Austin to NYC via Detroit
Leaving tomorrow and I still dont have a full plan ready to go and keep changing my mind on the route. To get here took the quickest way possible from NYC to Skyline Dr. Needed to make it to Austin in 4 days so we drove about half of that, skipped over to Blueridge parkway and got on and off a bunch of times on the way down as time allowed to keep up with my planned schedule. Stopped in Ashville and then headed back to Blueridge again and then crossed over Great Smokey Mountains National Park. From there took highway through Nashville and Memphis and Dallas to get to Austin. Probably did 10+ hours of driving per day. Scenic roads are easy, highways are what can make me go a little bonkers after awhile lol.
Currently considering a few routes back. Want as much nature as possible both because that was what we enjoyed the most and also trying to stay away from people as much as possible given Covid (though we both had it already). Also need to make a quick stop in Detroit but that will only take about an hour or two tops. After Detroit assume all highways home most likely so nature stuff all from Austin to Detroit.
The considerations:
A. Head east and pick up the Great River Road most likely around Baton Rouge (get there mostly by highway but Thrillest says US90 is Louisiana's most beautiful road so if there is certain areas worth getting off the highway for we can do that. From there just kind of do what we did on the way here and jump on and off as time allows doing as much as possible until about Davenport (or maybe jump off earlier and do Ohio River Scenic Byway?)
B. Take mostly highways except for trying to hit up a few National Forests and their scenic roads. Ouachita, Ozark and Mark Twain National Forests seem to be the ones most on the way. I've done Route 66 in the past and it is near and dear to my heart but want to bring the better half on a real tour of that later so would finish (as time allows) with either trying a small piece of Great River Road from approx Saint Louis up to Davenport or going for the Ohio River Scenic Byway.
C. Natchez Trace Parkway followed by Ohio River Scenic byway. This one I think is the bottom of the list though, I only picked Natchez to consider because it is a National Scenic Byway that seems to match the route we would need to get home, I dont know much about it and this review from Tripadvisor seems to be pretty discouraging: "This is not the Blue Ridge Parkway--no grand vistas or mountains to see here. In fact, if you grew up in the Southeast, you've driven hundreds of roads like this."
I understand whatever route we take we will not be able to see everything in the 4 days we will need to get back to NYC in, but would like to see beautiful landscapes for as much of the trip as possible. Like on the way down I consider this to be a quick preview for a later even more amazing adventure (we will definietly 100% be going to Skyline and/or Blueridge parkway again some day). All suggestions considered.
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