National Parks in the Carolinas and Tennessee: Fast Travel
6 National Park Units, 5 States, 2 Days + Travel – The Facts
Day 0 (Getting there)
- Jason and I both arranged to take off of work on our 5th wedding anniversary, a Friday. This meant that we had a 3-day weekend – SCORE!
- We loaded our bags (and cooler) into the car and hit the road Thursday evening after completing our work day. We had a 6+ hour trip ahead of us in order to catch some zzz’s and to wake up close to our first park. Of course, there was a road closure on the freeway and we had to detour which added an additional hour and a half to our drive time. We arrived at the hotel a little before 2am. After working all day and driving 7.5 hours (mostly during the nighttime), we were off to a tiring start.
Day 1 (Obed Wild and Scenic River, Manhattan Project National Historical Park – Oak Ridge, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site)
Obed Wild and Scenic River:
We grabbed breakfast at the hotel (love the Holiday Inn that we stayed at in Harriman, TN), and made it to the Obed Wild and Scenic River Visitor Center when it opened at 9am. Not realizing that the Visitor Center was some distance from the actual entry to the river (bummer, the site looked awesome, and I could have stayed there the entire day to go fishing), we opted to watch the video, get our stamps, and get moving to the Oak Ridge site of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Oak Ridge was the priority site that anchored our day, and we had the foresight to make reservations – good thing, because you cannot explore this highly secured site without an escort! We were already running behind schedule.
Oak Ridge – 1/3 of the areas in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park:
We had reserved a spot ahead of time on the Oak Ridge bus tour (via the American Museum of Science and Energy). The Oak Ridge Visitor Center was in the process of moving at the time of our visit. As a result, we had to pass the passport stamp location in order to make our tour time. This meant that in order to get our stamp cramp, we would have to backtrack to the Children’s Museum once the tour concluded. Luckily, the location was only about 10 minutes away.
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site:
The last park of the day was about to close when we arrived. We were so happy that we made it to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in time to get our Passports stamped. An AWESOME park ranger showed up the actual tailor shop that was owned by Andrew Johnson despite the hour. Much of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site was outdoors in the beautiful downtown area of Greenville, TN, and we got to take our time and see each of the areas of the park on a self-guided tour. (If we did get to go back, I’d love to take the Ranger guided tour though – this park was very nicely laid out).
Day 2 (Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, Carl Sandburg National Historic Site)
Kings Mountain National Military Park:
Bright and early (and still tired) we were up and out by 7am to start another tightly scheduled day. We set out for the nearly two-hour drive to Kings Mountain National Military Park, our farthest destination for the day from our Asheville hotel. Kings Mountain was a neat Revolutionary War battlefield that hearkened images of the movie The Patriot with the scenes of the Continental Army taking aim at the British under the cover of the trees. The Visitor Center was set up to guide you “through the forest”, and had a super-comfortable theater for viewing the park video. Note: this may or may not be where I succumbed to the call of sleep 😉.
Cowpens National Battlefield:
We kept it moving so that we could hit up Cowpens National Battlefield, another critical battle in the American Revolutionary War. This brief, yet significant battle highlighted the importance of the militia in the victories achieved in the War. We viewed the park video, watched an awesome musket firing demonstration (awesome to see and hear), and drove the loop around the battlefield.
Carl Sandburg National Historic Site:
The final park stop for the day was the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site which celebrated the life of the notable writer and biographer of Abraham Lincoln. This author’s home, Connemara, was sold to the National Park Service by the wife of Carl Sandburg after his death. It is a unique place filled with thousands of volumes of books (many of which were not on display during our trip due to ongoing restoration). This was the first park unit that I have visited that celebrated an individual person that was not a president. The hike to the home was beautiful (and somewhat steep – a consideration if inclines pose a problem). We attended a tour that was given by the Park Ranger which gave a nice overview of Mr. Sandburg and his life at Connemara. We also had the opportunity to visit the goats that were the decedents of the prize-winning goats that Mrs. Sandburg raised. Overall, this was a great park to end our taxing day on.
Day 3 (Returning home)
Day 3 was all about the journey home. We originally planned a 7th park unit that we deferred for a future trip as we were exhausted (yet exhilarated!). It was time to to pick up our dogs from the boarding facility.
The End. Let’s Reflect.
While tired by the end, we successfully traveled through 5 states, and got stamped in 6 National Park Units! So, what do you think? How much is too much? Did we push the envelope?
There were certainly some places where I would have loved to have spent more time, and will likely return to. If we had, however, spent more time at each place, the activity that we packed into 2 days would easily have required a week off of work instead of 1 vacation day.
If you find yourself loading up your road trip schedule with a lot of activity, here are a few recommendations.
Tips to Consider When Loading Up a Tight Schedule:
Plan ahead!
Normally, I like to plan ahead with some degree of flexibility. Life has a way of throwing off even the best conceived plans. It is a best practice to have some degree of cushion in any plan that you create. On these loaded trips; however, building in a cushion is sometimes not possible. Hiccups in your plan may mean that you miss a stop completely.
Take a travel buddy that is not reluctant/fearful/apathetic toward driving.
Jason and I are both motivated by the things that we see and learn at the sites that we visit. Driving while sleepy just isn’t safe. Don’t do it! Take a co-driver instead. Having a companion to share driving responsibilities means that you can safely make it from place to place without taking lengthy breaks.
Prioritize the items on your agenda.
Putting first things first, one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People applies to tight itineraries as well. Know what you are willing to cut if your schedule is delayed. Certain times put constraints in your timeline: tour times, Visitor Center open / close times, etc. and should guide your planning.
Pack light.
When you pack light, you won’t want to have your mind cluttered with remembering several nick-knacks and bags. You won’t be hanging around any single place for too long. Do yourself a favor and take only what you need.
Pack a cooler.
Packing a cooler can save you time in your already tight schedule. It can also provide you with the calories that you need to keep moving. You will appreciate this when you find yourself stuck in traffic or find yourself hungry and running behind schedule.
Read up on the places that you plan to visit in advance.
If you are like us, you want to develop a connection to a place. It is good to read about a place ahead of time to develop a level of appreciation. You will be moving quickly from place to place, and won’t have time to explore deeply on these trips.
In his article In Defense of Traveling Fast, R Scott Jones outlines several additional tips for taking advantage of opportunities to see as much as you can while on the road (I highly suggest that you check out this great read if you want some more!).
So, go forth and get out there! Fill your schedule as you see fit! Let us know where you find yourself in the how much is too much debate. We love to hear your stories and to learn from your experiences!
