Want to plan an awesome Southeast United States Road trip but only have a few days to travel. This blog explores our first few days on the biggest 2 week road trip we have ever made. 4 breathtaking National Parks and a Presidential Library and Museum gave us stops along the way as we explored new states along the Southeast. As National Park junkies these parks were on our checklist to explore, our time there was better than we expected. This blog will show you how we navigated these parks and see how you can explore this area on your own Road Trip adventure.
Our Summer family Road trip 2024 took us through 29 States in 17 days to find as many places in the United States that the kids and as adults we had never been before. You can read the entire trips details in the blog Our Epic 29-State Summer Road Trip 2024 + Tips & Full Route. Southeast region was the first part and these first few days of this trip were honestly the hardest of the entire 17 days. We were so excited to see everything and yet it was exhausting doing everything. After this section of the trip we adjusted to the drives and exploring, eventually getting into a rhythm that felt right.
Places that we explored and why we think you should too
Exploring National Parks is one of our go-to trip planning ideas for their beauty, outdoors adventure, and cultural significance. Museums and other historical places are right up there on the list also, helping us to shape who we are and influence our children. The United States is so big, it could take a lifetime to see it all. So pick some of your top lists and start visiting them a weekend at a time.
Part 1 Southeast Region
- Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
- William J Clintion Presidential Museum and Library, Little Rock, Arkansas
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
- New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia
- Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Hot Springs National Park is just Unique
Starting from East Texas, Hot Springs was a great morning stop for us to get breakfast and explore this unique national park. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but this was one of the most different national parks we visited. The first immediate thing you notice is it is in the center of town, in fact it is on Central street of Hot Springs. First opinion is that the town itself has a Branson feel to it. Once you get into the park’s buildings, you are now transported back into the early 1880s.
Bathhouse Row is a collection of historic buildings preserved to walk through, and a few bathhouses are still in use to soak away your ailments in with a reservation in advance. The Fordyce Bathhouse and Visitor Center is one of the first stops to make to get directions and find out what are Ranger Programs available for the day. Walk through the halls of the Parlor, gym, and boiler rooms providing hot spring water to their guests. We attended a program about the wildlife that are in the area and the kids were able to touch skulls and turtle shells.
Walk the Grand Promenade behind Bathhouse Row, this easy walk has multiple springs. You really can see the steam just rolling off the water and feel the heat. It’s a beautiful path up above the main street hustle and bustle of shops, cars, and people. For us it was just relaxing, which is in the spirit of this famous hot springs retreat. There are a few fountains the continuously pour spring water out and you can put your hand under to test the temperature. Wow it was hot. Too hot for me just sit in without it cooling off for sure. Do not just think you can strip and sit in these hot springs. Only within the bathhouses are you allowed to sit in the spring water.
Look for a map of walking trails at the entrance to the Grand Promenade or grab a map from the Rangers desk. I loved how there were so many hiking trails in the woods behind Bathhouse Row. These Ozark Mountain woods are truly beautiful. Once you have walked the Grand Promenade, you can continue to the Mountain tower by hiking through the woods on Peak Trail a 1.2m round trip or drive the road on Hot Springs Mountain Drive.
Continuing down Bathhouse Row will take you to the Parks Bookstore to get NPS Cancelation stamps and souvenirs for your visit. Bring your own bottle or buy a bottle to take a part of Hot Springs NP home with you to drink the healing powers of the spring water. Yes, you heard me right. Straight from the fountains you can bottle your own water. There were people pulling up with vehicles loaded full of 5 gallon jugs and filling them full to take home. The National Park Service states it is completely safe to drink after cooling.
Tower over the trees with this view
I loved the Mountain Tower and suggest taking the time to drive to this section of the park. The tower itself is not technically part of the national park, it is still within the park and does allow you to see for miles in 360-degree view. Operated by elevator, you don’t have to climb a million stairs to get to the top. Also, we have an America the Beautiful National Park Pass, and by presenting it we received a discount on tickets to the Tower. They also have a large shop for souvenirs to buy.
The advantage above the trees gives you a view that you can’t see down on the ground. Heights are not a favorite for Bill or Elizabeth, but William and I love the views from up top. The entire family came to the top and we were so glad that we did. It was an awesome last stop before heading on the road to Little Rock, Arkansas. Other stops in Hot Springs we suggest, The Pancake Shop. Breakfast was needed since we were on the road early in the morning to get to Hot Springs so we had plenty of time to explore. The Pancake Shop is not a large restaurant, so be prepared to have to wait if you are in a busy time. The pancakes are not only huge, but taste amazing! They know their stuff. They have a wide selection of breakfast items and are a popular spot.
Details about Hot springs National park
End of July was a hot time for this area, though with the cloud cover it was 85 degrees F in the morning. By 11am we were getting hot and looking for some AC. Fall would be a spectacular time to visit with all the autumn colors and amazing white buildings. Look ahead of your trip for special events like car shows and festivals that will be happening to coordinate with your trip or plan to not be there if a more relaxed time is what you are planning. Parking is available with many of the hotels in the area along Central street. Or if you find parking is filled along the street, parking lots and garages are scattered around Central street. We didn’t feel bad about paying for parking and visiting business around town since entrance to the national park is free to everyone.
Presidential Libraries show American and World events as they happened
Presidential libraries and museums might not be on your top trip ideas for summer vacation, but I suggest trying to visit at least 1 museum of a President the was during your lifetime. I was amazed at the way I felt walking out of these time capsules. Every time I walk in thinking I don’t know very much about this President, and walk out with a better understanding of who that President and their family was, and the world events we as a nation were involved in. The even crazier part, it doesn’t feel political. I spend more time reflecting on what I remember about these events and where I was when they occurred.
President William J Clinton was the closest and first Presidential Library for this 2-week road trip. Located in Little Rock, we drove across the Arkansas river and saw the building on the edge of the downtown area. A square glass building with a beautiful view across the river. First thing when you walk in is the Presidential Limousine, and Williams favorite part. Uniquely this Presidential Library has a full-sized exhibit of the Cabinet room with volunteers that walk you through the importance of the people that sit in each seat and the symbolism of the decorations chosen for this room. We spent most of our time here with peak interest since Washington DC was on our list of places withing this Road trip still to visit.
Details about William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
This was not a very busy place, however I would still suggest looking in advance to your visit for dates that any special events and closed dates. The air conditioning was great to experience in the heat of the afternoon. Admission is $12.00 for adults, $7.00 for youth, and Children are free. There are volunteers throughout the library and almost all that we talked to were either family friends from growing up or present during the presidency to share memories they have of President Clinton.
Before leaving the library take a walk across the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. This old railroad bridge was converted to a walking path across the Arkansas river. We really liked doing this quick walk. Bikers enjoy this path also. This time the kids needed a well-deserved nap, and we headed on the road to make it to Memphis by dinner.
Memphis Delta Mississippi River crossing
Crossing the Mississippi River for the first time was a feeling that finally this 2-week trip we had planned for the last 8 months was really happening. We were heading East into new territory. Memphis was a short stop to break up the miles and give us dinner at the famous Beale Street. Well here was our first of many change of plans to occur on the road trip.
When you cross the River you either look right to see Beale Street, or you see a huge Pyramid on the left. Which way did we go… we went to the Pyramid that is a Hotel and Bass Pro store. We took the chance to go inside to see this odd Bass Pro shop and find a few items for up coming trip to Great Smoky Mountain NP.
What other store do you go into and it look like this? We walked around exploring the aquarium, seeing displays of the region, and finding water shoes for everyone. You can go to the top and see from the observation deck of the pyramid by buying a ticket or having a stay at the hotel portion. We didn’t have time before the observation deck closed and will put this on our to-do list for another time. Beale Street with 11-year-old kids might have been fine, but we would again leave this for another visit item to check off the list. Instead, we found an Indian restaurant and had an awesome meal before heading on the road again.
Why we chose the path to Mississippi and Alabama
Tennessee and Mississippi were states that we had no driven through in the past and truly were not sure what to expect for the area. Fields with agriculture then trees for milling, and just an over all very pretty views were ahead of us. We headed south out of Memphis into Mississippi to add more states to our list of explored states. Finally, as dark arrived we made it to Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville is home to the rocket program for NASA. As we drove to the hotel we found in the distance brightly lit up displays of Rockets. It was so pretty to see as we drifted to sleep.
We could have continued through Tennessee to Nashville before heading south into the Great Smoky Mountain area but decided on the Southern route with the chance to add more historical places if time was possible. Lets just say we had so much fun all day at the places we were in, we just didn’t have time at the end of the day to add more stops. And that’s ok!
What’s the most visited park in the US? Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Yeah, you read that right! Most visited with over 12 million people visited this park annually. So why wouldn’t we plan this trip with only 2 weeks left for all parents to plan summer trips before schools start across the nation. We love exploring places that are less crowded, but this is just a place to not be missed. Pick your battles, either go in the off season or just understand there will be traffic and crowds at many places. For this reason I’ll warn you we skipped many of the crowded sites that just didn’t have any parking available.
What you will find when you get off the beaten path or in the off hours is something that is truly beautiful and should not be missed. I really feel like we walked through multiple weather events, areas of natural beauty with streams then high elevation above clouds, or historical towns showing the early settler’s ability to survive in new territories. Gatlinburg is a popular starting place for many since hotels and restaurants are plentiful there. We started at the Townsend, TN and entrance that gave a direct drive to the Cades Cove Scenic Loop. This section of the park can be the most congested and it is suggested to start first thing in the morning here before crowds fill the parking lots. So that is what we did, and it paid off. Original settlers left homes, mills, and churches along this scenic loop to stop and explore.
It got busy, and quick
After exiting the Cove, we headed toward the Sugarland Visitor Center. As noon arrived in the park, the number of people dramatically increased. This path through the park is narrow that a large vehicle is difficult to drive the tight turns next to the rock walls. Amazingly we felt that many people were driving faster than needed and crossing the lines against oncoming traffic. Please be aware of that when driving in this park.
After battling traffic, we stopped at a road turn off area to look at the stream and relax. This was the best thing we could have done. The stream was cool and perfect for the kids to walk along the edges. Spending 30 minutes here was beautiful and what I feel like the Smoky Mountains is about. This is what experiencing national parks is supposed to be for me. I can’t even tell you an exact spot that we made this stop and that’s ok, find your own and make it yours.
Sugarland Visitor Center was supposed to be a quick stop to finish our Jr Ranger badge program. We found ourselves talking to the Ranger about a waterfall that was behind the VC, and that it was absolutely worth quick hike to the waterfall. Walk through wooded areas, wooden bridges over streams and emerge at a waterfall. This was a great place for families to take their kids and explore without deep water and was a very enjoyable walk.
Split between 2 states
Exploring further into the park brought us to the very important Appalachian Trail and the state line of Tennessee and North Carolina at the Newfoundland Gap Overlook. National parks often don’t cross state boundaries, and this was a great opportunity to stand in 2 states while in a national park. There is an entrance to the Appalachian Trail at this stop where you walk a portion of if desired. This 2190-mile trail stretches from Georgia through the Appalachian Mountains up into Maine. This trail crosses directly through the national park.
Clingmans Dome, now named Kuwohi Tower, was a must for our love of beautiful views to see the farthest stretches of the park. Though it was a cloudy morning with scattered rain, at this point we had blue open skies with great views of the surrounding area. As we climbed to the highest point in the park and began the 1-mile hike to the Tower the clouds rolled in showing us what the Smoky Mountains are really made of. It was a great hike taking us to very beautiful areas, but unfortunately the best view hid behind the clouds from us today.
A stop worth making
Mingus Mill might be the best stop we made on this day for timing. It now was the end of the day, the visitor centers were closing, we were the farthest point from Gatlinburg and the crowds. We decided we still needed to stop at Mingus Mill because the pictures were just so pretty. It was a place that I wish we had hours to explore. The parking lot was empty, we the short distance to the mill and just soaked it all in. It wasn’t open to look inside, or running the wheel even, but the water running down the aqueduct and seeping out at random places was just peaceful.
It’s rare to find places within a national park that is truly empty of people unless on a wilderness area, but we found it here today. This was the last stop on our road trip through the Great Smoky Mountains NP and found the hidden beauty in it. As we exited the park to the Blue Ridge Parkway out to Asheville, NC and ended the night in Wilkesboro, NC. Little did we know that only a few short months later that devastating rain would destroy much of the area that we drove through due to massive flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Details about Great Smoky Mountain National park
Weather was a constant change in todays adventure. Overall we felt 90 deg at Caves Cove area and a cool 65 deg at the top of the Clingmans Dome area. Watch for thunderstorms when hiking and excessive rain when in the creek bed areas for flash flooding. The park does not have an entrance fee, but does require a $5 parking fee to post in your vehicle. The America the Beautiful Pass does not cover the cost of this. Smaller vehicles and taking a single vehicle is something to consider since it is so busy and lots of traffic in the area, making it sometimes difficult to park. All food options are outside of the park so bring snacks or drive in and out of the park as needed.
New River Gorge National Park was more than we ever expected
When we planned the visit to New River Gorge NP we were only planning an hour. We ended up exploreing for a few hours and still only touched the beginning of possibilites. We headed out to enter the park at the Visitor Center by driving across the bridge on highway 19. Seriously had no idea what we were in for when you first see the bridge, but then go over the bridge. Its so fast and over in an instant. So you have to go and explore from the underside of the bridge.
The Canyon Rim Visitor Center has a really cool view of the bridge and down the canyon towards the New River. But the place you want to go is the Canyon Rim Bridge Overlook. That’s the view of the bridge that gives you an idea of how massive this canyon is. Now there are a few things you need to know before you head down this path. Its not wheel chair accessible. There are stairs that you must go down to the viewing platforms and then go back up again. Like 178 stairs in fact. So take your time and you will make it, we did!
Fayette Station Road Tour is the next direction we headed from the VC and that took us right down to the base of the canyon. With lots of places to stop and take a look at the bridge we were never just sitting in the truck. Once we got all the way to the bottom of the Gorge you will stop of a set of train tracks before driving across the New River by bridge. Once of the other side there are whole new views of the bridge. We were able to find a stopping point at a water access point to see an unobstructed view of the bridge.
Here you will be able to see white water rafting boat groups moving down the river. Listen to sound of the water and relax for a minute. The kids needed to finish their JR Ranger badges and so we headed back to the VC before heading to the next national park on our list.
Details about New river gorge national park
The weather was overcast and so this was a great 80 degree day to explore for a few hours. Biking, climbing, and rafting are popular in this park and something in the future we will return to try our hand at. The park did not have an entrance or parking fee. Base jumping from the bridge does occur 1 day a year and can be coordinated with Bridge Day celebrations. There are also ranger lead programs, including walking under the bridge on the catwalk.
We were to late to Shenandoah national Park
After such a big day at New River Gorge NP lasting almost 4 hours, we still had a drive over to Virginia to explore Shenandoah NP in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park itself is a very long straight line scenic drive. We had the difficult decision of figuring out which entrance to enter and then how far to go before heading to the hotel for the night. Since it is not a loop drive, we had to commit to a path to take. Starting at the Elkton town entrance, we paid our entrance fee using the NPS America the Beautiful Pass. This was really our first payment using the pass.
By this time it was already 4pm and we knew to visit the Visitor Center we would be cutting it close to closing time. We stopped at every turnout point that was interesting with views that we could find. Many were lookout points every quarter of a mile to half mile. We then made it to a wide open meadow where the Harry F Boyd Visitor Center is located. Of course we ended up making it just after close of the building, but if needed there is a camp and café store next door for campers and visitors.
Baldface Mountain Overlook, The Point overlook, Fishers Gap Overlook, Old Rag View Overlook, Pinnacles Overlook, and a Tunnel to drive through were all stops we made. Old Rag View was one of our favorite look outs with dragon flies around everywhere. Whisps of clouds climbing up to us from the valley, and then guessing the dame of the mountains we are looking at from all the crazy names that they have here on the mountains. The Appalachian Trail also runs through the entire park similar to Great Smoky Mountains NP.
Knowing that the VC on the northern most scenic drive was already closed for the night and it had been a long day where everyone was hungry for more than just snacks. So we exited the park at the next available spot heading to Warrenton. We ending up finding the Cast Iron Craft House for dinner and had an awesome night eating and relaxing before driving into Alexandria, VA for our hotel for the night.
details about Shenandoah national park
The weather was great afternoon warm without the sun beating down on you. Humidity late July was definitely there. The park entrance is paid at the entrance gates and is cashless as of 2025. Gates are open 24/7 with camping within the park. There are some food options within the park, but there are also town at many of the entrance gate sections for food and hotel options.
Some of our most memorable experiences
While this was the beginning of our 2 week trip, and the kids were totally experiencing summer sleeping mode engaged. We feel like these 3 days went way too fast. I want to go back and spend more time in each park because the idea of only a day or half a day was just not enough.
Great Smoky Mountain might be the top of the list for the amazing areas we found without being in the crowds. The best places for us are ones where we feel comfortable saying, “Elizabeth go climb a mountain” and her eyes just light up! This had a lot of areas where we could do that. Kids sleeping through the drives, then suddenly waking up in a new state or national park were the times where Bill and I would look at each other and just laugh at the shock on the kids faces. Sleeping with blankets of heads to try and block out the light reminds me of long road trips as a kid trying to get sleep.
What did we eat while on the road?
The first thing to think about being on a road trip is what your plan is to eating.
- Do you want to eat out every meal
- Only eat out once a day
- Rent places with kitchens to cook your meals
- Is the area you are going to have groceries readily available or do you have to pack most of this to take in a cooler to last the trip
We did a combination of Snacks, hotel breakfast, and dinners at local restaurants. We knew that during the day exploring the parks would be the least amount of food options for lunch and planned on that helping us move during the day.
- The Pancake Shop Hot Springs, Arkansas ★★★★★ Has a small cafe feel with great food
- Curry Bowl Indian Cuisine Memphis, Tennessee ★★★★ Butter Chicken was awesome
- Cast Iron Craft House Warrenton, Virginia ★★★★★ Burgers and fries outstanding
Tips and recommendations
Here are some additional insights into our trip planning and how we got to where we were going.
Where to stay
- pick hotels that are within your budget. Don’t over pay for something you may only spend sleeping in. Also don’t drive far off the path to get to a hotel that will add extra miles for you. We picked places in advance so that we could start paying on them months in advance and lessen our budget needs for the actual weeks of travel. Pick a cancelation policy if you would like to, many of ours had free cancellation if greater than 24hrs in advance.
How we got there
- If possible to drive that is my suggestion. It is so great to see something of interest and just decide, “OK lets stop”. Those are the things you miss on the plane, train, and tour bus. Driving for the 4 of us was also a much cheaper option. Yes gas is expensive when driving hundreds of miles, but compared to multiple flights of 4 people can get really expensive. So our only other option that was possible was to fly to Arkansas and rent a vehicle to begin our trip and drive the rest of the time. From Nebraska to Texas it is a 13 hr drive and we are able to put that into 1 day drive without major stops.
- We also took a mixture of Interstate and highways. Dirt road adventures in an area we have never been is not a safe route for us to explore. So we took the advised routes to enter parks from the National Parks Service website, and connected at cities that were of interest for us to drive through.
What didn’t we get to see on our trip
- Here are some additional ideas if you are in these states. We did not make it to these states, but they are on our List to Visit still
- Arkansas
- Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
- Hot Springs Garvan Woodland Gardens
- Tennessee
- Graceland Memphis
- Beale Street Memphis
- Gatlinburg
- Mississippi
- Shiloh Military Park Alabama
- Russel Cave National Monument
- US Space and Rocket Center Huntsville
- North Carolina
- Biltmore Estate, Ashville
- West Virginia
- Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
- West Virginia Governors Mansion
- Virginia
- Colonial Williamsburg
- Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum
- Arkansas
Was this all worth the planning? Yes!
As I write this blog and look back on the adventures and time spent together I wouldn’t want to trade this for anything. We had tiffs being in a vehicle for long hours. But who wouldn’t. We talked, we explored the parks, we saw growth in our kids even in this short time. This was only 3 days and we were able to cover so many states. We loved every area we went to.
Hot Springs NP and Little Rock, Arkansas showed us a state we visit yearly but never go past our family’s house. Great Smoky Mountains NP let us explore creeks and tops of mountains with 2 states. New River Gorge NP was supposed to be just a bridge, and we found hikes and drives to fill the day. Shenandoah NP was like driving on the top of a mountain range with no end in sight.
The amazing part was that this was truly the beginning, we still had 12 days left on the road to explore. This wasn’t our first road trip experience, and we knew this wouldn’t be our last. Something felt different about this road trip though, and we didn’t know until we got home how pivotal it was to life changing experiences we needed. Go out and explore the areas around you, no matter where you start you will end up somewhere.
You can also watch our YouTube video Part 1 Hot Springs, Great Smokey Mountains, New River Gorge, Shenandoah | 4 National Parks in 3 Days showing how we set out on this leg of the journey and watch our entire 2-week trip. Subscribe for more videos as we set out on our new life changing adventure of full time RV living.
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