My All-American Family Expedition
With the Ford Expedition & txGarage
There was once a time in America when we’d pack our families into massive steel chariots with big V8 engines and make our way across the vastness of the United States. This had a great impact, as a family became exposed to new scenery, cultures, and foods along the way. Of course, now when planning a trip we budget airfare, hop on a plane and bypass the country and family time afforded by making the drive. Sure, it’s more convenient and much quicker to fly but I’d argue that there is so much more to see out there in this country than airport to airport and big city to big city.
Every year we try and plan a family vacation. When I was a kid we didn’t go on that many trips, but the few that we did have always stuck with me. I want the same experience for my kids; plus I like seeing the country and going to new places as well. For the past two years we’ve packed up the family in various vehicles (courtesy of txGarage) and made our way down to the coast of Texas. Last year we even made a stop in San Antonio for a day before heading to Port Aransas for three. You can find out more about that trip and the GMC Yukon Denali XL we drove here.
This year it was time to mix it up, so we started looking and discussing where to go. We love the beach, so naturally we thought about heading to Florida and checking out a beach there. We discussed turning west and heading to California. Could we make it all the way to New York? While all sounded great (and will probably be future trips), once the idea of driving to Washington D.C. got in our heads that was it. My wife and I both love history and love this country and who doesn’t want to see their nation’s capital? The kids loved the idea as well. They were excited to see the monuments (which they have only seen in textbooks at school or on TV).They were also excited about the Smithsonian, thanks to the movie Night at the Museum.
So that’s it; the destination selected, now to figure out a route and see what we can do about transportation. Of course this is the part where my family and I are extremely lucky. Running a successful automotive publication gives you some perks; as mentioned, last year we traveled through Texas in the new GMC Yukon Denali XL, the year before that a new Chevrolet Traverse. This year I first reached out to Ford because I really like the new Expedition and wanted to really put it to the ultimate test. Our friends at Ford loved the idea and very quickly scheduled us in a 2015 Expedition EL Platinum. Keep reading here to see how the trip went. If you’d like to learn more about the Expedition and how it held up, jump over to txGarage.com.
Leaving Texas
Driving through, or around, Texas can be a daunting task. Or vacation last year to the coast was an 8-hour drive; all while never leaving the state. In fact we were still more than 3-hours to the border at that point. Dallas is up toward the north-eastern part of the state but it still takes 2hr and 40min heading out I-30 to reach Texarkana at the border of Texas and Arkansas. The further east you get in Texas the more you see large trees surrounding the landscape along with beautiful rolling hills. If you’ve never been out to East Texas, I would recommend the drive. Cities like Texarkana, Mt. Pleasant, and many others are beautifully and growing.
Arkansas
Making our way through Texarkana I keep thinking how a border city like this functions so well? How do people pick which side of the line to work or live on? Are the property taxes in Arkansas low enough to outweigh having to pay state income tax? Do the people on one side of the line or the other have resentment for or look down on another? I’d love to spend more time in this city but today we make a quick stop for refreshments and jump back on I-30 heading toward the capital city of Arkansas; Little Rock. This happens to be the halfway point as you cross through the state. Making it from Texarkana to Memphis, one side of the state to the other, takes just over 4-hours. The vast majority of the trip while heading down I-30 consist of nothing but a view of trees on either side of you. If there were no signs lining the road telling you what exit has food or gas stations, you’d never know these things were right off the highway.
Coming into Little Rock we jump from I-30 to I-40 heading toward Memphis, TN. Going this route takes you around the edge of the city so you don’t get to see much of downtown Little Rock. It would definitely be nice to make a detour into the city one day to check out what they have to offer but today, we’re ready to get into Tennessee.
As we made our way through the state my wife asked what people come to Arkansas to see, or to do. I really didn’t have a great answer for her besides maybe fishing, camping, or all together outdoorsy types of things. I’m sure there are many great places in the state but I just haven’t heard too much from people that live or vacation here.
Tennessee
Entering Tennessee is great for a few things. One, you’re crossing the Mississippi River and able to see the massiveness of that river for the first time is amazing. Two, entering Tennessee on I-40 means you’re driving straight into Memphis. Much like Texarkana, Memphis is a border town as well with its total population stretching into two different states. On the Arkansas side is West Memphis and once you cross the river you’re officially in Memphis, TN.
Spanning the length of the river is a beautiful through arch bridge named the Hernando de Soto Bridge. As you cross over your eyes are drawn away from the raging water and toward an odd glass structure. Sitting on the shoreline is one of the top-ten tallest pyramids in the world. Known by many names in the city, it’s simply named the Memphis Pyramid. This structure was built in 1991 as an arena for sports and entertainment. It could hold 20,142-seats and is 321-feet (about 32 stories) tall and has a base with sides spanning 591-feet. The city stopped using the venue in 2004 but it has been reopened in 2015 as a Bass Pro Shops “megastore” which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range with an outdoor observation deck at its apex. It’s pretty impressive.
Memphis is a great historical city with great attractions like the Gibson factory, Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, and so much more. We considered making it one of our major stops during the trip but the second leg of the trip would have just been too long so we blasted past Memphis heading toward Nashville.
As we cruise upI-40 we’re cutting through the heart of Tennessee with just over 3-hours of straight driving to hit the capital city. Tennessee is a beautiful state with large trees and dense forest. The drive from Memphis to Nashville is always a nice one. Of course we couldn’t make the whole trip without any stops so we ended up at a rest area somewhere between the two big cities where we gave the kids some time to stretch and eat some pre-packed sandwiches.
It was almost 5pm as we finally rolled into Nashville and after a long drive we were ready to check into our hotel for the night and relax. I booked our stay at the Capitol Hotel in downtown (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-capitol-hotel-an-ascend-hotel-collection-member-nashville) so that we could walk the city a little and find some authentic food to eat. While the hotel was one of the most expensive we booked for this trip it ended up not being what I was expecting. We’ll leave any real gripes for a Yelp review but overall it got the job done giving us a place to rest and being walking distance to all the downtown action. We ended up going to a BBQ joint called Jake’s Bar-B-Que off Broadway St. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/jacks-bar-b-que-nashville). Although the place was small and packed, the food was great and it gave us a chance to test the difference between good ole Texas BBQ and that of authentic Tennessee BBQ.
After our meal we wandered down Broadway feeling a little out of place with a family. This is definitely the music and bar scene of Nashville but we were still able to find a nice gift shop and picked up a few things. It was humid, hot, and we were tired from the trip so it was time to head back to the hotel and relax. We were leaving out in the morning to get breakfast and do another long stint of driving so I was anxious to crash and get some sleep in.
The night came and went and there was my alarm sounding off once again. Vacations with alarms aren’t always ideal but we had a schedule to keep! Everyone up and ready, we head down to the breakfast room of the hotel and fill up. Then it’s back on the road at just after 7am. Nashville to D.C. is just over 10-hours non-stop. Adding in about an hour and a half for eating lunch/dinner and stopping for bathroom breaks I was banking on us arriving at our next hotel around 6:30pm.
Heading out of Nashville on the way to Knoxville is a 2-hour and 42-minute trip heading right into the Appalachian Mountains. This was a beautiful trip that I’d recommend to anyone wanting to see some of the most beautiful scenery in America. I was also excited to check out the city of Knoxville as I’ve heard from friends that it’s a great town. During this outing though we had no time so we blew past the city now making our way up I-81 toward Bristol. You might recognize the name as being the city to host the famous Bristol Motor Speedway, an intense short track where NASCAR drivers really have to prove their skills. This is yet another border city on the line of Tennessee and Virginia. This is a small town with a population of just 26,675 yet they somehow host over 160,000 fans twice a year. Driving through the city all I could think was how crazy traffic must be during those races.
Virginia
Passing through Bristol means we’re now officially in Virginia. We’re on I-81 and on a track to cut through basically the full length of the state totaling 5-hours and 45-minutes. There’s no making up ground in this state either as the first thing you’re greeted with, and then constantly reminded of, is a sign saying your speed is monitored by aircraft. To a Texan, this isn’t just foreign it’s downright un-American. Time to set the cruise control and snake up the mountain ranges cutting Virginia off from West Virginia.
Other than heavily forested mountains and some generally beautiful landscapes, there wasn’t much to see as we moved through the state. One of the most memorable things, besides the aircraft enforced speed limits, was the way 18-wheelers drove. We’re heading up and down mountains on a two-lane highway with speeds fluctuating from 60–70mph. People were generally good about using the left-lane for passing only and despite the harsh sounding speed enforcement there were many patrons blowing past the lines of traffic cruising in the right lane. If you did happen upon a big truck struggling to make it up an incline or just going slow in general it was pretty easy to move over and make a quick pass. The crazy part comes when big trucks decide they need to move over. I’ve never seen 18-wheelers change lanes so quickly. Not only would they dart from lane to lane with such aggression, they usually didn’t care about cars already in the left lane. I saw, more times than I could count, a car moving up the left lane easily going over the speed limit, have to slam on their brakes because a big truck darted over with little to no warning. This would be worrisome enough on the big highways around Texas but to be doing the same as you’re constantly turning and changing elevation was just nerve wrecking.
We finally made it north and east enough, now heading down I-66, to get out of the mountains as we begin entering our first and last big city during our trip through Virginia. As I enter traffic in Arlington I begin to miss the nerve wrecking drive through the country. I’ve heard that people in and around D.C. drive crazy but I had no idea. Our hotel is actually in Silver Spring, Maryland just north of D.C. We jump off I-66 before getting into the heart of Arlington and head up and around D.C. on I-495.
Maryland
Heading up I-495 we cross the Potomac River and cross into Maryland. We only tracked through the southern portion of the state; which basically equates to the norther part of D.C. We’re still faced with some pretty crazy drivers but now heading down Georgia Ave toward our hotel. This time we’re staying at a Holiday Inn Express. We picked this hotel for a few reasons. First, they have free breakfast and we’ve found that’s a great deal saving us a lot of time and money during our family vacations. Second, it’s a pretty short walk to the Silver Spring Metro station; about 0.6-miles and 11-min walk according to Google maps. The third reason we chose this hotel was obviously for cost savings. A lot of people we talked to suggested staying as close to downtown D.C. as we could afford but with a large family and having already spent on other hotels for the trip, we wanted to get the most bang for our buck here. Overall our experience with the location and hotel were really good and I wouldn’t hesitate to book the exact same location if we decide to hit up D.C. another year.
Washington D.C.
After breakfast in the hotel we make our quick walk to the metro station and are ready to begin our first day’s journey into our nation’s capitol. We, like many tourists I’m sure, were completely lost heading into the metro station. One great thing I’ll say about the area was the people running the stations were incredibly nice and helpful. Even though we hit the station during rush hour we had a guy take his time to help us purchase passes and explained how to navigate the trains and stations. We were coming into the city on the Red Line with just 8 stops along the way. Once we reached the Metro Center we had a few choices to make. We could find the Blue Line train or jump up to the street and begin a long day of walking. We chose the street.
D.C. is a large and extremely busy city. Yes, they have a lot of tourism but most of what we saw during the morning rush hour were business men and women making their way to work. Everyone was in a hurry and everyone had a purpose for being out on the street. They had no time for tourists and if you were slow or in their way, they’d let you know about it.
Even with all of the craziness the city was great and everything looked like it was a monument of some kind. We headed down G Street and made our way toward the White House. We turned off of G Street onto 15th right in front of the U.S.Department of the Treasury. Standing proudly on the south side of the building is Alexander Hamilton who had many accomplishments including being the nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Directly on the other side of this massive building is the White House. As we turn the corner we get our first glimpse at the most public of private residence in the country. Unfortunately, we didn’t try and schedule anything ahead of time and the tour guides told us you need to make an appointment months in advance to take a tour of the White House; so we moved on.
We keep moving down 15th Street toward Constitution Ave. and begin to see how daunting the day would be. Coming into sight for the first time is the Washington Monument. Looking to the left and then back toward the right we begin to grasp the vastness of these sites and just how much walking we were in for. It all looks close and small on TV but when you’re there everything is huge and spread out. We turn down E St. making our way to the South Lawn of the White House. We snap our obligatory pics from the fence, take it in for a moment, and then move on. We also got a chance to check out the First Infantry Division WWI Memorial which is a beautiful golden statue resting on top of a large column.
We now turned down 17th St. heading back toward Constitution Ave. From this point we headed back east, cutting through the grass, toward the Washington Monument. We’ve seen this structure so many times from the news to movies and TV shows but it is such an impressive structure towering over everything in the city and surrounded by U.S. flags. People were already getting a break from the sun by laying out in the grass in the shadow of the great monument. This seemed like a great idea so we stopped to rest taking another moment to take it all in and check our map for what we should hit next.
Next up was the World War II Memorial just across the lawn from where we sat. This is a pretty impressive memorial with all the states and territories that contributed highlighted in large stone pillars. Of course, we got out picture next to the Texas one. There are many quotes etched into the stone of this memorial but one struck me more than any others. That quote read “Americans came to liberate, not to concur, to restore freedom and to end tyranny.”
As you pass through the WWII Memorial you come upon the Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool, which is the larges of many reflection pools around D.C. This is one of those iconic locations that many Americans know but being there, looking at the reflection of the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, is just something everyone should do. This is another great time to realize how massive these structures are and how spread out they really are, despite the way they appear on TV. The Lincoln Memorial is massive and after a long morning of walking the steps themselves were daunting. The journey up those steps though is well worth it as you enter the massive and open room with this huge depiction of Lincoln towering over. Words from two of the greatest speeches in American history are etched into walls on either side of the statue. This gives me pause once again as I think about politicians today and speeches of Presidents; could they fit on a single wall while being as powerful and long lasting as those words from Lincoln?
We head south of the Lincoln Memorial and walk through the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This is a very tasteful and well done memorial that I haven’t really seen any pictures or anything about before. I’ve always been a fan of the South Korean culture and the country itself and often think about the contrast of North vs. South.
Heading further south and east down Independence Ave. we come across the newly opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This was opened in Aug. of 2011 and is a striking memorial with MLK looking out over the Tidal Basin out toward the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
There was much more we wanted to see but at this point we were pretty exhausted. We walked away from the MLK Memorial back toward the National Mall looking for one of the Smithsonian buildings to enter and get some nice a/c. After a long walk we made it to the Freer Gallery of Art and spent some time walking through there. After this we were done for the day and decided to hit the trains and head back to the hotel.
The next day we tried to be a little smarter and headed out a little later to miss rush-hour into the city. After a long, hot day the day before we decided today would be a day of museums. We were once again in the National Mall walking the row of museums that make up the Smithsonian. We started in the southwest corner and made our way around in a “U” shape ending up at the northwestern corner. There are many great things to see but with the kids in tow one of the places we spent the most time was the Air and Space Museum. We also enjoyed the Museum of National History and the Museum of American History. We only got a few glimpses of the U.S. Capitol as we crossed back and forth across the lawn of the National Mall. We spent the entire day, from 10am to 7pm walking the various museums with a break for lunch behind the Air and Space Museum at the largest McDonalds / Boston Market you’ll ever see. This food court was pretty impressive.
We headed back to the hotel once again and after another long day of walking we were in no mood to try and find something nice for dinner so we broke one of my rules of traveling. I usually insist on not eating fast food or food we could get back at home while on vacation. Today though, we stopped at the Papa John’s Pizza on the way back to the hotel. Pizza party, relax, and get some rest for another long drive tomorrow.
Heading out we decided to drive through the heart of Washington D.C. rather than going up and around it like when we came in. My two motivating factors behind this were; one, to see more of the city that we didn’t get to see from the metro train and two I was going to surprise my wife with another stop along the way. We never got the chance to see the Jefferson Memorial up close, it was just too far of a walk, so we’re going to stop off for one last D.C. sight.
Driving through the heart of the city was just as maddening as I expected. People drive way too much in a rush and way too crazy. The areas I was able to pay attention to while driving were mostly nice. There are a lot of beautiful areas in and around here for sure. Lots of old historic buildings and a constant flow of new construction or buildings getting a facelift. Space is limited around here so parking lots are small, underground, or non-existent. Even outside of seeing the immense memorials, monuments, and government buildings you get the sense that you’re in a historic and important area of the country.
Our final stop at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was well worth it. I loved all of the memorials and monuments we got the chance to see the first day but this one is definitely a must see as well. I would probably rank the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as my top favorite. Again, amazed at the size and details put into the structure; it takes a minute to take it all in. Sitting on the steps looking back out over the Tidal Basin you could see everything from MKL Jr. to the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol. It was an amazing spot to take it all in that morning as we left the city.
Virginia
Passing back through Virginia I’m quickly reminded that I’m constantly be watched from above. We made a stop at a gas station, to top off the tank and get a few more snacks for the road, and what we found inside was amazing. Salvadoran Pupusas, cheese bread, and sweet bread all out for sale like everyday items. We talked to the people running the place and they told us that there is a big population of people in and around D.C. so seeing food from El Salvador isn’t that rare. Despite thinking this was awesome we weren’t about to dive into gas station pupusas with a 10-hour drive ahead of us.
Tennessee
Rolling back into Tennessee was just a pretty as exciting. We had a new agenda this time though as we were headed for Chattanooga. We passed through Knoxville again but this time instead of heading west on I-40 we’re continuing south-west on I-75. We stopped in downtown Knoxville for some dinner at a great little hamburger place. The vibe downtown was great and there was a lot going on for a Thursday evening.
Finally pulling into Chattanooga it’s getting dark and we’re heading straight for downtown where our hotel is. The city looks nice lit up at night and navigating downtown was pretty simple as we quickly pulled into the hotel parking lot. We’re staying in another Holiday Inn Express and this is by far the nicest hotel of our trip and one of the cheapest.
We got up early the next morning ate some breakfast, got all packed back up, and headed to the Tennessee Aquarium. Yes, after two days of walking all day we decided to stop and walk some more. Plus back in 1996 when my family was visiting Atlanta, GA we made the trip up north to check out the Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN and as a youngster I loved it and still remember that experience. So when I had the opportunity to give my kids an experience that I had almost 20 years ago, I jumped on it. Also, the Tennessee Aquarium is consistently ranked among the best in the country; and for good reason.
It ended up as good as I had hoped for and the family had a great time checking out all the amazing sea creatures throughout the two massive buildings that make up the aquarium. We were tired though and anxious to get on the road and get back home. We ended up making it through the whole experience in just over 2-hours time; making it just about noon as we hit the road once again.
Heading out of Chattanooga you have two options. One, head back north toward Nashville and take the same rout getting home as the way we came. Two, head south and cross through four new states. Google Maps shows the southern route is quicker but only by about 10-minutes. We decided to hit the southern route simply to be able to experience a few more new sights along the way.
Georgia
Maybe Georgia shouldn’t count as a state we passed through, as we literally just cut the northwestern most corner and didn’t see a city at all. Nonetheless, we did pass through and there are a few things about driving in Georgia that I was immediately reminded of. In Georgia you don’t just have a speed limit, you also have a minimum speed limit. If you get your car, or tractor, on the road and can’t do at least 40-mph then you have no business on the road at all. They also have a law about driving in the rain. If it’s raining, you must have your headlights on. My dad used to say, “if your windshield wipers are on, you should have your headlights on,” and I always thought that was a good rule of thumb. I even do it here in Texas even though it’s not a law.
Alabama
Driving through Alabama allowed not just my family to check off a new state but for me to as well. I’ve had it completely surrounded before but, before this, have never driven into the state. We’re on I-59 cutting southwest through the state heading straight for Birmingham. Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama with over 212,000 people and over 1.1-million living in the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area. Alabama is the home to Hyundai’s American manufacturing plant, located around Montgomery. According to Wikipedia, Alabama gets an estimated 20-million tourist a year from all over the world. This seems odd as I have no idea what they would be going to see but good for you Alabama. Is it obvious I’m trying to not talk about race or history here? Oh well. All in all, Alabama seems like a beautiful place but for us, on this trip, it was just another state we blew through.
Mississippi
After passing through Birmingham, Alabama we jumped onto I-20, a familiar interstate, and were soon in Mississippi. This highway cuts right through the center of the state and much like we did in Alabama we’ll be passing through the state’s most populous city with about 170,000 people. This was not just the largest city but also the state capital of Jackson. Yes, less than 200k people in the biggest city and just around 3 million people in the entire state which oddly still ranks it at 31st in the most populous of states. Needless to say at this point there’s a lot of land and not much to see otherwise. That’s okay because we’re on a mission today and besides a few bathroom breaks along the way, we’re just passing through.
Louisiana
For the second time this week we pass over the Mississippi; this time though passing into Louisiana from Mississippi. Louisiana is another state that I haven’t been to and don’t have a strong opinion on. It’s a state that neighbors Texas and one where a lot of Texan’s go to party and gamble. As a matter of fact, Shreveport as it rests along the border on I-20. That’s still a long ways away as we’re just entering the state in the exact opposite side. From one end to the other it’s just about 2.5-hours till we’re back in Texas. As we enter the state the sun is beginning to set. One of the first things we see is a large sign along the highway that says watch out for bears. I’ve seen deer crossing signs and duck crossing signs before but I’ve never seen a bear crossing sign. That sure made us a little more cautious and nervous but we plowed ahead.
It became dark pretty quickly and we didn’t get to see much of the landscape of Louisiana. Most of our trip was dark, flat, and straight on though. Monroe was the first big city we hit which sits almost right in the middle of our trip. The next big city we’ll see is Shreveport. Shreveport was a bright light in an otherwise pretty dark state. The highway became much more crowded and we began seeing all the massive hotels and casinos that the city is know for.
Back in Texas
After passing through Shreveport we became anxious knowing that the Texas state line would appear at any moment. Once we laid eyes on that Welcome to Texas sign we knew it was just a matter of time. It’s still over 2-hours to make it home and it’s already 10:30 at night. We had 144-miles to drive and about 180-miles of fuel left in the tank. We could make a straight run for the house and hope our fuel numbers are accurate, or make one more pitstop. We chose to chance it and keep the peddle to the metal.
Once you enter into Texas after traveling through other states you already feel the freedom and how wide open the state is. You finally can go from 60, 65, or 70 mph speed limits to a more reasonable 75-mph. The highway lanes seem wider and the surface smoother as we track closer and closer.
We blow through lots of great East Texas cities like Marshal, Longview, Tyler, and Canton. Many of these we’ve been to many times and while passing through each we knew we were getting closer to the house. Finally we make it into Terrel, see the new Buc-ee’s, then Forney and we’re home. Our trip totaled 2,729-miles and 6-days. We passed through 9 states plus the District of Columbia. The entire family was exhausted after the trip but we’re all in agreement, it was a great time.
Wow, you made it through the whole trip; great job and thanks! Be sure to check out the review of the Expedition on txGarage.com
If you’re on Facebook and want to see more photos from the trip, feel free to visit my album here.
