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I know it sounds crazy but we'll be driving from Cary to Houston in June with 4 kids ages 3-11 and a large (75lb) dog. Google Maps says to take I-85 through Atlanta and Alabama and then I-65 through to Houston.
Does anyone know this route? Can you give any thoughts on best places to stay or places to stop that might be interesting to let the kids stretch their legs? I'd prefer to stay in a vacation house to a hotel but I'm having a hard time finding one that will both take the dog and let us do a one night rental during peak season.
it's dull and uninteresting....you can stop and look at the alligators in Lousiana but that's about it...I think that drive is pretty manageable for one day...you might not even have to stay overnight...
Yikes! I did the drive pre-kids, so no helpful suggestions for fun stops for the family.
We went through Atlanta, then down to I-10 and stayed the night in New Orleans (many many years ago).
I could not imagine going further than that in one day with a car full of kids and a dog! I think that took us 14 or 15 hours just to get to New Orleans.
Maybe the 65 is a lot more direct??
I agree, there was not a lot to see along the way as far as I remember...
I-85 through Atlanta to Montgomery, then I-65 to just west of Mobile, then I-10 through New Orleans and thence Houston.
That'a a long haul with that kind of crowd, but McDonald's, Burger King etc. with play areas will be your good friends.
Bless your heart. Could you take another adult to keep you sane?
Did the drive in 2009 from Raleigh with my wife and two pre-teen boys.
First of all, it's not a one-day drive with the combination of passengers you described. I sort of cap each daily segment at around 600 miles because that's about twelve hours with the various stops you'll need to make for food, fuel and leg stretching and that's plenty enough. I also prefer to avoid Atlanta so we took I-40 into Tennessee and headed south on 59 (on the way home we took secondary roads through the mountains which was shorter mile-wise but not a time saver). And the half-way point is roughly Birmingham where there's plenty of hotels and shopping.
As for stops along the way it depends on what you're looking for. Driving through the mountains there are multiple scenic overlooks. You could spend a few hours in the Pigeon Forge area (did that five years ago when driving from New York to Houston with a then 9 and 6 year old). Right near the Tennessee-Alabama-Georgia border is Lookout Mountain which is really neat for the kids. Plus once you're on I-10 you're driving through real swamps on a road that runs forever without many exits - my kids loved checking out that scene. And there's plenty of retail along the way for food and air-conditioned leg stretches. Also you should check out Natchez Trace for part of the drive either way - it's a slower road but really interesting and one of our countries hidden treasures. We're also road warriors as a family and enjoy much of the odd things you see along the way (drove past this massive configuration of buildings in Mississippi that was a Nissan plant - we still talk about how huge a complex it was).
I think rides like this are what you make of it. If you're inclined to see nothing that's what you'll see. However we're always fascinated by seeing different parts of the country and consider these sort of drives as a chance to discover more of America. But maybe I'm the wrong person to ask because we're planning to drive to California hopefully this coming Summer (trying to see all 50 states before the kids strike out on their own).
Best advice I can give you is try to avoid Atlanta at rush hour, unless you like sitting in traffic for hours. I'd make a point to get a hotel in or around Atlanta, maybe check out the Coca-Cola museum or the Underground Mall if you're near downtown.
Also, perhaps an alternative to I-85 could be I-95 South to Florence, SC, get on I-20 and take it to Atlanta and get on I-85 there. With this you'll avoid traffic in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Greenville, SC. I-20 will take you through Columbia and Augusta, and a bunch of countryside with some small towns along the way.
If you do decide to take I-85, you're in luck if you like outlet malls (one in Gaffney, the other somewhere north of Atlanta, don't remember the town's name). To be honest I can't think of too many interesting places along either route. I've never been through the Deep South west of Atlanta and I've never taken I-20 west of Columbia. I'm sure Mobile, Alabama and Biloxi, Mississippi are somewhat interesting sights to see for passer-throughers.
We made that trip last summer and it's definately a two-day drive even if you're not stopping except for food. Traffic in Atlanta was a nightmare, and we said next time we'd try the 40 West to 75 to 59 South route just to avoid it. It might be a bit longer, but with the time spent crawling through Atlanta, it probably evens out. My parents drove here via that route and said it was a really nice, scenic drive. Or if you have time, you could stay on 40W and go through Nashville and Memphis and then south on 55. If you do some quick internet searches, you'll find plenty of interesting stops along any of those routes.
As for I-10 through Louisiana into Texas, I'd recommend a stop at the Acadian Village in Lafayette: Home. Then if you like Cajun food, be sure to stop in Crowley at the Boudin King Cajun Way Restaurant. The gumbo was awesome (very spicy!). It's very casual. Address is 1805 N. Parkerson Ave. 70526. From I-10, head into Crowley and it'll be on the right - maybe a mile from I-10. Also, the Texas Welcome/Travel Center is a nice one. It has a little boardwalk nature trail with interpretive exhibits.
Thanks for all the information. I just spoke with the travel agent at AAA. She said that if we travel on Sunday we won't have any problem with traffic in Atlanta. Our travel times are flexible so we will probably plan to get through Atlanta on Sunday and maybe get as far as Alabama. I don't mind the driving so much, but I HATE sitting for hours in traffic. The agent said that avoiding Atlanta is almost impossible unless you want to go several hours out of your way.
She said that if we travel on Sunday we won't have any problem with traffic in Atlanta.
I go to Dega every year and have been through Atlanta at every possible hour. There is no good time to go through there! Sometimes better than others, but never good.
We made that trip last summer and it's definately a two-day drive even if you're not stopping except for food. Traffic in Atlanta was a nightmare, and we said next time we'd try the 40 West to 75 to 59 South route just to avoid it.
Where is highway 59? Now I'm thinking we might take the western route to avoid Atlanta. With all the pretty scenery I would think it would be much more interesting and the kids would spend more time looking at things rather than being bored. Probably more places to stop as well.
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