The Father Road
OK, everyone knows that Route 66 carries the official designation The Mother Road. But what about The Father Road? I was thinking about the lack of one as I was driving down Interstate – 65/24/75 and noticed all the “See Rock City” bilboards painted on old barns.
Driving south nastalgia swelled in my heart. After all Rock City is practically synonimous with vacation, un-airconditioned car travel, and childhood memories.
And while the Mother Road travels from Chicago to LA, has a song, and stared in the movie CARS, The Father Road passes through the heartland of America and leads to the vacation destination of the world — Orlando, FL home of the Magic Kingdom, Amusment parks, animal parks, water slides, and palm trees underlit with blue and red lights. Yes, it’s tacky…but it’s oh so good.
That’s when I mentally designated 65/24/75 as THE FATHER ROAD (I picture it wearing burmuda shorts and dark socks with sandals).
To start the ball rolling, here is my short list of attractions to see along the road, but I was hoping you could help fill in some of the gaps. So here are my favorites, and I hope you’ll add yours.
Interstate-65
Chicago
INdianapolis
Wolrd’s largest children’s Museum
500 Speedway
Louisville, KY
Luisville Slugger Museum
Hodgensville,KY
Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln
Bowlinggreen, KY
Mammoth Cave National Park
Corvette Assembly Plant
Interstate 24
Nashville, TN
Opryland Hotel
Interetsate 75
Chattanoogo, TN
Chatanooga Choo-choo
Rock City
Ruby Falls
Lookout Mountain
Chicamonga Battlefield
Atlanta
Stone Mountain
Orlando
EVERYTHING!!!
Fellow Familyman George Savatsky along with his wife Michele and their children recently wrote a book Kids Love I-75. It helps you explore Hundreds of Family Attractions less than 10 miles off I-75 from Michigan to Florida.
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Atlanta – The Varsity!
We get on I75 in Ohio so for us it is 75/75/75 and sometimes I think that road has no end and other times it is way to short. Anyway, in Atlanta you also have the Varsity. It is the worlds largest hot dog stand and drive in that serves like 30,000 hot dogs a day. And what family does not have a use for hot dogs. Also, for us, the Creation Museum and the Newport Aquarium just south of Cincinatti are on the list.
Fair Oaks Farm on I65 is a must see. Everything from calving to making cheese.
Don’t forget about ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlit’s Museum of Drag Racing.
I’ve always been tempted to stop here when driving on I-75 through Ocala.
http://www.garlits.com/museum.htm
SE Georgia has its own mini grand canyon Providence State Park. It is on the Answers in Genesis website. About 8 miles east of the park is Westville a living history town from the 1800s. Check out the websites on both places. You can park your big RV at Florence Marina State Park, which is just down the road.
Alright…we live in the panhandle of Florida so the above mentioned trip is an easterly drive for us. HOWEVER, the canyon IS in the southWEST corner of GA not SE. Sorry for the mix up. The Canyon is gorgeous!!!
When I was 11 my dad took my sister and I on that basic trip. We added Churchhill Downs because my sister likes horses, but it is neat to see you talk about this “road”. We came back through New Orleans, Memphis, and St. Louis. Good trip, great memories.
Chattanooga has the Tennessee Aquarium and Atlanta has the Georgia Aquarium (ironically there is a seafood place across the street)
OOO Kentucky just north of bowlinggreen KY down under and Guntown Mnt.winner with all
[…] There are so many wonderful places to travel in the USA. But my favorite bang for your buck is THE FATHER ROAD. It runs from Chicago to Orlando and is dotted with nostalgic places all along the […]