Peter Greenberg: Driving Cross-Country

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 208-07-31

To travel by car from Knoxville, Tenn. to San Diego and back, what would you recommend for the routing if we wanted to "see more of the U.S.A." ?
–Philip, Knoxville, Tenn.

Heading out of Knoxville, Interstate 40 is a great route to take. It hits many worthwhile cities in the United States, such as Memphis, Tenn., Little Rock Ark., Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Texas, Albuquerque, N.M., and Flagstaff, Ariz., en route to San Diego.

Coming from Knoxville, I-40 will first bring you to Nashville. If you're a music buff, be sure to stop by music city's Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. If you're a connoisseur of the arts, take a grand tour of Nashville's own Parthenon. If you're already familiar with the area, the highway then brings you to Memphis. If you decide to stop here, take a Graceland tour of Elvis' mansion and two museums, and climb inside the king's custom airplanes.

If not, continue your drive along I-40 and find yourself entertained by Oklahoma City's Bricktown. This former site of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show is presently a town plaza with comedy clubs, a historic walking center, and a waterway. Further along the highway, the city of Amarillo holds its annual Tri-State Fair each September and features food, fun, and a rodeo! Yet if you're not exactly feeling rowdy and would like to rekindle your relationship with Mother Nature, your next option is to ride the Sandia Peak Tramway in  Albuquerque, N.M. If the world's longest aerial tram ride to the 10,000-foot peak of the Sandia Mountains doesn't take your breath away, your next stop on the highway is Flagstaff, Ariz. There, the pines overlooking the desert plains are just as awe-inspiring. And if you're feeling adventurous, the Grand Canyon is only about a two-hour drive from Flagstaff.

On your way home, you'll probably want to take a different route. In this case, Interstate-20 is a great alternative. From Los Angeles, I-10 will first take you to Phoenix. Phoenix's Enchanted Island, the South Mountain Park Scenic Drive, and the Desert Botanical Gardens are great destinations to help you de-stress from your stay in glittery, glamorous California. Driving further down the route, past El Paso, Interstate-10 ultimately connects to Interstate-20. If you decide to take this route, your next stop is Dallas, where the slew of specialty museums, the Dallas Arboretum, and the famous Pioneer Plaza are must-sees.

If your budget is a bit tight, visit the city of Birmingham, Ala., much further along the road. Have lunch at a traditional Southern tea room or munch on one of Pete's Famous Hot Dogs. Afterwards, watch sea lions being trained and fed at the Birmingham Zoo or pick up a bag of fresh peanuts at the Peanut Depot. From there, you're about four hours from Knoxville up I-59.