Corner, Neely's, and The Commissary own those. at one time, Rendezvous had my favorite ribs in the city, but they have becom inconsistent. Redbirds' games are a cheap great time, but boy do they suck ass. Beale Street does blow goats. I echo the comments about Oxford, MS. It's a very cool town. If you go during football season, make sure you party in the grove. There really is nothing like it. This is coming from someone who hates Ole Miss with all of his being. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kimcatch22 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Beale Street does blow goats.That place made me blow chunks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
borracho Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Tell me those aren't the only places you ate BBQ here. A&R, Cozy Corner, Neely's, and The Commissary own those. at one time, Rendezvous had my favorite ribs in the city, but they have becom inconsistent. Redbirds' games are a cheap great time, but boy do they suck ass. Beale Street does blow goats. I echo the comments about Oxford, MS. It's a very cool town. If you go during football season, make sure you party in the grove. There really is nothing like it. This is coming from someone who hates Ole Miss with all of his being.yeah, we weren't in town too long, so we went to the "name" places... i regret not hitting Neely's for sure... but those dry ribs and the BBQ nachos are outtasite! and who cares if the Redbirds suck? it's minor league baseball - it's supposed to suck! nice stadium, too... and they serve Leiny Red on tap! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tenderloin Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I'd say you should definately try restaurants that you wouldn't normally eat at...try local eateries and maybe some VC'ers can give recommendations for places they live or live near for good places to try on your road trip. OO and go to Borders or Barnes And Noble and look through travel guides they usually have some good recommendations or go online and type in locations you plan to drive through. When you get home you can give us a guide of eateries and things to see Is this such a good idea without a familiar toilet to run-to? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VenusStopsTrain2 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Is this such a good idea without a familiar toilet to run-to? Well if you mean local eateries..maybe if you only go to ones that VC'ers recommend you will be okay. You could always buy a container of Clorox wipes those things rock for cleaning..and then you'd feel safe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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