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Plan to drive to Philly next week. Looking at the map, the obvious route is 40 east to Oklahoma City and Nashville. From Nashville I could go north to Louisville, Cincinnati and Columbus then take 70 all the way. Or stay on 40 and later 81. Any others? Which one goes through Smokey Mountains and how's the drive? Scenic roads are nice but they get tiresome if they are slow. It's a 2000 mile trek. I am not sure I know what I am up against.
I've done that drive (through fly-over country) a number of times. Interstate sucks, but it's the Least sucky way to cover that distance in any reasonable time-frame. Just my opinion, but it's worse when you're headed east too, you "lose" time with each time zone and have fewer good driving hours (eh, I'm old and don't like driving at night if I can help it).
As for the TN/VA section with 81, it's nice enough but still interstate. It doesn't get too slow, though there are some sections. The biggest issue is that it's 100 miles further, so you're adding nearly 2 hours of driving.
It's going to take you 2 Really long days... as in 5am till 11pm type days if you're willing to push that hard (I wouldn't recommend, even when young one big day was about all I could do though I did manage to drive Seattle to DC in 2 days and was wiped out for 3 more after arriving). 3 days would be ideal, and I like to stack mine longer up front. Maybe Joplin or Springfield the first day, Columbus-ish the 2nd day and you'd be home by lunch the 3rd day. Having an afternoon to "settle" is always a nice thing.
Thanks BM. People drive 80-85 in New Mexico and I am sure in Texas so I can cover a lot of grounds. Not sure what the speed limit is like further east. I am allowing 3 days. I am shooting for Oklahoma City as my first stop. It'll be a rental car, may be a RAV4. I've got to do this. Been wanting to do a cross country drive all my life. If I chicken out this time, I will never do it.
You could go I-40 to I-44, to I-70, to I-76, which would cut out a lot of winding through Appalachia. It's beautiful, but 600 miles of that can get tiring.
We often go from Detroit area to Dallas area. The best route (most direct) goes through Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. IN Missouri, there is a park called Meramec Cavern that is awesome. You can pitch a tent a few feet form the river, and they have one of the best cave tours I have been on. They also have a neat zip line course. You go through some mild mountains in Missouri that are quite pretty, but not fun in the snow and/or late at night. Most of the route is pretty flat abd bland.
We sometimes come up through Tennessee and visit friends in Franklin TN, then w e might stop at Cave City Kentucky and visit Mammoth Caves (I like Caves). Cave cit also has an old wig wam motel form the route 66 days, it is one of those things to do just for the experience. Cincinnati is neat to see/explore, and depending on your route, your might visit Hocking Hills Ohio. Plus if you go that way, you can detour to Toad Suck Park in Arkansas (a place you need to say you went to, even if there is not much there). North of Cincinnati there is not much in Ohio unless you go along the river. PA has some nice small mountain areas that are pretty and have quaint little towns to visit. I think you might also cut through West Virginia. if you get off the highway and onto the mountain roads, it can be quite an experience.
You should cover good ground the entire trip. Your lucky you don't have to drive in the snake pit known as the NE corridor.
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