Around Minnesota in 15 Days

*This trip is planned from the Twin Cities, MN*

Day 1:

7am - Leave Twin Cities, MN

9:15am-12:30pm - Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park -Minnesota Historical Society
-Scenic Tour 10am (1hr) $12 per person
-Historic Forestville Tour (1hr) $8 Adults/$6 Kids
Sun12-5, Thurs-Sat10-5

2pm-4pm - RAD Zoo
Sat9-6, Sun12-5, Mon-Fri10-5
$9.50 per person

4:30pm-Camp - Myre-Big Island State Park
Camp $37.50

Day 2:

8am - Leave Camp

8:45am-9am - Jolly Green Giant statue -1130 Giant Dr.

9:05am-10am - Jolly Green Giant Museum -113 S Nicollet St.

11:30am-1:30pm - Fort Ridgely State Park
-Visitor Center -historic site -interpretive exhibits

2:15pm-3:30pm - Jeffers Petroglyphs -Minnesota Historical Society
-Visitor Center/Exhibits -tour -1/4m nature trail
Mon10-5, Wed-Sat10-5, Sun 12-5
$8 Adults/$6 Kids

5pm-Camp - Split Rock Creek State Park
Camp $37.50

Day 3:

8am - Leave Camp

8:15am-10:15am - Pipestone National Monument
-VC/Exhibits/Film -Jr Program
-Circle Trail 3/4mile

11:45am-12pm - World's Oldest Rock -Yellow Medicine City Historical Museum

1:45pm-2pm - Big Ole -Alexandria

2pm-5pm - Runestone Museum
$8Adults/$5Kids

5:30pm-Camp - Lake Carlos State Park
Camp $39.50

Day 4:

8am - Leave Camp

8:30am-9:30am - Inspiration Peak -Urbank
1/2m RT

11am-12pm - Heritage Hjemkomst Center
-Viking ship
Mon-Sat9-5, Sun12-5

2:15pm-Camp - Old Mill State Park
Camp $39.50
-trails -historic site (logcabin/flourmill) -interpretive exhibit -beach

Day 5:

8am - Leave Camp

10:30am-Camp - Itasca State Park
Camp $39.50
-beginning of MS River
-towering pines -vc -historic sites -Mary Gibbs MS Headwater Center -trails -beach -boat tours

Day 6:

8am - Leave Camp

8:45am-9am - Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox -Bemidji

10:15am-1pm - Forest History Center -Minnesota Historical Society
10-5
$10Adults/$6Kids
-vc -logging camp -cabin fire tower

2pm-5pm - Minnesota Discovery Center -Ironworld
Tues-Sat10-5
$9Adults/$5Kids

Other Interests:
Bob Dylan's Teenage Home
Paper Mache Statue of Bob Dylan

5:30pm-Camp - McCarthy Beach State Park
$39.50

Day 7:

8am - Leave Camp

10am-3pm - Voyageurs National Park
10-10:30 - Rainy Lake VC
-Jr Program
10:30-11:30 - Oberholtzer Trail 1.7m
11:30-1 - North Canoe Voyage
2-2:30 - Ash River VC
2:30-3 - Kabetogama Lake Overlook

5pm-Camp - Bear Head Lake State Park
$39.50

Day 8:

8:30am - Leave Camp

9am-2pm - Soudan Underground Mine State Park
-mine tour $12 per person -rock formations -vc -Physics tour $12 per person

4pm-Camp - Temperance River State Park

Day 9:

8am - Leave Camp

9:15am-12pm - Grand Portage National Monument
-Heritage Center -Jr Program -Historic Depot -Mt. Rose Trail 1m

12:45pm-3pm - Grand Portage State Park
-vc -MN's highest waterfall 0.5m -exhibits -International Border marker

3:30pm-Camp - Judge CR Magney State Park
Camp $31.50
-waterfall -Devils Kettle

Day 10:

8am - Leave Camp

8:30am-10:30am - Cascade River State Park
-trails -falls -cascade

11:30am-2pm - Split Rock Lighthouse State Park -Minnesota Historical Society
-vc -exhibits -lighthouse 10-6

2:15pm-Camp - Gooseberry Falls State Park
Camp $31.50
-vc/exhibits -falls

Day 11:

8am - Leave Camp

9am-7pm - Duluth
9-11 - Hawks Ridge
11:30-1 - William A Irvin
$12Adults/$8Kids
1-2 - Enger Tower
2-5 - North Shore Scenic Railroad
$16 per person
5-7 - Canal Park
     -Grandma's Saloon -dinner
     -Aerial Lift
     -Lake Walk

Other Interests:
Statue of Viking Leif Erikson
Bob Dylan's Boyhood Home

7:30pm-Camp - Jay Cooke State Park
Camp $39.50
-swinging bridge -dam -cemetery -vc/exhibits

Day 12:

12pm - Leave Camp/Park

12:30pm-1:30pm - Lake Superior Maritime Center

Other Interests:
Great Hinckley Fire Museum and Mass Grave

3pm-5pm - Northwest Company Fur Post -Minnesota Historical Society
$10Adults/$6Kids
-vc -exhibits -furpost tour

6pm-Camp - Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Camp $39.50
-vc/exhibits -historic sites -trails -firetower

Day 13:

11am - Leave Camp/Park

11:15am-1pm - Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post -Minnesota Historical Society
-museum -trading post
$10Adults/$6Kids
10-5

1:30pm-6pm - Paul Bunyan Land -Brainerd
$19.95 per person

6:30pm-Camp - Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Camp $39.50

Day 14:

9am - Leave Camp

10am-12:30pm - Charles A Lindbergh Historic Site -Minnesota Historical Society
-vc -home tour -nature trail -driving tour
$8Adults/$6Kids
10-5

1:45pm-5pm - Oliver H Kelley Farm -Minnesota Historical Society
$9Adults/$6Kids
10-5

5:30pm - Twin Cities, MN

Day 15:

9:30am-10:30am - Mississippi River Visitor Center at MN Science Museum
-Jr Program

10:45am-11:30am - Prospect Park
-witch hat

12pm-4pm - Bakken Museum
$10Adults/$8Kids

Other Interests:
Mary Tyler Moore's TV Home

Around Mississippi in 8 Days

*This trip is planned from Milan, TN*

Day 1:

7am - Leave Milan, TN

9:30am-11:30am - Tishomingo State Park
-swinging bridge -vc -Saddleback Ridge trail

12pm-12:30pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 293.2 - Tenn-Tom Waterway

12:45pm-1:30pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 286.7 - Pharr Mounds

1:45pm-2:15pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 283.3 - Donivan Slough

2:30pm-3pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 275.2 - Dogwood Valley

3:15pm-5pm - Brices Crossroads National Battlefield
-VC (MS's Final Stand Interpretive Center) -Jr Program -Film/Museum
-Battlefield Site (church and cemetery trail)

5:30pm-6pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 269.4 - Confederate Graves

6:30pm-Camp - Tombigbee State Park

Day 2:

8am - Leave Camp

8:15am-8:45am - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 266 - Tupelo VC

8:45am-9am - Tupelo Hardware -Elvis' Guitar

9:15am-10am - Tupelo National Battlefield
-battlefield

11:15am-12pm - Tennessee Williams Home and Welcome Center

1:15pm-2pm - Dunn's Falls

4:15pm-Camp - Baywood Campground

15mins to Friendship Oak

Day 3:

8:30am - Leave Camp

8:45am-10am - Biloxi Lighthouse

10:05am-12pm - Biloxi Shrimping Trip

12:15pm-2:30pm - Gulf Islands National Seashore
-Jr Program
-Davis Bayou Area -William M Comer VC

3pm-Camp - Baywood Campground

Day 4:

8am - Leave Camp

8:15am-3:30pm - Gulf Islands National Seashore -West Ship Island
-Ferry from Gulfport 9am

3:45pm-Camp - Baywood Campground

Day 5:

8:30am - Leave Camp

9am-11am - MS Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge
-vc -CL Dees Nature Trail

11:45am-1:30pm - Gulf Coast Gator Ranch and Swamp Tour
-Swamp Tour 12:30pm

2:30pm-4pm - Palestine Gardens

5pm-Camp - Paul B Johnson State Park

Day 6:

8am - Leave Camp

10:15am-11am - Canton, MS
-A Time to Kill movie tour

11:30am-12pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 102.4 - Parkway Info Cabin

1pm-2pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 54.8 - Rocky Springs

2:15pm-2:45pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 41.5 - Sunken Trace

3pm-Camp - Grand Gulf Military Park

Day 7:

8am - Leave Camp

8:30am-9am - Windsor Ruins

9:30am-10am - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 15.5 - Mount Locust Inn/VC

10:15am-10:30am - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 10.3 - Emerald Mound

10:30am-11:15am - Church Hill Loop

11:30am-11:45am - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 8.7 - Old Trace Exhibit Shelter

11:50am-12:15pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 5.1 - Elizabeth Female Academy

12:25pm-12:30pm - Natchez Trace Parkway MP 0 - Southern Terminus

12:45pm-2pm - Mammy's Cupboard
-lunch

2:15pm-5pm - Natchez National Historical Park
-VC -Melrose Estate and Gardens -Fort Rosalie - William Johnson House

5:30pm-Camp - Natchez State Park

Day 8:

8am - Leave Camp

10am-10:30am - Glenwood Cemetery -Yazoo City
-witch's grave

11:30am-12:30pm - BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center

2:30pm-3pm - Gateway to the Blues VC -Tunica

3:15pm-4pm - Hollywood Memorabilia -Hollywood Casino Tunica

6:45pm - Milan, TN

Around Missouri in 14 Days

*This trip is planned from Milan, TN*

Day 1:

7am - Leave Milan, TN

10:30am-4:30pm - Ozark National Scenic Riverways
-Jr Program
10:30-11 - Big Spring
11:45-12:30 - Rocky Falls
1-2 - Alley Mill
2:45-3:15 - Devils Well
3:30-4:30 - Welch Hospital

6pm-Camp - Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park
-swim -vc

Day 2:

10am - Leave Camp

10:30am-12:30pm - Elephant Rocks State Park
-giant boulders -Braille Trail 1m -Engine House Ruins Trail 0.40m

1pm-4pm - Missouri Mines State Historic Site
-historic ghost mine -museum/vc

4:30pm-Camp - Washington State Park
-petroglyphs -1000 Step Trail 1.5m

Day 3:

8am - Leave Camp

8:45am-10:30am - Meramec State Park
-Hamilton Iron Works Trail .20m -Fisher Cave Tour -VC

11:45pm-1pm - Mastodon State Historic Site
-museum -vc

1:45pm-2:30pm - St. Louis NE/1-270/Granite City KOA

3pm-4pm - Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
-vc -historic home

4:15pm-5pm - City Garden

5:15pm-6:30pm - Blueberry Hill
-Chuck Berry statue

6:30pm-7pm - St. Louis Walk of Fame

7pm-7:30pm - Delmar Loop Planet Walk

8pm-Camp - St. Louis NE/I-270/Granite City KOA

Day 4:

8am - Leave Camp

8:30am-9am - Old Chain of Rock Bridge

9:30am-11am - Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum

11:15am-12:30pm - Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center

2:15pm-Camp - Mark Twain Cave Campground

3:30pm-5:30pm - Mark Twain Riverboat

5:30pm-6pm - Mark Twain Lighthouse and Statue

6:15pm-Camp - Mark Twain Cave Campground

Day 5:

8:30am-10:30am - Mark Twain Cave Tour 9am

10:30am-12:30pm - Mark Twain Home and Museum

1:15pm-2:30pm - Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site
-historic home -vc

3:30pm-Camp - Long Branch State Park
-beach -vc -paddleboat rental

Day 6:

8am - Leave Camp

10am-12pm - Pony Express National Museum
-Pony Express National Historic Trail Stable

12pm-2pm - Jesse James House and Patee House

3pm-4pm - Jesse James Farm

4:15pm-Camp - Watkins Mill State Park

Day 7:

9:30am - Leave Camp

10am-11am - Jesse James Bank Museum

11:45am-2:30pm - Harry S Truman National Historic Site
-VC -Jr Program
-Truman home -Noland home
3-4 - Truman Farm

4:30pm-5:30pm - Independence Courthouse Square
-Truman statue -Oregon NHT Begins Marker

6pm-Camp - Blue Springs Lake Campground

Day 8:

8:30am - Leave Camp

9am-12pm - National Frontier Trail Museum
-exhibits -wagon tour (1.5hrs)

12:45pm-3pm - Battle of Lexington State Historic Site
-vc -historic buildings

4pm-Camp - Van Meter State Park
-vc -memorial trail 0.40m

Day 9:

8am - Leave Camp

8:30am-10:30am - Arrow Rock State Historic Site
-vc -historic sites

11am-1pm - Warm Springs Ranch

2pm-3pm - Missouri State Capitol
-Jefferson statue -Lewis and Clark monument

3pm-5pm - Missouri State Museum

5:15pm-Camp - Binder Park campground

Day 10:

8am - Leave Camp

9:15am-11:30am - Ha Ha Tonka State Park
-Castle trail 0.40m -castle ruins -carriage house ruins -Colosseum trail 0.70m

1pm-2:30pm - Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site
-historic home -Homestead interpretive trail

4pm-Camp - Prairie State Park campground

Day 11:

9:30am - Leave Camp

10am-11:30am - Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site
-vc -historic home

12pm-12:30pm - Giant Hands in Prayer -Webb City

1pm-3pm - George Washington Carver National Monument
-VC -Jr Program
-Carver trail -Moses Carver house

3:30pm-Camp - Beagle Bay RV Haven and Campground

Day 12:

8am - Leave Camp

8:45am-11am - Wilsons Creek National Battlefield
-VC -Jr Program
-Tour Road

12pm-Camp - Branson KOA

2pm-4pm - Legend of Kung Fu
4:15pm-5pm - Inspiration Tower
8pm - Legends in Concert

Day 13:

9am-10:30am - Ride the Ducks-Branson
10:30am-12:30am - Branson Auto Museum

2pm-5pm - Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum

6pm-Camp - Rocky Top Campground

Day 14:

8am - Leave Camp

9am-11am - Grand Gulf State Park
-Little Grand Canyon -VC -Natural Bridge trail -Interpretive Loop trail

12:30pm-1pm - Van Buren Park Headquarters - Ozark National Scenic Riverways

4:15pm - Milan, TN

Roadside Attractions
Titanic: World's Largest Museum Attraction
Budweiser Brewery Tours

Natchez Trace Parkway #2 - 3 Day Trip

Natchez Trace Parkway - Mile Post 122 to Mile Post 145.1

This trip is planned from Jackson, TN.  It can be revised to fit your location.

For this trip it is imperative that you get yourself a Natchez Trace Parkway brochure/map.

One you learn how to navigate it, this is a really helpful site: Natchez Trace Travel

Day One:

8am: Leave

12pm to 1pm - Birthplace of Kermit the Frog - S. Deer Creek Drive, Leland, MS


Hours: Winter Hours: After Labor Day, Mon-Sat 10a.m.-4p.m. Summer Hours: After Memorial Day, Mon-Sat 10a.m.-5p.m.
Admission: Free

*Kermit's house was neat.  It took us about 30 minutes to look at the things inside.  They have display cases with old school toys and other memorabilia, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings and photos relating to the Muppets.

We had a picnic lunch in the grass by the creek and took a few pictures and were on our way.  Nice stop to eat your lunch or stretch your legs.



2:30pm to 4:30pm - Mississippi Petrified Forest - 124 Forest Park Road, Flora, MS

"The Frog"

Hours: 9am to 6pm

Admission: Adults $7, Kids $6
6 Block Nature Trail
Museum

*MS Petrified Forest was a little bit of a dissapointment.  I guess for the price I was expecting a bit more than the 5 or 6 pieces of petrified wood along the trail.  There was 26 stops on the nature trail guide but even half of them had what we came to see.

"Caveman's Bench"

The gift shop was really nice...and huge...and the things weren't all that expensive either.













5pm -  Lefleur's Bluff State Park - 3315 Lakeland Terrace, Jackson, MS

Site 12

Mayes Lake Campground $18 night
This is where we will be camping.

This was a really great campsite. Our tent was about 12 feet from the edge of the lake and about the bathhouse was close enough but far enough.  It was perfect.

After sundown the first night we saw an alligator in the water...it was really neat to see.



Day Two:

8:30am - 9:00am - Follow Purple, Red and Yellow Trail to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Purple Trail - 0.49 mile
Red Trail - 0.32 mile
Yellow Trail - 0.16 mile

The trail to the museum was a little over a mile and it had A LOT of spider webs but otherwise it was a nice trail.  It was mostly flat and not strenuous at all.





9:00am to 12:00pm - Mississippi Museum of Natural Science - 2148 Riverside Drive, Jackson, MS

Two-Headed Snake

Admission: Adults $6, Kids $4
Hours: Monday thru Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm

We went for the Special Exhibit: "Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly"

The museum was good but it wouldn't have been much with out the special exhibit...which was awesome.

Ari made friends with a 20 foot Reticulated Python.

We saw a cobra, alligator, crocodile, lots of different snakes, geckos, chameleon, gila monster, a bearded dragon and a snake-necked turtle.

12:00pm to 12:30pm - Blue Trail and Yellow Trail

12:30pm to 1:00pm - Follow Red and Purple Trails back to Camp

1:00pm to 2:00pm - *Have Lunch

2:30pm - 4:00pm - Cypress Swamp - MP 122 on Natchez Trace Parkway

We saw 3 alligators here and it was AWESOME!


4:30pm - Camp

Day Three:

8:00am - Leave Camp

9:00am to 1:30pm - Vicksburg National Military Park - 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS

Illinois Monument

Hours: Daily 8am to 5pm
Admission: $8 Car
Allow 2 hours Driving Tour and Extra time for gift shop and museum.

This was a really nice military park...it was huge.  It took us about 3 hours to drive the whole park.

The Illinois Monument was our favoite.  It was absolutely beautiful, inside and out.

USS Cairo Exhibit and Museum, Hours: 930am to 5pm

The USS Cairo was really cool.  The museum had a lot of information and the actually ship was fun to get on and imagine what it would have been like before it was sunk.






3:30pm to 4:00pm - Kosciusko Museum and Visitor Center - Exit 160 on Natchez Trace Parkway

4:10pm to 4:30pm - Redbud Springs Park - approx. 207 S Natchez St, Kosciusko, MS

Tadeusz Kosciuszko statue

4:40pm to 5:00pm -  Buffalo United Methodist Church - Mississippi 12, Kosciusko, MS

Oprah Winfrey's First Church

About 2 blocks up the road, Oprah Winfrey Road, it a big white sign that marks the site of Oprah's First Home.  There isn't anything there but the sign and a woodsy area.









9:00pm - Home

We had a really fun time.  And we would have been home right on time...except that the headlights on our car stopped working and we ended up having to stay in a hotel in Senatobia, MS for the night.

 or Alternative 2-Day Trip:

Day One:

7am - Leave Jackson, TN

12:00pm to 1:30pm - Lefleur's Bluff State Park - 3315 Lakeland Terrace, Jackson, MS
Mayes Lake Campground $18 night
This is where we will be camping.  The plan is to set up our tent and have some lunch.

1:30pm to 2:00pm - Follow Purple, Red and Yellow Trail to Mississippii Museum of Natural Science

Purple Trail - 0.49 mile
Red Trail - 0.32 mile
Yellow Trail - 0.16 mile

2:00pm to 4:30pm - Mississippi Museum of Natural Science - 2148 Riverside Drive, Jackson, MS
Admission: Adults $6, Kids $4
Hours: Monday thru Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm

4:30pm to 5:00pm - Blue Trail

5:00pm to 5:30pm - Follow Red and Purple Trails back to Camp

Day Two:

8:30am - Leave Camp

9:00am to 12:00pm - Mississippi Petrified Forest - 124 Forest Park Road, Flora, MS

Hours: 9am to 6pm

Admission: Adults $7, Kids $6
6 Block Nature Trail
Museum
Gem Mining - $4 per person
 

1:30pm to 2:30pm - Cypress Swamp - MP 122

1/2 mile Trail

3:30pm to 4:15pm - Kosciusko Museum and Visitor Center - Exit 160 on Natchez Trace Parkway
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Free

4:30pm to 4:45pm - Redbud Springs Park - approx. 207 S Natchez St, Kosciusko, MS
Tadeusz Kosciuszko statue

5:00pm to 5:15pm - Buffalo United Methodist Church - Mississippi 12, Kosciusko, MS
Oprah Winfrey's First Church

9pm - Arrive Jackson, TN

If you would like to make it a longer trip, Holly Springs National Forest isn't far.

Missouri State Parks Day Trip

Big Oak Tree State Park

13640 S Highway 102

East Prairie, MO

Hours: 6am to 10pm

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site

113 Bollinger Mill Road

Burfordville, MO

Inside the Mill

Admission: 

Adults (13 and Over) - $4

Student (6-12) - $2.50
Children (Under 6) - Free
There is a maximum rate of $15 per family.

                          

Trail of Tears State Park

429 Moccasin Springs

Jackson, MO

Hours: 7am to Dusk

            

Mississippi Riverfront Parks Day Trip

**FREE - Everything on this adventure is FREE**
*Packed lunch plus gas*

Tennessee has these Self-Guided Driving Tour brochures...I think there are about 16 total...they have them for different parts of the state.  They map out a route and list things along the way, it is really neat. Most of them are several hundred miles and I don't usually have more than one day to work with so we split them up.

This day trip works for anyone within a few hours of Memphis, TN
(Examples: Jonesboro, AR; Little Rock, AR; Jackson, TN; Tupelo, MS)
For this adventure, we decided to do a portion of the Great River Road - Tennessee.

We started by packing our lunches and heading to Memphis...

First Stop: Riverside Drive Welcome Center - 119 N Riverside Drive (Page 2)

Here we used the restrooms, took our picture with the larger than life bronze Elvis, found a map and collected some tourism brochures that I love so much.

The Visitor's Center is open 7am to 1030pm

Than we headed out to...
Stop #2 Jefferson Davis Park - on the left side of the visitor's center parking lot if you are facing the river. (Page 2)
Nothing real exciting here...just a nice place for a picnic and a good view of the river.  They do have a 'learning path' that tells you a little about the Civil War and Memphis History.

Stop Three - Cobblestone Wharf - Between Jefferson Davis Park and the riverboat

Cobblestone Wharf

This doesn't seem to be listed in the tour guide, but you walk right over it going to the next spot so I asked about it and was told it was called Cobblestone Wharf...when I got home I did some "Googling" and found more information.

They used these chains to hold the boats ashore

I just liked this view

Stop Four - Tom Lee Park - 357 Riverside Drive (Page 2)

This is a really nice park...beautiful views of the river, ice cream trucks, bathrooms, a few statues, a walking path.
Despite his inability to swim, Tom Lee saved 32 people from drowning in the Mississippi River from a capsized steamer in 1925.

It was really hot out and everyone was sick of walking at this point, so we headed back to retrieve the car from the visitor's center.
Once back at the car, we decided it was lunch time so we grabbed our food and went across the street to...
Stop 5 - Confederate Park - Jefferson and Front St (Page 3)

Kaden trying to invade a squirrel's home

Stop 6 - Martyrs Park - Channel 3 Dr (Page 2)

This park is dedicated to the Memphians who risked their lives to stay in the city and tend to the sick and burying the dead during the yellow fever epidemic in 1878.  It has a cool looking sculpture and a beautiful view of the river.

On our way home we stopped at the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park...
Park Hours are 7am to 10pm

but there was nothing there but trails and we were done walking for the day so we headed home.