My first stop will be Cincinnati, Ohio. I have an exam on Monday, so I'll leave after that. This stop will really only be to rest and so that I don't have to drive all the way through.
Next, I will go to Cave City, KY and visit Mammoth Cave National Park. The caves are closed right now as are all tours. However, according to their website, surface trails are open. So Reese and I will be able to enjoy the over 53,000 acres and walk along some of the 70 miles of trails. They also offer camping, but that's currently closed.
Next stop will be Chattanooga, TN and the Prentice Cooper State Forest. This park has been closed due to COVID-19, but is reopening right before I get there. While camping in the park is still closed, it has 35 miles of trails that are open during the day, over nearly 25,000 acres.
After that, the trip will take more of an urban spin. Georgia has just begun Phase I of reopening, which includes restaurants. So we'll spend 2 days in Atlanta and then 2 days in Savannah. Savannah, to me, is probably the most beautiful city in the United States. I love traveling down the historic roads and the mini-park at nearly every intersection downtown. Just north of Savannah is the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and to the south the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge. Both appear to be open to the public, even though the Visitor's Centers are closed.
Once my four days in Georgia have passed, it's time to head back north for the final 1,022 miles of my trip back home. The first stop will be in Charlotte, NC. I love roller coasters and amusement parks and right outside Charlotte is one of my favorites, Carrowinds. Carrowinds is owned by Cedar Fair, which operates my favorite, Cedar Point. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be open by the time I arrive on May 11th, so I'll have to make another trip down.
An interesting part of this trip is this will be the second city on my trip that claims the name "The Queen City". Both Charlotte and Cincinnati claim this moniker. Which one is the "real" Queen City? I'll leave that up to you. I'm still not sure what I'm going to find to do there as North Carolina isn't opening up as quickly as other nearby states that I'm visiting (SC, TN, and GA). I'm sure I'll find something though.
The next day I have a lot packed in. I want to do the over 4 hour drive from Charlotte to Caryville, TN. However, that passes through the Great Smoky National Park, where I have to stop! This park is nearly 10 times bigger than the Mammoth Cave National Park, at over 522,000 acres. It is the largest national park in the Southeast and one of the few national parks that is free to visit. It has over 850 miles of trails, including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. (Maybe I should try to hike that next!) The park also has camping. However, it is still not permitted to camp, as the park is just reopening next week.
As if that's not enough, Caryville has its own state park and is in the foothills of the mountains. I plan on visiting the Cumberland Trail State Park, along with visiting some of the hiking trails in the mountains, if Reese has enough energy by day 8 of the trip. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he will, let's see if I have the energy!
This brings us to Wednesday. It's a 4-hour drive up to Huntington, WV. This drive affords plenty of opportunities to stop in the mountains and forests along the way. There I found a cute log cabin for really cheap to stay in. It's available on AirBnB, but I found it cheaper on Orbitz. It has good reviews, is close to the city, yet somewhat isolated.
After that, is the longest drive of the trip. Not only in time (4.5 hours), but also driving home after a 10-day road trip is the most tedious. Once I get home, I'll begin planning my next trip. If you have any thoughts or insights as to where I should go next or any feedback for me or my blog, please feel free to comment below.
Most of the hotels I'm staying at are either Red Roof Inn or Hilton. I love Red Roof Inn because Reese always gets to stay for free and they have great deals. If you use the link, you can also get 15% when travel with your pet. Hilton is a lot less pet-friendly and a little pricier, but some of the nicest hotels I've stayed in. I always stay there if available.
Thanks for reading and until next time!!
Note: All of the opinions above are my own. If you click on some of the links and purchase a product or a service, I may receive a very small amount of compensation, which helps offset the costs of the trips. Don't worry though, the pennies they pay me do not influence my opinion and I'm always gonna tell you exactly how I feel above something, good or bad.
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