Appalachian Trip Ideas Please

[brywit]

We have had our Class A for three years now and I have asked for advice the previous two about places to go and had great success (thanks again!). I am looking for advice on a 10-12 day trip starting in Chicago to the Appalachian Mts. and loop back to central Iowa before returning home. We have a 2 year old so I won't be able to make really long drives. I try to keep the road time to 6-8 hours. We have stopped and stayed for a 2-3 nights depending on what was around then continued on. We will have a toad and are interested in day trips to kid friendly places (zoos, small amusement parks, kid museums, water parks, etc.). Scenery is great to have at the campground and surrounding areas but we will not be able to take many sightseeing trips. We are leaving about on the 17th and are going to end up in central Iowa at about the 28th. Thanks for your help!

[RVThere]

Even though the Appalachians start up in coastal Canada, for your trip I would focus on the southern part of the range.

A good starting point would be Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive, Big Meadows campground, some easy hikes to waterfalls. Bring a kid carrier backpack and you will be in great shape.

Drive south and you can go to Luray Caverns. Definitely a lot for a toddler to see and experience.

From there you can take 81 south or the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm never patient enough to stay on the Blue Ridge as the speed limit is about 35.

There are some places to take in along the drive but I would head to the Smokey Mountains. National park, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, even over the Asheville NC to the Biltmore Estate. Plenty to do from nature to crowds.

Then you can head to Iowa via St. Louis and stop at the Gateway Arch and continue with a nice ride up the Mississippi River.

Safe travels!