Flying from Yakima, WA to Atlanta, GA

[John Young]

Hello all

I'm new to this site and had the pleasure of meeting the creator at the KC Downtown airport this evening while taking a lesson from Charlie Mitchell in one of his cubs. I'm getting recurrent after a spell of flying non-tailwheel airplanes. I am doing this to accompany my older (more experienced) brother to pick up his newly refurbished Cub from Cub Crafters in Yakima, WA. We will be flying the aircraft from Yakima to just south of Atlanta, GA beginning this Sunday.

Steve Johnson told me about this site and said that you gentlemen might have some suggestions for a few fun stops enroute. Our route will be Yakima to Kansas City to Atlanta. I live in KC and my brother in Atlanta where the airplane will be kept (darn it!) We are taking camping gear and fly fishing rods with us...any suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Clay Hammond]

Hi John,

where in Atlanta? I live down in the Griffin, work at the airport in Peachtree City. Maybe see y'all around Not sure about stops, Dyersburg, TN has a nice restaurant on the field if your going through that area (NW TN). I always heard Creve Couer (sp?) was a nice place to stop in Missouri. If you don't mind going a little out of your way, there's a great BBQ place in Owensboro, KY called the Moonlight. Best BBQ you'll eve fly into eat. FBO there will give you a ride. There is a Lamberts in Sikeston, MO that will pick you up at the FBO and drive you to the restaurant, take you through the back door straight to a table, no waiting.

 

[rrb]

you could probably also camp up at kentucky lake park on the tenn-ky border. If you consider stopping in the Nashville area let me know.

 

[Steve Pierce]

It will be a fun trip I am sure. Bring a camera and take lots of pics. I brought a Clipper to Texas from Vancouver, WA a few years ago and had a hoot.

 

[sj]

Hi John,

Pleasure to meet you yesterday, hope you had fun with Charlie in 197T. I know several guys that have flown back that route that are on the site, hopefully you will get a suggestion of place or two to stay along the way.

sj

 

[Clay Hammond]

Gaston's in southern Missouri is another great place to stop, especially if you like fishing. Grass strip, down in a valley, its a pretty neat approach. They have cottages and a restaurant, really good food.

 

[Jerry Gaston]

John Put Fish lake in your gps and plan on spending a night or two its good fishing and the camping is great. It is located in Idaho and can be found on the Greatfalls Sectional. Feel welcome to stop by Bozeman on your way we can sure put you up or recommend and great place to camp. Since my cub is in Alaska now i have room in my hanger for an overnighter. You can call me at 406-586-0588(ofc)539-0588 (cell)

 

[S2D]

Straight line puts you thru Afton Wyo. you could stop by and see how they build Husky's. Interesting to see even if you don't plan on owning one. Flyover of Yellowstone Park is well worth it. But better check the regs. Don't know what is allowed anymore. Jackson Hole Grand Tetons worth a flyby. If you go by Greybull Wyo, you could stop and crawl thru H&P's old bombers. Spearfish SD is nice. C-180 fly-in weekend of Sept 11. Tour Black hills and go gamble in old mining towns of Lead-Deadwood. Fly by MT Rushmore (carefully). Nice Hostsprings spa in Thermopolis Wyo if you overnight there. Could take a month to get home if you do it right. One serious suggestion. If you plan on overnighting in one of the remote mountain strips, Make sure you leave a message with someone exactly which one you are going to and when to expect to hear from you again. A mishap there is a long way from anyone and may take days or weeks for someone to find you.

 

[Clyde G. Davis]

BarbeQ

The best barbeque I've ever found can be had in the FBO/terminal building at Drake Field, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Line personnel are great also. I've flown out of my way twice now to go there. ...Clyde

 

[85Mike]

I second Jerry's suggestion of Fish Lake. One of my favorite places in the lower 48. It's located between the Lochsa and Selway rivers SW of Lolo pass. If you camp overnight be careful with your salt shaker. I spilled some salt while cooking dinner one evening and was kept awake all night by the elk fighting over the spilled salt. They can litterally smell it from a mile away and get pretty agressive when they find it! Also one of the best places to see moose. I've been there many times and my wife just sits in a lawn chair by the lake looking at the moose. At 5600 ft elevation be aware of the density altitude. It can be pretty nasty. Beautiful spot!!
Mike

 

[John Young]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions! I need to get out the sectionals to see where these places are located.

I need to digest all the data and I may ask some more specific questions...sounds like Fish Lake is the place to go and many others!

John

 

[slowmover]

Did a similar trip a few months ago. I look for gas and grass strips, like any super cub pilot who has to live in the Outside.

I did the Idaho thing, or at least a little bit of it. Spent a night in Salmon -- nice place. Also Dillon MT has a nice FBO and there's a friendly Cub driver at Bozeman who will probably buy you a beer if you stop there.

I also stopped in Afton to look at the Huskys. Next place I went that I would recommend is Lander Wyoming. After that (skipping a few paved strips) I think you might want to stop at Martin Field (7K8) outside Sioux City, Iowa. Land on the grass beside the runway. Very friendly taildragger place. Chamberlain SD has a nice grass runway and a crusty old spray pilot on field, but their gas is pretty steep.

There's a good grass strip on an airfield south of Kansas City at Gardner (K34). I'd stop there. Then, as someone mentioned, go to Gaston's, although it is actually in Arkansas (not Missouri). They have an excellent restaurant, gas, an awesome lodge, and the scenery is pretty dang good. Plus they have a nice grass strip. You need to go there just to say you went.

Once you get a little closer to Hotlanta, another great stop is Lebanon Tennessee, just east of Nashville. Great FBO, grass strip, and gas. Moontown near Huntsville is rumored to be good, but never been there. Finally, Tullahoma Tennessee has a nice grass strip, a few cub drivers on the field, and a Beech museum.

If for some reason you wind up in Abilene Texas, there's hanger space at 6F4 and I'll provide the beer at that establishment. And that goes for any of you cub drivers with guts enough to attempt a landing on the smooth 3200' grass strip that I call home.

I'm sure you know about airnav.com, but I never leave home without it.

Have a good trip.

 

[Clay Hammond]

Gaston's, although it is actually in Arkansas (not Missouri).

Thanks for the correction, I had forgotten, took a guess. Been into Moontown, AL (about 20 or so WNW of Huntsville), neat little grass strip, cheap gas, little restaurant across US 72 (about 1/4 mile). Some neat airplanes on the field. Its quaint and "down home". Real nice people.

 

[John Young]

Clay,

My brother (Don) lives in Newnan, GA, however, he is going to keep the plane about 1 hour south...can't remember the name of the airfield. You have great suggestions...I've been to a couple tooling around the Missouri/Arkansas area. I've stayed at Gasston's and you're right on the money.

Don is already out in Yakima taking delivery of the airplane and I am joining him on Saturday...time to start the adventure.

John

 

[Cajun Joe]

Hey John,
While your brother is giving you some back seat time, keep a journal of your trip and tell us about it when you settle back down.

 

[John Young]

Will do!

 

[Stickman]

Hello

For once I'm a little sorry I'm in Alaska, I live about a mile from Cubcrafters. It would have been nice to show a little Yakima hospitality.

Cubcrafters buildes an exceptional airplane.

Have a great trip. By all means Fish Lake is a great place.

Jim