Community Forums

farkels · 12-09-2021, 10:26 AM

Traveling from Lincoln, NE to Knoxville, TN in late March; some flexibility in dates. My 2020 Ram 2500 6.4L hemi is towing a 33’ travel trailer. Asking for suggestions on best routing with preference for more secondary highways and less time & mileage on interstates. Thank you!

Triangle Drifter · 12-09-2021, 02:18 PM

Wherever we go if time permits we avoid the interstates & try for the highways that were the main roads before the interstates or try to work in the scenic roads & bi ways.

Any mapping app is going to try & dump you on an interstate. A great way to get from one place to another without seeing a thing in between. Some great routes are out there but it takes some planning to work something out.

Never rely on one source of navigation.

twogypsies · 12-09-2021, 09:40 PM

Just take a paper map and a highlighter and plan your route. You don't have to do what a mapping program or GPS tells you to do.

It works for us!

be-happy · 12-10-2021, 05:29 AM

When I plan a trip I get out Google Maps. Let them tell me how to get there and then I pick the route I want to take. Most if not all highways are drivable so i would not worry. To me half the fun is planning the route and what to see along the way.

Maybe a little more information as to how long you have to get from point a to b would be helpful

tpaul · 12-10-2021, 03:36 PM

You would have to do it in 2 days but if you want to mostly avoid interstates I would try to stick to US highways. Tend to be a little wider with better shoulders. But as you get close to Nashville it gets more difficult to avoid interstate.

NE 2-US 75-US 36-US 63-US 60-US 62-I 24 ?

Mr.Goodbar · 12-11-2021, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpaul

You would have to do it in 2 days but if you want to mostly avoid interstates I would try to stick to US highways. Tend to be a little wider with better shoulders. But as you get close to Nashville it gets more difficult to avoid interstate.

NE 2-US 75-US 36-US 63-US 60-US 62-I 24 ?

Don't take US60/US62 thru Cairo, IL to get to I-24. Those two bridges across the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are a RV'ers nightmare. See pictures. Take I-55 south to I-155, cross the Mississippi into TN, then take US-412 to I-40 or wherever. US-412 is almost like interstate.

I have not ever taken US-70, but then you would get really slowed down by traffic coming thru Nashville.

If you take I-24 to Nashville, take the TN-155/Briley Parkway east bypass to I-40 to avoid downtown at all costs. There really is no other RV friendly route to bypass Nashville when coming from the northwest.

Coming from the west on I-40, the I-840 southerly bypass is nice, really scenic and almost zero development along it (by design). You catch it just east of Dickson, TN and it takes you far wary from Nashville traffic and congestion (locally N'ville is called Atlanta 2.0) and rejoins I-40 near Lebanon.

I understand that you prefer no-interstates, but in TN, once you get to the middle of the state, there are lots of big hills as you approach the mountains.

First picture is over the Mississippi, Second picture is over the Ohio. Two narrow bridges.

farkels · 12-12-2021, 05:44 PM

Thank you. Agree with all you say. I will have 5-7 days to make the Lincoln-Knoxville trip in early April, and see plenty of options using secondary highways. Hope to visit as many “must sees” along the way as time permits and avoid long ascents/descents, narrow/winding roadways.

Likely will drop south from Lincoln, cross the Missouri River at St. Joseph, then work diagonally SE through Missouri via Jefferson City > Poplar Bluff. Hope to stay south of Nashville by going Jackson > Murfreesboro > Crossville > Knoxville.

Any of your experiences, good or bad, along this general routing are welcome!

Tightwadted · 12-12-2021, 09:21 PM

couple of options I've driven: NE 2 to Neb City, US 75 to Fairview KS, US 36 as far as you want (if your DW is into quilting, stop in Hamilton) 36 is 4-lane alot of the way. Or US 77 S to Marysville Ks then hit us36, another option is take US 73 S out of Hiawatha, but then you will eventually run into I 435 around KC, if you like cheese link up to MO 13 to springfield and stop at the Osceola cheese factory. Avoid US 160 across the bottom of Missouri. JMHO

CharlesinGA · 12-14-2021, 10:35 PM

I don't mind interstates if they go the direction I'm headed and are not bad road. I-29 is a great road with good pavement. I have crossed Missouri on US 36 from St Joseph (in a car) and it is a good road, 4 lane divided in most places. I turned south on US 63 when I got to Macon and went all the way to Rolla. I had an ulterior motive and that was to get to Ste. Genevieve earlier enough to catch the ferry across the Mississippi. From Rolla to Ste. Genevieve was a rather crazy ride up and down hills and a very curvy road, I would not do with an RV.

Other return trips in both car or RV I just went to KC and skirted the city on I-435 and then west on I-70. I will not go thru St Louis and I go down the Missouri side on I-55 and cross at Chester or Cape Girardeau eventually continuing south on I-24.

As mentioned skirt the east side of Nashville on the Briley Parkway and this is an excellent, smooth ride with little traffic.

Charles