Cross country road trip

[Profreedomokie]

Biltmore. If the greenhouses are blooming, your wife will love it.

I was going to suggest the Biltmore also. We been there twice, it is amazing.

 

[okietool]

I’m not sure how far out it would be but I’d vote for Mermac and maybe Iron mountain before it’s destroyed.

 

[OkieJoe72]

MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC begins April 28th. It’s an impressive old time music festival that’s named for Merle Watson. He was the son of Doc Watson, and both of them were incredible musicians. I’d also suggest seeing Asheville, NC. There’s always some pretty good street performers playing at various locations around town.

 

[HFS]

There are good suggestions in this thread.
I hate to be the Debbie Downer but I stopped at Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Tennessee some years ago.
If you've seen their catalog, you've seen their store, IMO. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

 

[KroyWen]

So I’m loading up a rented travel trailer, throwing the old lady and the dogs in the truck, and hitting the old dusty trail across our beautiful nation with our sights set on North Carolina. Have a wedding to attend for a weekend, two weeks total to adventure. We’re taking 40 across, gonna stop in Little Rock to see friends, Memphis for BBQ, Nashville for some music and meet Dolly Parton, Oak Ridge Tennessee to feed my inner Nerd, somewhere near Knoxville to see the great smoky mountains for a few days, and a few days on the beach letting the Golden Retriever see the BIG swimming pool and trying my luck at catching a shark.

any other cool places to see? Places to stop?

NC has beautiful ocean beaches. You gotta walk the beach barefoot,get your feet wet, and enjoy watching your dog play. Be safe

 

[AKmoose]

As mentioned the Biltmore, Deals gap/Dragon. Not sure about taking a trailer down the dragon though, rent a Mini or WRX somewhere? The Jack Danial's tour is pretty cool also.

 

[OKRuss]

So I’m loading up a rented travel trailer, throwing the old lady and the dogs in the truck, and hitting the old dusty trail across our beautiful nation with our sights set on North Carolina. Have a wedding to attend for a weekend, two weeks total to adventure. We’re taking 40 across, gonna stop in Little Rock to see friends, Memphis for BBQ, Nashville for some music and meet Dolly Parton, Oak Ridge Tennessee to feed my inner Nerd, somewhere near Knoxville to see the great smoky mountains for a few days, and a few days on the beach letting the Golden Retriever see the BIG swimming pool and trying my luck at catching a shark.

any other cool places to see? Places to stop?

Let me know if you want some recommendations for BBQ in Memphis. Also, pulling a travel trailer may not get you any parking close to a good BBQ joint particularly downtown Memphis where Rendevous is located.

If you're in Memphis long enough for 2 meals, besides BBQ, my #1 stop every time I go to Memphis for work is Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken. It's over by the airport in a kinda rough neighborhood but in my opinion better than Gus's or Hattie B's.

 

[HarryBear]

This reminded me of the movie national lampoon's.... Ha, thanks.
Is the RV a station wagon by chance with wood side panels?

 

[TerryMiller]

It would be somewhat out of your way, but if you went down by Chattanooga, there is Ruby Falls in Lookout Mountain. The tour of the caverns and seeing the waterfall would be a one-hour tour, but you probably couldn't take the dog on the tour. We went there back in November and took pictures. (See the links below.)

Ruby Falls at Lookout Mountain

Ruby Falls Video

 

[JEVapa]

So I’m loading up a rented travel trailer, throwing the old lady and the dogs in the truck, and hitting the old dusty trail across our beautiful nation with our sights set on North Carolina. Have a wedding to attend for a weekend, two weeks total to adventure. We’re taking 40 across, gonna stop in Little Rock to see friends, Memphis for BBQ, Nashville for some music and meet Dolly Parton, Oak Ridge Tennessee to feed my inner Nerd, somewhere near Knoxville to see the great smoky mountains for a few days, and a few days on the beach letting the Golden Retriever see the BIG swimming pool and trying my luck at catching a shark.

any other cool places to see? Places to stop?

On your way back, go south on 95, hit Pedros at the SC border, get a sombrero and some fireworks. Then come back via I20. Stop at the CMP and buy a gun (check their hrs/days). You can then stop at HDC Huntstore in Birmingham and ask for Nathan. He was a SOAR crew chief and good dude. He'll sell you another gun.
Stop in Jackson...just because Johnny and June Carter sang about it. Stop in West Monroe and get a pic at Duck Commander and get a duck call. Stop in Shreveport and eat something...good chow everywhere. Drive West and detour S on 281 to Stephenville, and go to Hard Eight BBQ. (there is really nothing to stop for between Shreveport and Stephenville.) Then head back up 281 to home.

That's kind of the meandering route we go...but we also road trip all the time; we'll drive for days just doing stuff.

In NC, go see the battelship North Carolina, Go down to Kure beach and Fort Fisher and the NC Aquarium. As you are going through Asheville on 40, stop a day...it's the microbrew capitol of NC and much of the south.