I wanna be 500 miles from Chicago

masloki

masloki

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We suck at planning and want to get out of town, south-ish for Memorial Day. Looking for a slow, sleepy, unwindy, kind of weekend. What places do you recommend - nice forest preserve type area, hiking, water, etc.? WI, MN and MI are nice but still too darn cold. We've done Gaston's and Rough River bunches so time for somewhere new. Asheville looks good but is really slim pickings for places to stay and no rental cars available. What do you recommend?
 
Hey look, its the cool beard guy!

I haven’t a clue buddy. I just wanted to say hey look, its the cool beard guy




But then again, I could have gotten it wrong. But I still wanted to say it. ;)
 
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Timbeck2 said:
Hey look, its the cool beard guy!

I haven’t a clue buddy. I just wanted to say hey look, its the cool beard guy
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Nope, he’s don’t suck guy. I’m cool beard guy. I came here to defend my title ...

@masloki i always had luck on the Tennessee side of Smokey Mountain National Park. Never flown it but hit it on a road trip, but lots of wilderness activities and near 500nm. Also I owe you a message!
 
Asheville!

I need to see if the Sierra Nevada brewery is open yet, that’s a great place to go.
 
State Park or Fish & Wildlife Area just north of KRWN (Winimac, IN). No pirep.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Hey look, its the cool beard guy!
I haven’t a clue buddy. I just wanted to say hey look, its the cool beard guy
But then again, I could have gotten it wrong. But I still wanted to say it. ;)
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I mean, there was no shortage of facial hair in RR, but as I understand it, there can only be one "Cool beard guy" and that's not me. Time to go shave so I can look like a 12 year old. Ha!
 
eman1200 said:
Asheville!

I need to see if the Sierra Nevada brewery is open yet, that’s a great place to go.
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Breweries, hell yeah!
Its still in the running but without a rental car? You ever uber-lyft-ed it there and they are up to the task?
 
masloki said:
Breweries, hell yeah!
Its still in the running but without a rental car? You ever uber-lyft-ed it there and they are up to the task?
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I’ve Uber’d many times from AVL to the brewery, which is very close to the airport. I’m sure they’d rather take u to ‘downtown’ Asheville which is further north and u have a whole lot of bar/restaurant options.
 
I also want to be 500 miles from Chicago. CMI is far too close.

You should go to Petit Jean state park in Arkansas, and then tell me if it's any good. https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/petit-jean-state-park

They have an airport: KMPJ

Apparently the locals pronounce it "pet it jeen", so as not to be confused with them damn fur-en-ners. I'm not joking.

Looks pretty though. And they have yurts. It's a confusing place.
 
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, may be worth putting on the list. It is a cool little town, although maybe a little "touristy."
 
somorris said:
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, may be worth putting on the list. It is a cool little town, although maybe a little "touristy."
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They are definitely getting a look too. What do you like there?
 
Move to the West and you can fly every weekend for decades without running out of options.
 
There is Samuels Field Airport, KBRY

Just west of Bardstown, Kentucky and I hear they have some kind of alcoholic beverage lore tours, like a popular booze fest.
 
KGKT - Gatlinburg, TN....you wont be disappointed. Tons of Mountains, tons of entertainment and tons of food! Great little airport too. 420.1nm according to skyvector. Weather in this area forecast to be in the 90's.

Pigeon Forge Right down the road.....Dollywood is a blast! Love the roller coasters
 
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I've been looking for a similar trip and have considered Kentucky Dam State Park airport (M34) as a possible place. I don't know if there is a way to get a rental car or not. There look to be other airports around the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley area (Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area) that might be good options. I haven't made the trip, but it is one I'm considering.
 
Doug States said:
I've been looking for a similar trip and have considered Kentucky Dam State Park airport (M34) as a possible place. I don't know if there is a way to get a rental car or not. There look to be other airports around the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley area (Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area) that might be good options. I haven't made the trip, but it is one I'm considering.
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We did Kentucky Dam as a group in 2018. Bring a bicycle just to get around the park.
 
steingar said:
I'd do Mackinac Island and put on a jacket.
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We did Mackinac a few years ago. Liked the restaurants and nature but also full of
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.
 
masloki said:
We suck at planning and want to get out of town, south-ish for Memorial Day. Looking for a slow, sleepy, unwindy, kind of weekend. What places do you recommend - nice forest preserve type area, hiking, water, etc.? WI, MN and MI are nice but still too darn cold. We've done Gaston's and Rough River bunches so time for somewhere new. Asheville looks good but is really slim pickings for places to stay and no rental cars available. What do you recommend?
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KLWB Greenbrier WV? Yes, large expensive resort that is worth it at least once and there are other places and things to do - https://greenbrierwv.com/categories/things-to-do/outdoor-recreations and https://greenbrierwv.com
 
There's also Windwood in WV. WV62. Been there a couple time. MIght have to ask nice to borrow the owner's car though.
 
One of @EdFred rec’s won this Memorial Day weekend but this thread has got us set for years to come. For that matter, keep the ideas coming. I spied a couple places in OK area that might be promising and Kansas too.
 
Jim K said:
You should go to Petit Jean state park in Arkansas, and then tell me if it's any good. https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/petit-jean-state-park

They have an airport: KMPJ

Apparently the locals pronounce it "pet it jeen", so as not to be confused with them damn fur-en-ners. I'm not joking.
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It's Can-tuckee. They do that. They also have a city named Versailles, same spelling as the Treaty of "Ver-sigh" and they pronounce it "Ver-say-lees".

But, speaking of things to do there, go to Frankfort KFFT and do the Buffalo Trace Distillery tour.
 
PA88 Nemacolin Woodlands resort is about that distance. I grew up out there and went to Valpo U and it was 500 miles driving. Mountains of PA. Airport only open if you stay at the resort and that's $$, otherwise fly into VVS to still hit the mountain areas without Nemacolin prices. Hiking, whitewater, one of the best bike trails in the country. Along with the famous Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater house and Ft. Necessity George Washington's first battle, Ohiopyle State Park, and Farmington, PA was just named best "foodie" small town in PA.
 
masloki said:
We suck at planning and want to get out of town, south-ish for Memorial Day. Looking for a slow, sleepy, unwindy, kind of weekend. What places do you recommend - nice forest preserve type area, hiking, water, etc.? WI, MN and MI are nice but still too darn cold. We've done Gaston's and Rough River bunches so time for somewhere new. Asheville looks good but is really slim pickings for places to stay and no rental cars available. What do you recommend?
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You bought a Mooney. Put it to good use...go to Destin, Uber to the Emerald Grand, stay in a suite with balcony on the water, rent a boat and go to crab island, eat at the Harbor Docks/Boathouse, end the night with your wife dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly.

You’re welcome.
 
Radar Contact said:
You bought a Mooney. Put it to good use...go to Destin, Uber to the Emerald Grand, stay in a suite with balcony on the water.
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concur, emerald grand doesn’t suck

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Be sure to walk across the road and down the side road and visit Deweys Destin, a little dive joint sea food place on the sound. Good stuff!

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If you head SE, stop at I19 and visit the USAF Museum at WPAFB. Acres of airplanes from the Wright Bros to Today. MacAir has a crew minivan for the drive to the museum.

if I’m in town, I’ll give you a guided tour.

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
If you head SE, stop at I19 and visit the USAF Museum at WPAFB. Acres of airplanes from the Wright Bros to Today. MacAir has a crew minivan for the drive to the museum.

if I’m in town, I’ll give you a guided tour.

Cheers
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For sure we will take you up on that offer! Not this trip but I will reach out when the schedule starts pointing in that direction.
 
X3 Skier said:
If you head SE, stop at I19 and visit the USAF Museum at WPAFB. Acres of airplanes from the Wright Bros to Today. MacAir has a crew minivan for the drive to the museum.

if I’m in town, I’ll give you a guided tour.

Cheers
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As the kids do nowadays...

Tell me you're an aviation geek without saying you're an aviation geek: I recommend Xenia and Riverside, OH to people looking for a weekend vacation. :D
 
Radar Contact said:
You bought a Mooney. Put it to good use...go to Destin, Uber to the Emerald Grand, stay in a suite with balcony on the water, rent a boat and go to crab island, eat at the Harbor Docks/Boathouse, end the night with your wife dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly.

You’re welcome.
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She noted I can’t afford the tab that it would take to get her dancing on the bar. The rest is on the to-do list.
 
Radar Contact said:
You bought a Mooney. Put it to good use...go to Destin, Uber to the Emerald Grand, stay in a suite with balcony on the water, rent a boat and go to crab island, eat at the Harbor Docks/Boathouse, end the night with your wife dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly.

You’re welcome.
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Wait wait wait - @masloki if you are doing a proper trip to a place like Destin, then we need to convert that into some sort of flyin... just sayin...
 
If I could get away right now I'd probably be somewhere along the gulf coast. I've never had a bad trip anywhere in that part of the country.
 
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