DALLAS - NASHVILLE - CHICAGO...Route input....?

[blueshoat]

I'm picking up a bike (R1100RS) in Dallas and I'll ride to Nashville TN then on to Chicago. I'll have 3 or 4 days for the trip, and I'm looking for suggestions on the route. I love hills and rollers, but the going is slow, so they need to be relatively brief.

 

Any suggestions?

[Kathy R]

The Land Between the Lakes is a 170,000-acre national recreation area in Western Kentucky and Tennessee located near I-24, about 90 miles north of Nashville, TN, and just south of Paducah, KY.

 

I rode this on my way from Chicago to Nashville and back again. As always, it might be loaded with animals wandering across the road.

 

 

 

[Yeeha! Stephen]

I did this trip a couple of Fall's ago.

 

I hit I-30 to Texarkana.

US 82 Texarkana to Starkville MS

US 45 to Tupelo

Caught the Natchez Trace to Nashville

East on I 40 to Cookeville

North on 111 to US 127

Ran US 127 a long way up to the Cinci area

and then just slabbed it in on I-74 and I-65.

 

The top half of the Trace was fun, as was parts of Kentucky. Then rest was riding the US highways to stay off the Interstates.

 

Have fun!

[TN_R_Girl]

I did this trip a couple of Fall's ago.

 

I hit I-30 to Texarkana.

US 82 Texarkana to Starkville MS

US 45 to Tupelo

Caught the Natchez Trace to Nashville

East on I 40 to Cookeville

North on 111 to US 127

Ran US 127 a long way up to the Cinci area

and then just slabbed it in on I-74 and I-65.

 

The top half of the Trace was fun, as was parts of Kentucky. Then rest was riding the US highways to stay off the Interstates.

 

Have fun!

 

Only caveat about the Trace is that it's SLOW (mostly 45 mph). And, though there are only 2 officers patrolling the Nashville region, they are known to have an almost zero tolerance policy for speeding which means a VERY expensive federal ticket if you're caught.

[RGMIII]

Ditto to what Shannon said.

[Eric the Blue]

Two years ago I rode the Trace from Natchez well into Tennessee. If you're in a hurry, avoid it. Personally, I found it a beautiful way to traverse Mississippi, but I wasn't in a hurry. Also, there aren't many gas stations along the way. At the time I was riding a Kawasaki Vulcan with a 4 gal fuel tank so I got a bit nervous a couple times. I doubt it would be much of an issue with the RT's 7 gal tank.