Road Trips

Family Adventures Beyond Nashville

Nashville is a great starting point for a road trip! Someone once told me that you could reach two-thirds of the population of the U.S. by driving 12 hours or less! Visit the beautiful beaches of the Gulf shore in 6 to 8 hours, see Mickey Mouse and his friends at Disney World in about 12 hours, or explore Washington D.C. in less than 10 hours. Plus, there are LOTS of interesting sites to see that are even closer. Here are some of the places we have explored on road trips with our families. Hopefully, our adventures will inspire you to jump in the car and take a family road trip too!

Looking for fun places that are closer to Nashville? Check out some of the Day Trips we have taken!

North

Holiday World – 162 miles
Santa Claus Museum – 162 miles
Santa’s Candy Castle – 162 miles

West

Discovery Park of America – 181 miles
Metropolis, IL – 148 miles
Pink Palace Museum – 205 miles
National Civil Rights Museum – 213 miles
Beale Street – Memphis – 212 miles
Bass Pro Pyramid – Memphis – 213 miles
Budweiser Brewery Tour – 309 miles
Gateway Arch – 308 miles
St. Louis Science Center – 312 miles

East

The Tomb – 214 miles
Sugarlands Distillery – 222 miles
WonderWorks – 211 miles
Margaritaville Island Hotel – 212 miles
Dixie Stampede – 215 miles
MagiQuest – 211 miles
Roaring Fork Driving Tour – 225 miles
The Biltmore – 294 miles
North Charleston, SC Fire Museum – 543 miles

South

Gulf Coast Duck Tours – 450 miles
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park – 444 miles

Orlando

How to Plan Your First Trip to Disney World – 688 miles (10 hours)

Holiday World – The World’s First Theme Park in Santa Claus, Indiana

by Lauren Breeze | Jun 10, 2019 | Road Trips, Travel

Did you know the world's first theme park is located less than 3 hours from Nashville? Directly north, in Santa Claus, Indiana, Holiday World and Splashin' Safari is a great place for a weekend away. The theme park first opened its doors on August 3, 1946, 9...

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

by Rachel Kline | May 31, 2019 | Road Trips, Travel

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is located in Ft Walton Beach, Florida. If you've spent many family vacations at the beach, then you know that about halfway through the trip, you really want a 'dry' day. A day that involves wearing real clothes and (temporarily)...

DAYTONA International Speedway Tours in Daytona, Florida

by Crystal Bowron | May 1, 2019 | Road Trips, Travel

While visiting Daytona Beach earlier this year, we knew there was one stop in the city that boasts the "World's Most Famous Beach" that we had to go check out...The DAYTONA International Speedway! Daytona and Racing What's the connection to car racing and the famous...

The Island in Pigeon Forge – Fun, Food and Shopping in the Smokies

by Lauren Breeze | Mar 18, 2019 | Road Trips, Travel

The Island, located right on the main strip in Pigeon Forge, is a great destination for the whole family. Explore the shops and eat lunch for an afternoon of fun or spend the weekend at the Margaritaville hotel. There is enough to do for two full days without leaving....

Explore History at the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, TN

by Lauren Breeze | Feb 25, 2019 | Road Trips, Travel

The Pink Palace was built in the 1920s by Clarence Saunders, the founder of Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. He intended to make it his home, but due to some financial troubles, the city of Memphis became the owner of the property. In March of 1930, the city opened the...