Help from TN disers... disney travel directions

[Mom2Em]

We will be traveling at the end of this month. We are spending our first night with a friend in Alpine not far from Cookeville. We are looking for a good route to Orlando that keeps us out of mountains... Is it possible? Any ideas from those in the know would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

You will have to take I-40 east from Cookeville to where it intersects with I-75, just southwest of Knoxville. That part of the drive is in the mountains, but there's only one little "bad" section (a very sharp grade going down), maybe 5 miles - the rest is scenic and and an easy drive. It's not far, either, maybe 45 minutes-to an hour at most?

That's the ONLY way to go, other than back roads or some state highways - gotta take I-40 east. Have fun!

Edited to add, in case it wasn't clear: the short drive on I-40 east is due east; when you intersect with I-75 south, you will then be traveling straight south toward Chattanooga and Atlanta. No more mountains.

 

[Scurvy]

I grew up in Cookeville and my family still lives there. They take highway 111 over to Chattanooga and then 75 south from there. There is one short stretch that is a bit curvy and mountainous but it really isn't too bad. We used to go another way that took us over Signal Mountain and that's really curvy - I don't know what road it was, though. Another option would be to go over to Manchester and take I-24 over to Chattanooga. You'd avoid pretty much all the mountains that way but it would definitely take longer - according to Google, it takes around 15 minutes longer than going over to Knoxville would take.

ETA - In my experience it takes longer than 45 min. to an hour to get to I-75 going from Cookeville on I-40. More like an hour to an hour and a half, I think. I'm not sure I'm remembering exactly where you meet up with 75, though. If it's the inclines you are worried about, there are some pretty steep sections of I-40 around Harriman.

Are you meeting in a city called Alpine? I don't remember that place. Or do you mean the Alpine Inn in Cookeville?

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

You will have to take I-40 east from Cookeville to where it intersects with I-75, just southwest of Knoxville. That part of the drive is in the mountains, but there's only one little "bad" section (a very sharp grade going down), maybe 5 miles - the rest is scenic and and an easy drive. It's not far, either, maybe 45 minutes-to an hour at most?

That's the ONLY way to go, other than back roads or some state highways - gotta take I-40 east. Have fun!

Edited to add, in case it wasn't clear: the short drive on I-40 east is due east; when you intersect with I-75 south, you will then be traveling straight south toward Chattanooga and Atlanta. No more mountains.

The area around Chattanooga and south down to around Dalton or Calhoun (where I grew up) is fairly hilly. It's the southernmost area of the Appalachians but not as mountainous as areas from around Knoxville and Asheville northward.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

The area around Chattanooga and south down to around Dalton or Calhoun (where I grew up) is fairly hilly. It's the southernmost area of the Appalachians but not as mountainous as areas from around Knoxville and Asheville northward.

^^ Oh yeah - definitely! I thought the OP just meant mountainous road travel (like the stretch of I-40 near Harriman, or Asheville, for example) - I-75 from Lenoir City down to Chattanooga and beyond is not very mountainous.

OP - Hope you enjoy seeing some TN mountains! It's beautiful here!

 

[Mom2Em]

Thanks for the answers!

We are staying our first night with a friend who lives in Alpine, a little town between Livingston and Jamestown (I believe).

We were hoping to stay away from the Monteagle (sp) type driving that we hit on 24 when we come from Nashville. We have only ever taken 24 to Chattanooga and I am really excited to see more of the state.