Wife’s mother passed this morning so we’ll be headed to Indianapolis in the next week to 10 days. Anyone drive up that way and maybe can recommend the best route? I’m showing 3 routes but Ark. Tenn and Ky. although a pretty drive is longer. Thanks for any input.

Go…40 to 65 and north to Indy.

55 or 57 the left lane is a washboard and Illinois is a [censored] hole. It won’t be enough time difference to make it significant unless you’re going to the west side and even then…I’d take the 65 route.

Sorry to hear about your MIL.

Thank you for that. That’s exactly what I was needing to know. Been 20 years since I drove up there.

I normally go up through Tulsa, Springfield for the big bass pro, and start cutting across after St. Louis. It’s a very boring drive.

65 is absolutely full of traffic and crazies, just so you know. It's like the 35 of Texas or the 95 of the Eastern Seaboard. I'll almost always take a less congested route.

The General isn’t wrong…it’s a zoo in Nashville and Louisville but not bad otherwise. Check for construction and use Waze.

Last time I drove it was summer 2021, I don’t let any grass grow under my feet and it was just under 13 hours. I didn’t fly during the mask charade.

Waze

I’ll have to check, we may be able to bypass Indianapolis since we’re going northeast of there to the Decatur/Monroe area. That’s about an extra 180 miles. I’ll check out Waze, heard of it but never used it. Thank-you.

Condolences for your loss. Making cross country trips under those circumstances often takes away the option to make the trip as fun as possible but just in case, I’ll throw out a few ideas.

I make the drive from DFW to the Midwest glacier lake region a few times each year and pass through Indy. I’m also fairly familiar with the general area you’re headed to as my wife has family in the region.

One thing we did to honor the passing of a loved one in that area was to visit their favorite restaurant. If it’s in budget and time permits, I highly recommend Joesph Decuis. It’s an outstanding farm to table restaurant in the part of Indiana you’re heading to. It’s only 30 minutes away from Decatur at 191 N Main St, Roanoke, IN 46783. They have exceptional food that I personally would never have expected to find there.

They have a limited farm to table menu that features Wagyu beef they raise. Dinner is only available Thursday-Saturday, lunch Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner. It’s expensive but most think it’s worth it if it’s within budget and you enjoy that kind of thing for special occasions.


If you play music or enjoy live music, Sweetwater is headquartered just southwest of Fort Wayne and worth a visit. Besides selling gear, they have live musical performances and a decent lunch cafe.

Also depending on when you make it, the annual Indy Boat, Sport and Travel Show is currently going on Feb 17-19 and 22-26 at the Indy State Fairgrounds.

Regarding getting from here to there, I’ve tried multiple different routes over the past few years mostly because I wanted to see something new along the route or do some fishing, hunting or chasing wildlife images. Plus I often go different ways to visit friends or family along the way.

Most importantly for planning the trip, I’ve learned to always check the weather and road conditions first to avoid flooding, thunderstorms (hail/tornados) and occasionally blizzards. Major flooding between here and Indy is often a real thing so I check for flooding or flood warnings first as you have to cross the Mississippi and many of the smaller rivers to get there. There is currently a flood warning for parts of the White River in Arkansas so keep an eye on that if you go that direction.

Strong thunderstorms are often a considerations so I often plan two routes and make the final route decision based on the forecast the day of departure. You can check weather forecast along your route with many different apps now.

If you’re traveling with a pup, BringFido is a good resource to find places to stay that allow dogs.

From where I start the trip, it’s a toss up between going through St. Louis or Nashville. In general, while a tad longer for me, when weather and time allows, I’ve taken 40 to 65 through Nashville. Overall, that route has had the best road conditions with minimal construction for the past two years. Because of weather, time or where I’m overnighting, I often end up going through 69-75 to Big Cabin then I-44 to Joplin to St. Louis. 

For much of the past few years OK has had tons of road construction so it’s a good idea to check it out and avoid any construction if possible. I did come back that way in December and OK roads were in better shape but it can change depending on construction schedules.

After the fuel availability issues in the recent past, now I also check on fuel availability along the route. I’m usually driving a vehicle with the smaller, auto size fuel intake that requires low sulfur highway diesel. Turns out the good people of IL only have biodiesel at the auto pumps available along my route so I have to plan stops before or after IL. I tend to plan stops before or after IL anyway for other reasons. Unlike some, I don’t mind crossing IL when going through St. Louis as it’s less than 2 hours to transit the state between MO to IN along I-70. On the other hand, if you go up 57 to 70, it’s over 200 miles in the Land of Lincoln. A little planning for stops before and after goes a long way to avoid potential issues with IL. If you carry, make sure you’re familiar with IL laws.

If you make it a two day trip and happen to stay in Rolla, MO, there is a decent BBQ restaurant next to hotels that are pup friendly. Bandana's Bar-B-Q Rolla


Also, once you get into Indiana, be really careful about driving at dawn or night. The deer up there are huge and abundant. Once you get off the Interstate, they are a serious road hazard at dawn, sunset and throughout the night. If you see skid marks, slow down.

Safe travels~

Thank-you for all that great information Blue Moon. I truly appreciate the time you took putting that together. Unfortunately this is a hurry up and get there then hurry up and get back trip as I have to get back to work as soon as possible. The “BringFido” link is a lifesaver since we are having to take our Shih Tzu with us and it’s a pain trying to find motels that accept a dog, very time consuming. I’m keeping all the info you posted for future vacation plans. Thank-you again.

Sorry to hear about your loss Richard. Quickest way to 44 then 70, is how I drive. Its further thru Tenn and Kentucky, and traffic is not good north of Nashville. Fly and rent a car if your in a time crunch. I go there a couple times a year. Be safe.

Thanks Mel, I appreciate that. I’ll look that route up as well. Looks like we’ll be leaving Tuesday or Wed. next week depending on when the service is.

I'm very sorry for you family's loss.

I use the Waze app and love it because it will let you set your preferences and provide you different routes to choose from.
It is almost always up to the minute accurate as well with traffic situations and will reroute you on the fly.

Thanks for the advice. I downloaded Waze so we’ll see where it takes us. It looks like we’ll be driving in rain all day tomorrow.

Sorry for your loss. That's going to be a miserable drive in the rain. Stay safe.