Tell me where to stretch my legs.
April 4, 2011 2:13 PM Subscribe
Traveling from Indy to Austin, Tex. in July by car with my 1.75-year-old son, my wife and my mom for a wedding. Where should we stop?
We're looking to break up the trip in a couple of days - with a few fun touristy stops on the way to provide the kiddo with an opportunity to not be strapped in his car seat for two straight days of driving. We're thinking of staying the night in Little Rock, Ark., as it's approximately equidistant from Indy and Austin.
Trick is, that it'd have to be age appropriate, and can't be an attraction that would take too much time to enjoy - we're looking for stops that we could fully enjoy in roughly an hour.
Kitsch is OK. Interstate-side adult bookstores are not.
We're looking to break up the trip in a couple of days - with a few fun touristy stops on the way to provide the kiddo with an opportunity to not be strapped in his car seat for two straight days of driving. We're thinking of staying the night in Little Rock, Ark., as it's approximately equidistant from Indy and Austin.
Trick is, that it'd have to be age appropriate, and can't be an attraction that would take too much time to enjoy - we're looking for stops that we could fully enjoy in roughly an hour.
Kitsch is OK. Interstate-side adult bookstores are not.
… Salt lick is south of Austin. It's great, but it's not halfway between Indy and Austin.
You could also go via way of Tulsa, which adds no more than an hour to the entire trip.
I don't know any land marks on either route, unfortunately.
posted by Mad_Carew at 2:40 PM on April 4, 2011
You could also go via way of Tulsa, which adds no more than an hour to the entire trip.
I don't know any land marks on either route, unfortunately.
posted by Mad_Carew at 2:40 PM on April 4, 2011
Best answer: Arkansas has some interesting possibilities. Crater of Diamonds is a good excuse for the family to dig in the dirt. Hot Springs National Park is interesting. Eureka Springs is a very pretty little tourist trap. Silver Dollar City is just over the border in Missouri (oh, and if you want weapons-grade kitsch, check out the Precious Moments chapel, in Carthage MO).
None of these things are really up my family's alley-- except Silver Dollar City, which is a hillbilly Six Flags. I am from Oklahoma, so I know its crazy stuff a lot better. Fort Gibson is a pretty well preserved pre-Civil War "keep the Indians in line" fort just south of Tulsa. Turner Falls is a natural waterfall and swimming hole between Oklahoma City and the Texas line which is a pretty nice place to go during the hot summer.
There are some much more impressive hidden gems in the western half of Oklahoma and in the southeast corner, but neither are on your way.
posted by norm at 3:09 PM on April 4, 2011
None of these things are really up my family's alley-- except Silver Dollar City, which is a hillbilly Six Flags. I am from Oklahoma, so I know its crazy stuff a lot better. Fort Gibson is a pretty well preserved pre-Civil War "keep the Indians in line" fort just south of Tulsa. Turner Falls is a natural waterfall and swimming hole between Oklahoma City and the Texas line which is a pretty nice place to go during the hot summer.
There are some much more impressive hidden gems in the western half of Oklahoma and in the southeast corner, but neither are on your way.
posted by norm at 3:09 PM on April 4, 2011
When you get down to Memphis, you must (and I mean that YOU MUST) take a short detour south to Holly Springs Mississippi to see the greatest roadside attraction in the contiguous United States: Graceland Too. This place is amazing. Ridiculous. And open 24/7.
BTW, Mad_Carew, Salt Lick is a chain, and the Round Rock location AngryLlama suggested is in fact north of Austin.
posted by amelioration at 3:11 PM on April 4, 2011
BTW, Mad_Carew, Salt Lick is a chain, and the Round Rock location AngryLlama suggested is in fact north of Austin.
posted by amelioration at 3:11 PM on April 4, 2011
I stand corrected. I managed not to see the words "Round Rock". I haven't been to that location, so I don't know how it compares to the Dripping Springs location.
posted by Mad_Carew at 3:17 PM on April 4, 2011
posted by Mad_Carew at 3:17 PM on April 4, 2011
At every damn rest stop along the way. :(
posted by babbageboole at 4:44 PM on April 4, 2011
posted by babbageboole at 4:44 PM on April 4, 2011
As a short human my dad took me to the diamond crater in Arkansas. I still remember that fondly. I don't have other specific stops to recommend. Otherwise, I'd urge you to take 59 and 79 from Texarkana down to Round Rock to Austin.
AVOID I35 from Dallas to Austin, it's clogged and ugly. The 59 and 79 are both beautiful countryside. You can alternate it to several other roads if you want. Even though the map says these are secondary roads they are very good. Texas has a VERY powerful construction lobby. A little bit slower cause you go thru small towns but I think it's worth it. YMMV.
Have a safe trip!
posted by Pecantree at 5:49 PM on April 4, 2011
AVOID I35 from Dallas to Austin, it's clogged and ugly. The 59 and 79 are both beautiful countryside. You can alternate it to several other roads if you want. Even though the map says these are secondary roads they are very good. Texas has a VERY powerful construction lobby. A little bit slower cause you go thru small towns but I think it's worth it. YMMV.
Have a safe trip!
posted by Pecantree at 5:49 PM on April 4, 2011
PS. Should have added, There will be a ton of farmers stands you can stop at and hit Barton Springs when you get to Austin.
posted by Pecantree at 5:52 PM on April 4, 2011
posted by Pecantree at 5:52 PM on April 4, 2011
If you swing by Tulsa, you could go through the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. It's great for the air conditioning & there's a hotel right next door. Go a bit up the road from there & you'll have a nice park for your child to run around in (though it's HOT in July, you'll find shade). There's also a zoo in Tulsa and a few museums.
My relatives enjoyed Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas.
posted by dragonplayer at 5:54 PM on April 4, 2011
My relatives enjoyed Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas.
posted by dragonplayer at 5:54 PM on April 4, 2011
Are you going Arkansas/Missouri/Illinois/Indiana? If so, no help-that's great for flat roads but otherwise rather boring in my experience. Taking Arkansas/Tennessee/Kentucky can be a bit longer gives many more options for the kids such as the Peabody ducks and Graceland in Memphis, the country music hall of fame in Nashville, the dinosaur statues and caves in Southern Kentucky, etc.
posted by beaning at 7:19 PM on April 4, 2011
posted by beaning at 7:19 PM on April 4, 2011
Whatever you decide to do, you should keep in-mind that an almost-two-year-old is probably not going to enjoy anything for very long. Especially so for anything remotely interesting to an adult. Just be prepared.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:40 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by Thorzdad at 3:40 AM on April 5, 2011
Response by poster: @Thorzdad - totally understand. :) I can't keep his attention on anything for much longer than 10 minutes at a time, hence my request for stops that don't take a lot of time to enjoy.
@norm - thanks for the suggestions. Crater of Diamons sounds particularly cool, as my son loves digging in the dirt.
posted by po822000 at 7:11 AM on April 5, 2011
@norm - thanks for the suggestions. Crater of Diamons sounds particularly cool, as my son loves digging in the dirt.
posted by po822000 at 7:11 AM on April 5, 2011
Hey, if you're coming through Branson, MeMail me. Tickets for an 8 pm show will be waiting for you. Plenty of hotels if you want to stay the night here instead of Little Rock (about 3 hours away).
posted by shinynewnick at 9:38 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by shinynewnick at 9:38 AM on April 5, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by AngryLlama at 2:29 PM on April 4, 2011