Driving to Memphis

[tigger123]

Hello everyone!
I am spending some time in Orlando later in the year and wondered if anyone had any tips or suggestions on a drive to Memphis and back? I'm going to take about a week with the family has anyone done this this trip and knows of places to stay or stop and visit on the way?
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[kitch50]

Gatlinburg is always worth a visit, also Pidgeon Forge, we went panning for gold (never found any!!) and also white water rafting while we were there, never made it to Dollywood though!!. We stayed in a log cabin deep in the Smokey Mountains National Park when we went it was beautiful as it was Fall and the trees were changing colour.

[tigger123]

Thanks for your suggestions. Did you get a chance to get to Chattanuga or Memphis?

Julie

[Val]

We have driven from Memphis back to Orlando and just stayed overnight in Birmingham Alabama, I would not say it is a particularly scenic route but direct. You could always drop down into the Florida pan handle and stay at either Pensacola or Destin beautiful costal resorts. I take it you want to take the trip to visit Elvis, well worth it. If this is the reason dont forget to take in Tupelo as well, the town he was born.
Val

[tigger123]

Thanks Val,
Yes, we want to see Graceland although we're not big Elvis fans. Hubbie wants to see the Gibson factory and Sun Studios too. I want to see some good shopping, not just the same boring malls that all look the same (this is happening nore and more in Orlando).


Julie

[smiler]

How long does it take to drive to Memphis?

[autumnc]

I'd agree with Val, it's not a particularly scenic route so we decided to make it a one stop journey giving us more time in Tennessee. We stopped overnight at Birmingham, spent a few days in Memphis, then headed across the State to Nashville then Gatlinburg. We came back down through South Carolina and stopped at Charleston, then Savannah in Georgia.
If you like chicken, when you are in Memphis call into Gus's Fried Chicken for lunch or a snack. It looks live a dive with plastic plates and plastic knives and forks, but the fried chicken is awesome! We saw it featured in one of the food programmes.

[autumnc]

How long does it take to drive to Memphis?

I think it's about 13 hours if I remember rightly.

[tigger123]

We reckon it would take about 13 hours to drive to Memphis and originally thought to stop off in Birmingham, but changed our mnds and are thinking of Montgomery as a stopover. Hubbie wants to see the Gibson factory and Sun Studios and we both want to see Graceland although we're not big Elvis fans. Planning to stay on Mudd Island for a couple of nights in Memphis.
Anybody know of some decent places to shop? Not the same old malls, but somewhere different?



Julie

[Mo Green]

We drove via Atlanta so we could visit Nashville, across to Memphis with a visit to Jack Daniels distillery on the way then down through Tupelo and Birmingham with a night in Pensacola. When you are in Memphis can recommend American Safari Tours. Run by Tad Pierson who uses a "pinkish" '55 Cadillac for the tour. There's not a lot he does not know about Memphis. Arriving at Sun Studios in a Cadillac was amazing.