From Orange County to Nashville: A 14-Day Road Trip Adventure
Are you 18 years old, freshly graduated from high school, and in the mood for a crazy adventure with your two best friends and your brother? Or perhaps you’re simply intrigued by the idea of a road trip from Orange County, CA to Nashville, Tennessee? Well, you’ve landed in the perfect place!
Hello fellow adventurers, it’s Lauren again, and I’m excited to take you on a step-by-step journey through the 14-day Southern road trip I took in 2021! If you’ve ever dreamed of comparing the painful emptiness of New Mexico to the bustling city sounds of Memphis, this is your chance. So, fasten your seatbelts because we’re about to drive thousands of miles on this epic adventure.
Day 1: The Sweltering Start (Orange County, CA to Flagstaff, AZ)
Our journey began with a hot summer day and high spirits. My precious puppy, Oliver Henry De Moor the First, watched us sadly from the driver’s seat as we packed the car. I think he wanted to come.
We drove 8 long hours total through the boring desert, so excited for our trip that we didn’t mind the miles of nothingness and the sweltering heat.
We stopped at Pirate’s Cove Resort and Restaurant in Needles, CA for lunch. The food was extremely mediocre and it was a relentless 118 degrees outside, but at least we had a stunning waterfront view of the marina!
After a few more hours of driving, we stopped in Flagstaff, AZ to check out the town. It was surprisingly empty, probably because all of the college kids were home for the summer, but there was still something charming about the place.
In iconic Winslow, Arizona, we paid homage to “Standing on the Corner,” which had far fewer tourists than expected.
Finally, we arrived at our cutely decorated Route 66-themed Airbnb. I prepared a quick spaghetti dinner for the squad, which we followed up with a quick card game before hitting the hay. Unfortunately, my brother barely slept due to the constant sound of train horns, but I was so exhausted that I didn’t even notice! Successful day 1 in my books!
Day 2: Petrified Wonders and a Fateful Encounter (Flagstaff, AZ to Albuquerque, NM)
To be honest, I think the real reason that I didn’t hear any trains that night was because I took some melatonin before bed…but that doesn’t mean I got away unscathed. I tragically woke up at 5:30am for no apparent reason and proceeded to shamelessly host a solo photoshoot in the sunroom with my coffee.
I woke up my fellow travelers with pancakes and bacon (it was a true All-American road trip, okay?) and before we knew it, we were back on the road.
Our destination was the Petrified Forest, which surprisingly had a $20 entry fee. I guess that’s the price of a national park, but man $20 is expensive for a teenager. We gandered at massive petrified logs along the 0.3-mile-long Giant Logs Trail, then admired the blue-tinged canyon views on the Blue Mesa trail.
Exiting the Petrified Forest, we crossed into New Mexico, where the roads were littered with construction and subsequent traffic.
That’s when tragedy struck. A giant semi-truck swerved in front of us, forcing us to slam on our breaks. Why? Just a few feet in front of him, a massive accident had just occurred. We helplessly watched the fatal accident play out for the next 45 minutes until a cop finally gave us clearance to make a U-turn across the grassy freeway median. The change in direction added a 30-minute detour to an already extra-long journey, but we were feeling lucky just to be alive. It was all pretty unfortunate, but I guess that sort of thing happens when you decide to drive across the country…
Arriving at our Albuquerque Airbnb around 8 P.M., we stepped into a less-than-clean environment. Dinner, however, was an absolute triumph. Tacos with tortillas, refried vegetarian beans, Mexican rice, chicken, and fajita veggies. My mouth is watering as I type this. I’m a sucker for Mexican food.
Satisfied and tired, we called it a day, but little did we know more adventures awaited.
Day 3: Bumper Woes and Texas Steak Dreams (Albuquerque, NM to Oklahoma City, OK)
Soon we were on the road again, thinking that we escaped our bad luck and misfortunes. But we were unfortunately very wrong.
As we drove along a one-lane highway, a semi-truck swerved into a massive construction barrel, splitting it in half (those darn semis!!). Somehow the rubber disc that holds up the barrel managed to roll straight into our car’s bumper, partially knocking it off.
When we got to the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, we pushed it back into place as much as we could then tried to forget about it in the frigid waters of the water hole. According to the Google search I just did, the water is constantly 62º. I could have sworn it felt colder, but I guess you’ll just have to see for yourself!
By afternoon, we had made it to Texas. If I could describe Texas in one word, I would say “flat.” As a California native, I had never been to a place that didn’t have some form of a hill somewhere in the background. Until I got to Texas that is. We stopped at Cadillac Ranch, a sort of artistic, touristy, and Instagram-trendy area that was perfect for a photoshoot. So naturally, we spent the next 30 minutes having one…
From the road, we couldn’t help but notice the giant “Free 72oz. Steak!” luring us to The Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo. My brother decided to skip out on the steak challenge, going for a kid-sized steak instead (hey, we were saving money!). If you ever find yourself in Texas, I honestly recommend checking this place out just to see the insane, indescribable-without-using-some-bad-words interior decor.
Oklahoma City awaited our arrival, meeting us for an incredible meal at Ted’s Café Escondido. For whatever reason, we thought this restaurant served the most delectable Mexican feast we had ever laid our taste buds on. Someone told us they had really good queso, and let me just say, it lived up to its reputation.
During our post-dinner exploration of downtown Oklahoma City, we discovered the vibrant Bricktown district and all of its bright city lights and bustling nightlife joys before calling it a night.
Day 4: Unexpected Arkansas Adventures (Oklahoma City, OK to Little Rock, AR)
Our journey led us to Arkansas–a state I had unjustly underestimated originally. The drive was boring and uneventful at first as we passed farms and trees of limited variety.
Alas, we made it to Little Rock, Arkansas. Mind you, this was a hot summer day in the middle of July. It was probably 90 degrees, maybe even 100 degrees outside when we arrived. To my initial dismay, we decided to take a self-guided tour of the downtown River Market District.
We walked across the Junction Bridge and Riverwalk, which offered stunning views of the Mississippi River. If you define “stunning” as “muddy brown waters,” that is.
However, it was the Old Mill in North Little Rock that truly changed my opinion of Arkansas. With its fairytale-like setting, lakeside houses, and charming bridge, I was smitten.
For dinner, we followed a local’s recommendation to David’s Burgers. The burger joint, known for bottomless fries and free ice cream, was a blissful experience.
While dining, we found ourselves surrounded by enthusiastic workers, eager to hear about our road trip adventures. Was this the Southern experience of charm and friendliness I had heard rumors of for years? I have never met such nice people. After dinner, we explored downtown Little Rock and the nearby neighborhoods of huge mansions as a highlight to end the night.
Day 5: Pyramid Views and Mississippi Pit Stop (Little Rock, AR to Nashville, TN)
Today marked our journey to Tennessee, the farthest state from our California home. But before we hit Nashville, we made a pit stop in Memphis, home to an iconic monument: The Bass Pro Shops Pyramid.
Inside this colossal store, we explored hats, clothes, and souvenirs. But what really captured our attention was the highest free-standing elevator in the country. Riding it offered breathtaking views of Memphis, even if my best friend Abby and I accidentally gave the city a glimpse up our skirts in the high winds!
Our adventure continued as we realized we were a mere 10 minutes away from Mississippi. Curiosity led us to Southaven, where we discovered a gas station filled with the unmistakable scent of weed. Intriguingly, they offered boiled peanuts, a local delicacy we couldn’t resist.
I didn’t try them, but according to my brother and Abby, they were the worst thing they had ever tasted. Afterward, it took us five hours to reach our ultimate destination, Nashville.
In the heart of the city, we explored Centennial Park and admired the Parthenon replica. The lively Music Row showered us with neon lights and live music performances at every corner. It was a dream come true. Can you tell AI wrote those last three sentences?
For dinner, The George Jones Restaurant served up delicious pulled pork sandwiches and pricey neon blue drinks.
We made it back to our hotel early, concluding another day of our adventurous road trip.
Day 6: Nashville to Knoxville Melodies
Day 6 started with a whirlwind as we rushed to drop my brother off at the airport where our friend Connor was waiting. Sleep-deprived, we headed to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast, a favorite of Taylor Swift, and indulged in an incredible meal of pancakes, coffee, and their signature cinnamon sugar syrup. Okay, maybe it wasn’t their signature syrup. But they served it. And it was delicious!
Next, we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame, recording our own versions of Taylor Swift songs on a model tour bus. I thought the museum itself was worth the money, and a good stop for visitors coming into town.
Soon we were on our way to Knoxville, Tennessee, which was surprisingly deserted for a college town. It was summertime I suppose. We walked around the local university in the blazing heat and went to Walmart for frozen pizzas and ice cream for dinner.
Day 7: Sneedville Surprises and Virginia Vibes
Today was all about embracing the unexpected. The morning started as usual. We ate a big breakfast of waffles and bacon and set out on our next adventure: Cherokee Lake in Bean Station, Tennessee. A random choice, I know, but we saw it on the drive and it looked pretty so we decided to stop. For $25, we rented out kayaks and life vests and pushed out into the water. It started to rain, but we were having so much fun that we didn’t care.
Eventually, the rain became too much and we decided to leave, only to discover that one of us (I will not say who) started to feel really, really itchy. It turned out to be swimmer’s itch. No comment. Except maybe skip out on Cherokee Lake.
Anyways…soon, we were off to Sneedville, Tennessee! Why on Earth would we go to Sneedville, Tennessee, you ask? Well, it just so happened to be that I was absolutely, irrevocably obsessed with Morgan Wallen at the time and Sneedville was his hometown. Before I go on, let me just say that I do not suggest that anybody goes to Sneedville, Tennessee. But back to the story.
The drive to Sneedville was windy and beautiful, lined with tall trees and lots of greenery. When we arrived, the town was much smaller than I could have ever imagined. As a girl who grew up in Orange County, California, the smallest town I knew was still full of thousands of people and businesses. Two streetlights, a city hall, and a lone diner, Michael’s Family Diner, were the only notable features of Sneedville. Other than the absurd amount of Confederate flags people hung on their front doors. But we’ll get to that in a moment.
Walking into the diner felt like a movie scene. For one thing, we walked in wearing cowboy boots (Pro tip: Do not wear cowboy boots to small Southern towns to make a fashion statement). No exaggeration, every single person in the restaurant turned around to look at us. I swear the place went silent for a moment. Despite the initial awkwardness and an unfriendly waiter, we ordered food. The meal was mediocre, but the worst part was the uncomfortable stares from some of the other diners at nearby tables. It was rather…unsettling.
After we ate, we decided to drive another ten minutes to a random backroad in Virginia for a photoshoot. Just to say we did it and check another state off our list. At least the pictures were cute!
Day 8: Hiking, Tortellini, and a Breathtaking Sunset (Nashville, TN to Paducah, KY)
Our day started with a (slightly rainy) scenic hike at Bee Rock Overlook, which I swear looked just like Hawaii.
Afterward, it was back to Nashville for an Italian lunch and a scoop of sugar-cookie-flavored-no-bake cookie dough. Sorry, I had to mention it because it was delicious, but I unfortunately forgot where it was from now that I’m writing this blog post. We then headed to Paducah, Kentucky, for some fishing by Lake Barkley. None of us had ever fished before, so naturally we did not catch a single fish. But we did have a nice photoshoot! And the sunset was incredible.
Late at night, we couldn’t resist some finger-licking KFC (It was Kentucky, after all), and called it a night.
Day 9: Breakfast Delights and a Watermelon Extravaganza (Paducah, KY to Columbia, MO)
Breakfast led us to the Gold Rush Café, where our super kind waitress recommended we check out the Paducah Riverwalk. I tried Scotch Eggs for the first time (pictured below) and let me tell you that I can’t recommend them enough. We explored downtown Paducah and subsequently got bored, so we got back in the car and drove to Missouri. We also stopped in Illinois on the way to get my grandpa a random souvenir (he was born there).
Alas, we made it to our Airbnb: a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere town. Our hosts, Brenda and Doug, showed us around their property, which included a giant treehouse and a lot of farm animals.
For dinner, we went to Harpo’s in Columbia, Missouri. This is a bar, so if you have children I don’t recommend going. However, if everyone in your family is of age, the Watermelon Wednesday specials made our night as we indulged in their watermelon keg and sour melon shots with our grilled cheese dinners.
To end the night, we took a self-guided, tipsy tour of Mizzou’s campus and drove back to our campsite.
Day 10: A Sunny Farm Morning and Heartbeat Art (Columbia, MO to Hays, KS)
The sun woke us up bright and early on the Missouri farm (not that we slept very well anyway due to the heat). When we unzipped our tent, we found a horse standing right outside. Literally right outside the door. It was a little scary for a moment. We quickly got ready and then greeted the other friendly horses on the property.
Doug and Brenda were kind enough to show us their chicken coop, where we released excited chickens and tried our hand at collecting eggs. Johnny, one of the farmhands, let us watch as he fed the horses. He informed us that horses have a hierarchical eating order and that the horses that don’t obey the order could be shunned. Did you know that?
Leaving Missouri, we entered a stormy, rainy Kansas. To pass the time, we went to a random museum and found an exhibit that synced your heartbeat with hanging lightbulbs. It was pretty cool.
The only other event that day was visiting Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, which I just discovered is rated 4.8 stars on Yelp. I honestly agree. Next time you’re in Kansas City, go grab a sandwich there!
Day 11: Boulder Bound (Hays, KS to Boulder, CO)
Our journey led us to Boulder, CO–a city Abby would have lived in if she had decided to go to college there. After a trip to Pearl Street and the Boulder campus, she started to reconsider her decisions…And honestly, so did I. We kind of fell in love with the place.
After some shopping and a quick photoshoot at Chautauqua Trail, we headed to Cosmo’s Pizza for dinner. We shared breadsticks and each got massive pizza slices, all of which were incredible.
That’s all we did that day, to be honest. Sounds kind of boring in words, but it was pretty fun!
Day 12: Vail to Moab (Boulder, CO to Moab, UT)
Day 12 started with breakfast at The Buff Restaurant, a very busy and vibrant local joint that someone recommended to us. Another fantastic food option if you find yourself in Boulder.
A couple of hours through some winding roads and pretty mountains later we were in Vail, Colorado. The place was oozing with ski vibes that made us wish we had come in winter, but it was a sight to see nonetheless.
At this point in our trip, we were desperate to save as much money as we could, so finding an affordable lunch was a bit of a challenge for us. Ultimately, we could not find a cheap option and ended up going to Pepi’s Restaurant and Bar, where I ordered the House Salad with mandarin oranges, nuts, and feta cheese. It was tasty but a bit overpriced for vegetables and cheese. I digress.
Back to the car we went, and soon we made it to Moab, Utah. On the way there, we nearly ran out of gas, barely making it to a pump on time. So make sure to get gas before you drive on the long stretch of freeway between Colorado and Utah in the middle of nowhere.
We spent the night in an RV park that we rented on Airbnb, which after a few hours of listening to True Crime podcasts, had us pretty freaked out…
Day 13: Roaming the Riches of St. George, Utah (Moab, UT to St. George, UT)
We woke up freezing the next day and got out of there as quickly as possible. We hit the road again, heading to St. George, Utah. The drive was uneventful and draining, as it tends to be in states like Utah.
We arrived at Snow Canyon National Park that afternoon and decided to take a (very) short hike because it was 96º outside. It was well worth the small trek for the gorgeous rock formations and red canyons.
Our Airbnb was in a guesthouse in a posh neighborhood in St. George, but it had so many amenities that you would never be able to tell. We went on a walk around the neighborhood looking up houses on Zillow, finding that some homes had 8 bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms and that most were priced under a million dollars. Pretty shocking for a group of Californians.
Then we celebrated National Ice Cream Day at Handel’s, a local ice cream parlor, before hitting the hay.
Day 14: Homeward Bound (St. George, UT to Orange County, CA)
After two weeks of adventures, we were more than ready to head home. We set our alarms for 7 am and began the day at the one and only Cracker Barrel. Connor had never been, and I was happy to be the first to introduce him to my all-time favorite breakfast joint. We also stopped at Swig Soda for a 9 am Dr. Pepper. Because why not?!
Traffic made our trip miserable, but several hours later, we made it home. My mom cried when she saw us.
And there you have it, folks! A detailed account of our 14-day Southern road trip from Orange County to Nashville to the Rockies and back. As you have seen, each day was filled with adventure, delicious food, and unique experiences.
I hope this comprehensive itinerary inspires you to embark on your own epic road trip adventure. Until next time, happy travels, and may your journeys be as unforgettable as ours!
