Megabus Nashville stop moves away from Nolensville Pike

The Nashville Megabus stop has moved again. As of March 27, 2013 it is now at 704 4th Avenue South. Megabus announced the Nashville bus stop change via Twitter. Stops change rapidly so always check the bus line website before traveling. Twitter is also proving to be a good way to stay abreast of the changes.

Previous story:
We have just found out that the Megabus stop has been moved and is no longer at the Commerce Street location. The information on the bus stop at us.Megabus.com reads: "All services to and from Nashville arrive and depart from Nolensville Pike between Windgrove Street and Moore Avenue. This stop is located near the entrance to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Our old stop at Commerce Street is no longer in use."

The above information was updated and is current as of 2/18/2013. Inforrmation can and will change without notice as the bus line updates its stops. Always check the Megabus website for the most current information. As always, if you are a rider and have something to add to this or any of our blog posts please let me know. The comment section is always available or you can email me directly.
Thanks and happy travels!
Gayle

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The below is out of date as of 2/2013:
 All of the Megabus services to and from Nashville arrive and depart from the primary Megabus stop. It's located on Commerce Street in Nashville between 5th Ave N and 4th Ave N. This is the only stop for the Knoxville and Memphis routes.

Megabus riders going from Nashville to Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago, Chattanooga or Atlanta will depart from the alternate stop at the Ramada Limited at the Stadium Downtown.

Chattanooga Megabus stop has moved

We  have gotten word about another move of the Chattanooga Megabus stop. It is now located next to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo in downtown. The new stop is on Market Street at the intersection of W 14th Street. Tourists may find that the change will make it easier to access attractions like the Choo-Choo itself, Chattanooga Aquarium and other downtown attractions.

 Updated 10/13/2015
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The Chattanooga, Megabus stop has moved. As of the date of this article, the bus stop is no longer in the South Terrace shopping center. Instead, Megabus has moved the Chattanooga stop over to the  east side of the Eastgate Complex. It's at the I-75 / I-24 split. The parking lot is at 5600 Brainerd Rd, 37411.

Eastgate Complex that was once a tired shopping mall now has a new renovation and new life.

Stand high on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

Maybe it's just me but this warm weather seems to be calling for a road trip. That feeling had me was going through some road trip photos when I found this one. At, 3,680 feet this is the highest point on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The parking lot near the sign made it a no-brainer to grab the shot. Those of you who look for the sign can find it around milepost 42 (41.7 to be exact).


The elevation on Skyline Drive in Virginia puts it just about 3/4 of a mile high. That's about twice as high as Hilltop Mountain or the nearby Stony Man Overlook.

For comparison, the overlook is about half as high as Clingman's Dome in the Smoky Mountains and about twice as high as the elevation at the mouth of Abram's Creek. It's no wonder than you can almost see forever from any of the 70 scenic overlooks.

I always enjoy driving through the Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive. It takes a little longer to pick my daughter up from D.C. (or to get her home) but the road trip is always relaxing.

There are two words of caution that I want to impart about this road trip. One is that a fee is charged. The other is that the speed limit of 35 mph along this 105 mile stretch of roadway.

Don't exceed that speed limit by much. Park rangers run radar. However; that's small potatoes when compared to running into a suicidal deer. It's much better to slow down, take your time and enjoy your road trip along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.

If you like this article, try these...
My list of top 5 National Parks for U.S. travel
America's Byways; the Blue Ridge Parkway

Things to do in Santa Barbara

After reminiscing about one of our family road trips, I decided to look up things to do in Santa Barbara, California. We drove across the country from Tennessee into part of California but didn't make it into Santa Barbara. This is a shame. There seems to lots of things to do there. Here are a three attractions that I found.

Welcome to California vacation photo

The Zoo

After finding vacation rentals in Santa Barbara the next stop should be the zoo. It's world famous, cares for endangered animals and has an ocean view. It's one of the family friendly things to do in Santa Barbara that we would have to do first.

Contact the zoo:

500 Niños Drive, 93103

Phone: (805) 962-5339

www.sbzoo.org

The Beach

Need I say more? When looking at things to do in Santa Barbara, the beach is a no-brainer. This town isn't called the 'American Rivera' for nothing. There are several beaches and over 50 parks to choose from. It is always romantic to walk along the ocean and hold hands with Hubby. There isn't anything better than being on the beach together. We spend time picking up seashells, talking and just enjoy spending time with just the two of us.

Natural History

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is just beyond the Old Mission (That's yet another thing to see and do in Santa Barbara). Aquariums and science museums are always fascinating to me. This natural history museum has a sea center, space lab and even a planetarium. Exhibition halls include information on the Chumash Indians, blue whales, minerals, mammals and there are also art exhibits. The museum is one of the things to do that just sounds cool.

Contact:

2559 Puesta del Sol Road, 93105

Phone: 805.682.4711

Website: www.sbnature.org

So, of all the things there are to do in Santa Barbara, which would you choose?  

Megabus announces Knoxville to Nashville and Memphis route

There is more good news in the travel transportation category. Megabus just announced their new Knoxville to Nashville and on to Memphis route. Many riders are familiar with the service to Christiansburg, VA and on to Washington, D.C.

Megabus at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

I've blogged about my experiences with Megabus before here on You've Been Reviewed.

My journeys have been largely successful and the new route definitely has my interest. After seeing the online route map, the routes to Atlanta, Orlando and other cities in the southeast also have my interest.

Megabus uses social media sites, blogs and other online means as a way to gauge potential interest in new routes. The company heard the buzz from people who were interested and responded by opening several new routes including the Knoxville / Nashville / Memphis route.

One of the best things about Megabus is the low cost. Some seats on every route are as low as $1.

Three Appalachian Trail blogs

Blogs have caught my attention ever since I stood on the Appalachian Trail. You don't have to hike forever to enjoy this footpath. There are numerous trailheads that are close the to the road. All you have to do is park, walk and enjoy.

A handful of people will hike the full length of the Appalachian Trail like these three people did and keep blogs of their adventure. These hardy souls are called 'through hikers'.

It takes months to follow the Appalachian Trail through from end to end and almost the same amount of time to gather supplies for the outdoors. Hiking gear, camping supplies and sleeping bags have to be purchased that will last for the entire trip.

Most of the rest of us will enjoy the  Appalachian Trail for much shorter periods and will need less in the way of outdoor equipment. Day hikes, afternoon hikes and short walks are all refreshing. Most require hiking boots or a sturdy pair of shoes, a bottle or two of water and a tube of bug-repellent sunscreen.

Here are a couple of blogs about the Appalachian Trail that you might find interesting.

Daytona Beach photo movie

Daytona Beach means fun, sun and sand. We recently caught up with friends there. The Ocean Walk was a fun place to get together. Lunch at Sloppy Joe's gave us a balcony view of the beach in a casual atmosphere. The food was good. I've heard about Daytona Beach many times but this was my first trip.

Now, I think I'd be hard pressed to find a nicer beach anywhere. We shot this photo movie while we were there. Enjoy! (Be sure to check out this blog for more photo movies.)

Following Gayle Crabtree on Twitter

Do you Twitter? If so, you can follow me. By choosing to follow me on Twitter you'll get all the latest updates. These are short messages that can go directly to your mobile phone. If you don't want the messages coming in it's ok. Disable following by phone and you'll still be able to follow me on the web. It's a great way to keep in touch.

We're going to be using Twitter a lot in June. I plan to post frequent updates on the Alaska trip. I'm researching cell phone providers now to determine which one I'll be able to use. As soon as we get the kinks worked out you can bet I'll post an update.

The Twitter url is: http://twitter.com/gaylecrabtree