Family Drive Trip From Dallas

We are planning a family trip over Thanksgiving week. We would like to drive probably no more than 24 hours from Dallas. We would love Texas recommendations and other states as well. We have a teen and an 8 year old. We love outdoor activites, and history. We would like to go to a location where we don%26#39;t have to drive far for activities, once we arrive. We plan on staying 4 or 5 days depending on how long the drive is. What do you recommend?

Family Drive Trip From Dallas

Hi there - are you saying you only want it to take a day to get there? Or 24 hours total driving time - because you can almost get to San Francisco in 24 hours of driving time or Buffalo, NY. That leaves MANY destinations to suggest. Just curious so we can narrow the options better for you -

I%26#39;m going to assume you mean only taking a day total (drive and sleep/rest time) to get there and suggest Big Bend National Park. Beautiful scenery, plenty of outdoor activities (camping, horseback riding, canoeing/rafting down the Rio Grande River, etc. The skys are gorgeous out there and you could visit the McDonald Observatory near there :

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/

Family Drive Trip From Dallas

Last Nov. I rented a condo in Gulf Shores, Al. Had a wonderful time. The water was too cold to swim, but nice weather for walking in the beach. I took lots of day trips..Mobile, Pennsecola, FL, Fairhope, AL. Enjoyed the outlet mall in Foley and the Wharf shops. It is about a 12 hour drive from Dallas. Easy drive.

Thank you both for the trip ideas. I should have been more specific about drive time. I did intent it to be 8-14 hours vs 24 driving non-stop.

Thanks again.

a couple of other suggestions:

Northwest Arkansas (about a 6 and 1/2 hour drive): it%26#39;s a beautiful part of the state, many places to camp - the Buffalo River is popular for rafting. (Keep all food out of your tents, etc because there are bears up there - had one walk right by my tent one night). Eureka Springs is a neat town to visit while up there also. They have other activities up there you could read about under the northwest Arkansas posts.

Colorado Springs, CO: plenty of outdoor activities - www.gardenofthegods.com - etc

if going to Big Bend NP area, you could also drive to Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, NM from there - which is pretty awesome:

www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/cave_tours.htm

I had been thinking Eureka Springs too. It is absolutely beautiful and I bet there might be some great color on the foliage at that time of year if its not too late.

Just had another thought ... We drove from McKinney, TX to Gatlinburg, TN in about 14 hours. Gatlinburg is a wonderful little city with lots of scenery and tons of things to do that you can get to on foot.

Just before Gatlinburg (not as far up in the Smokies) was Sevierville and Pidgeon Forge. Both had tons and tons of new motels at unbelievably low rates (in April). We%26#39;re talking around $30. There is just as much, if not more, to do in those towns plus I understand Dollywood is somewhere nearby.

We found 14 hours in the car a bit much but had underestimated the distance. Gatlinburg is virtually on the border of North Carolina. If you are not deterred by that kind of time on the road, I would definitely consider it for lots of natural beauty, lots of things to do and decent prices.