What to see along round trip Yosemite to Nashville

[PopBeavers]

We are leaving the Yosemite area (Coursegold) around July 19 and need to be in Nashville on August 8. We will leave Nashville on August 16 and need to be back home by August 27. While we are in Nashville we will escort my aunt and uncle inlaw to Branson to see a few shows. At 80+ they can no longer go to Branson alone.

That is 21 days going and 12 days coming back.

The general loop is I80 and I90 one way and I55, I35 and I70 the other. I can go either clockwise or counter clockwise, I don't much care. I have more time going to Nashville than I do coming home, so I will probably take the norther part of the loop going.

We will be focused of being a tourist on the eastern half of the trip. Living in California I can visit west of the Rockies when I am older and not inclined to go too far east.

I want to be on US 50, The Loanliest Highway In The World, as much as possible/practical.

Yosemite thru Reno thru Salt Lake City to Medicine Bow/Laramie/Cheyenne will be overnight stops unless there is a really good reason to stay longer.

Medicine Bow, Laramie and Cheyenne looks like a place to stay for a few days.

Next is a possible side trip to Boulder to visit relatives.

Next destination will be around Little Bighorn, Badlands and Mt. Rushmore for a few days.

Next is Wisconsin Dells, Lake Geneva on the way to Milwaukee to visit relatives.

Next is Naperville IL to visit a friend. Then Daniel Boone National Forest and finally arriving in Nashville.

Back to California will be down Natchez Parkway to Tupelo then up to Memphis.

Then thru St. Louis on the way to Leon IA. As you scratch your head pondering why Leon. It is because there is the Beavers' Family Cemetery there.

Then I35 and US 50 to Pueblo. If I did not go to Boulder already I have another opportunity at this point.

Either US 50 out of Pueblo or US 285 to US 50 to I70/US 50 to US 50 to Ely.

Then US 6 thru Tonopah to SR 120 thru Lee Vining, thru Yosemite and then to home.

I think I will be near some corn based attraction, but I can not recall what it is or where it is. North of Iowa I think. My brother said he enjoyed it. I suppose I could ask him where it is.

We will be towing a Jeep Wrangler so it would be nice to visit the National Parks in Utah but I will probably run out of time. I can save that for a trip closer to home when I am too old to drive too far east.

Using this route Google estimates the northern leg at 3,888 miles with a driving time of 59 hours. The estimate for the southern leg is 2,950 miles with a driving time of 50 hours.

I can tolerate long days driving pretty well but DW can not travel like she used to. We can probably handle a few days that are long driving days as long as they are not back to back.

We have no pets, so that makes being a tourist a little easier.

This is our first RV trip out of California so I could certainly use a little help with the plan. I might be too ambitious with the current plan. What else is worth stopping for along the way.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

We are leaving the Yosemite area (Coursegold) around July 19 and need to be in Nashville on August 8. We will leave Nashville on August 16 and need to be back home by August 27. While we are in Nashville we will escort my aunt and uncle inlaw to Branson to see a few shows. At 80+ they can no longer go to Branson alone.

You have me scratching my head on this one. You do know that Branson is 455 miles away from Nashville, TN don’t you?

I think I will be near some corn based attraction, but I can not recall what it is or where it is. North of Iowa I think. My brother said he enjoyed it. I suppose I could ask him where it is.

I think your brother must be talking about the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. The entire exterior and much of the interior is decorated using ears of corn.

This is our first RV trip out of California so I could certainly use a little help with the plan. I might be too ambitious with the current plan. What else is worth stopping for along the way.

Sounds like a great trip. Be sure to tells us about it when you return.

[TURBS]

Where you staying in Nashville?

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

[PopBeavers]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Sounds like a great trip. Be sure to tells us about it when you return.

I will probably start a thread and then add to it as I feel like it.

[PopBeavers]

Originally Posted by TURBS

Where you staying in Nashville?

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

DW's Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt and Uncle in laws.

I have not idea where it is. I THINK it is out towards Brentwood.

[BOBFIDY]

Anytime going thru Memphis area.....TOM SAWYER CAMPGROUND in West Memphis, just off of I-55/I 40. Right on the Mississippi River. Watch the tow boats day and night going up and down river.

[wanderlost]

I highly recommend that you stay at Custer State Park in the Mt Rushmore area. It gives you a great base of operations for seeing the Needles Hwy, Mt Rushmore, the wildlife loop, and even Sturgis, Deadwood or Spearfish Canyon can be reached as day trips.

Look on the map and choose your route carefully through this area, there are some places that RVs cannot pass through (near Needles).

I would also plan a half day in the Badlands. It's beautiful, and well worth a stop.
There is an awesome Campground there (easy in-and-out), but there is no electrical there.

I would recommend 2 nights in the Mt Rushmore area and then 1 night in the badlands. From there, push hard through to Omaha or even Des Moines. I can give you plenty of recommendations for Iowa area.