If you are looking for information on where to stop on a Minneapolis to Nashville Road trip, look no further!
My husband and I rented an RV and took our time stopping at some incredible places on our recent trip from Minneapolis to Nashville.
Therefore, I created this guide using all the planning and experience from our trip to show you where to stop and things we would do differently next time around. So, come follow along!
I should mention this, and you might think this is crazy, but we rented the RV, but…
We still stayed in hotels… Epic, right? Or crazy?
Let me explain further.
This trip was actually a re-creation of a trip we took when we were dating.
And on that long ago trip, I made us drive straight through to Florida from Minnesota in a tiny little car. So, yeah, like 24 hours straight. Needless to say, I had to sweet talk Nate into doing any form of this trip again.
So, I promised him a comfortable ride (RV), and overnight stops along the way and I’m happy to say that the trip was a success! There’s something so sweet about revisiting the past and exploring places again with fresh eyes.
Obviously, you don’t need to rent an RV, whatever car you choose will be just fine.
So, let’s dive into all the stops we made on our Minneapolis to Nashville Road Trip!
1. Pick up RV at Cruise America in Hastings, MN
Your first stop is to pick up your RV! (You can skip over this part if not renting an RV.) Be sure to think about the size carefully as you’ll want to be able to park in parking lots and be fairly comfortable driving a bigger vehicle. We chose the smallest size available (picture above).
We could justify not sleeping in the RV as the cost of the RV was actually reasonable. (Almost comparable to renting a car.) This is due to getting discounted rates since we went during shoulder season in April. Additionally, we also used one of the deals (in the deals section) on the Cruise America website.
Another great thing about renting from Cruise America is their RVs are pet friendly. We brought our dog Bugsy with us, and it was so nice to have the space for him to roam.
Also note that before you leave, the staff will walk you through all the gadgets, gages, and tanks. So, don’t be worried if you’ve never driven an RV, you’ll be pretty comfortable by the time you leave.
Lady’s tip: Be sure to check if they have room in the Cruise America parking lot for you to park your car while you are gone. Just note that you may have to pay a small fee.
Read More: Hastings Minnesota Day Trip
2. Pit stop at Cannon Falls, MN
Drive time from Cruise America: 20 minutes
Cannon Falls is only about 20 minutes away from the Cruise America place, but it’s so worth a stop. The town is adorable with fun shops and even has a waterfall that you can see right from main road.
Stop at Cannon River Winery to pick up some wine and you can even grab some lunch here as they have a fun food menu.
Or, if you need an ice cream or coffee fix, stop at Cannon Belles. And if you need to grab more food for the drive, stop at Ferndale Market for some artisan cheeses, meats, breads, sweets and more.
Read More: Things to do in Cannon Falls, Minnesota
3. Stay the night at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Riverside, Iowa
Drive time from Cannon Falls: 4 hours & 5 minutes
For your first night, stay at Riverside Casino Resort in Riverside, Iowa. Located about 4 1/2 hours away from Cruise America, it’s the perfect amount of driving for your first day.
This resort has Vegas vibes with a casino, 4 dining options, a spa, cute shops, and a golf course. Try a brie and prosciutto pizza from 22 & Vine and you won’t regret it. Also, the bakery items here are super delicious as well.
If you wanted to bring your fur baby with you, the resort is pet friendly (as are all the accommodations in this post.)
4. Stop and admire the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO
Drive time from Riverside, Iowa: 4 hours
The Gateway Arch National Monument is referred to as the “Gateway to the West” and it’s actually the world’s tallest arch at 630 feet. For those of you that are not afraid of cramped spaces, you can even take the elevator to the top of the Arch.
Another neat place to visit is Imo’s Pizza. A St. Louis staple with claims that they were one of the first to start doing pizza delivery service. Another interesting thing about Imo’s is they use Provel® cheese instead of mozzarella. Very tasty and totally worth trying!
What I would do differently: If I were to do this trip again, I would definitely stay in St. Louis on the first or second night. From what I saw from driving through, it’s worth exploring the city and staying here. If you do stay in St. Louis and want to stay extremely close to the Arch, check out the Hyatt. You can see how close it is in the picture above.
5. Visit Superman’s hometown in Metropolis, Illinois
Drive time from St. Louis, MO: 2 hours and 35 min
Did you know that you can visit Superman’s hometown? You can and it’s so neat! Located in Metropolis, Illinois, the town includes a 12-foot Superman, a Superman Musuem, a gift shop and other fun oddities.
Now to be politically correct, this is Superman’s hometown, not Clark Kent’s (Smallville.) But truly a fun roadside stop.
6. Stay the night at Harrah’s Metropolis Hotel & Casino
We actually stayed in Metropolis for our 2nd night at the nearby Harrah’s Metropolis Hotel & Casino. While the Superman town is super cute, it only takes an hour or two to see everything.
So, it’s worth a stop, but I probably wouldn’t stay here again. Like I said earlier, it’s definitely more worthwhile to stay overnight in or by St. Louis.
7. Reach your destination and stay in 12 South, Nashville
Drive time from Metropolis: 2 hours and 10 mins
Yay! Finally made it to Nashville! If you love live music, this will be your JAM! Walking down Broadway is a fun musical adventure that is just so enthralling and such an incredible experience! To further capture the Nashville experience, be sure to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and eat at Hattie B’s for some hot chicken!
We chose to stay 3 nights in the 12 South neighborhood a few miles away from Broadway. A 1/2-mile strip of boutique shops, amazing eateries and fun murals. Interestingly, there are no hotels in the 12 S area, only Airbnb’s or VRBO’s. So, if you want to stay here and learn more about what is in 12 S check out my post on 12 South Neighborhood.
Bonus Stop: Before you leave Nashville, be sure to check out the Gaylord Opryland Resort. A beautiful resort with indoor atriums with a waterfall. This is a little outside of the city limits so you will need to Uber or drive here. Truly a spectacular place.
7. Day trip to Memphis, TN
Drive time from Nashville: 3 hours and 10 minutes
Memphis is only a little over 3 hours away from Nashville. Therefore, it’s super easy to take a day trip here or you can stay here before or after you visit Nashville.
We were planning to do a day trip here while in Nashville, but we were pretty tired of driving and opted not to go. If I could do it over again, I would’ve added another night to stay here before or after Nashville instead of trying to do a day trip. I really wish we could’ve gone, but oh well, we’ll just have to plan another trip to Memphis!
8. Stay in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown, Springfield, Illinois
Drive time from Nashville: 5 hours and 28 minutes
If you love history and anything to do with Abraham Lincoln, you will love Springfield, Illinois. You can visit his tomb, see the house that he lived in before he became president, and visit the Capitol where he did his famous speeches. Truly amazing.
When you visit his tomb at Oak Ridge cemetery, you can actually walk inside the mausoleum and see his gravestone. And I will admit, being that close to this legendary president is a pretty spectacular feeling.
Another thing that really surprised me about the Oak Ridge cemetery is that it has an amazing war memorial area. I know you are thinking, “war memorials, really?” But seriously, they are up there with the ones that are in Washington D.C.. For example, the Korean War memorial is a HUGE bell that actually spins and plays music. See picture below.
The other war memorials are just as interesting. And the best part? No crowds! At least there wasn’t when we were here. A must stop if you are in the area.
Downtown Springfield
Next, be sure to visit downtown Springfield as this is where you will really see Abraham Lincoln come to life.
His house and the town he lived in are available for free tours on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Old State Capitol building where he gave his “House Divided” speech is also available for free tours. Everywhere you walk in downtown has some cool remembrance to him.
If you are looking for a neat place to eat, check out Obed and Isaac’s restaurant and brewery. Located just down the road from Abraham Lincoln’s house, it’s the perfect place to hang out after exploring.
Lady’s tip: I would recommend staying in downtown if you stay overnight here. We stayed at Drury Inn and Suites, a little outside of downtown. (We stayed here as I was curious about staying at Drury Inn. They offer free breakfast and free dinner with 3 free alcoholic drinks, which was neat, but I would stay downtown if I could do it again.)
9. Final stop on the Minneapolis to Nashville Road trip!
We actually stayed at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort (Iowa) again on our last night. If you want to stay here, it is 3 hours and 21 minutes away from Springfield.
Otherwise, if you are looking to discover another town before you head home, here some other towns you can stay in for your last night:
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Madison, Wisconsin. Drive time from Springfield: 3 hours 43 minutes
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Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Drive time from Springfield: 4 hours 25 minutes
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Des Moines, IA. Drive time from Springfield: 4 hours and 48 minutes
Or if you didn’t want to stop and just wanted to head back to Hastings, MN (to Cruise America to drop off RV) it will be about a 7-hour and 19-minute trip.
Well, that’s the end of our Minneapolis to Nashville trip! I hope this helps you plan a road trip to Nashville! Have fun making those memories!
