Just a thought, but for those that live in the far Western Suburbs, my family likes taking route 47 south to 74 near Champaign, then taking that to Indianapolis where we pick up 65 and go south.
Yes, 47 can be filled with trucks, but the congestion lessens after Morris. We have been known to take the farm roads and then get on 47 closer to Morris. There isn't really much difference in time for us.
We have taken the 88 to 355 to 80 to 65 route, and find taking 47 works better for us. Invariably, until we are in "driving" mode, someone has to stop within the first two hours, and no one can time their bladders to all go at once. Just easier to stop when the gas station is right off the road. Also, gas prices are sooooo much cheaper in Dwight and other points south! I always use Gasbuddy to route our fill-ups!
There are two reasons we don't like taking 80 to 65. One, traffic congestion. We have been delayed two hours due to traffic problems near the IL/IN border.
Two, if you aren't paying attention, it is easy to miss the 65 exit, and instead find yourself in Michigan.
Don't laugh, it has happened more than once. Invariably, I have been busy doing something, like grabbing food or a drink or dealing with unruly children, and DH misses the exit. He blames trucks blocking his view of the signs. Perhaps he should drive with more distance between trucks
, or pay attention when I tell him which exit number, but that discussion is for another time.
My DH has also missed the exit when driving on his own. Or perhaps Michigan is really calling him? Either way, we both prefer the less stressful start to a trip, so the 47 route south imparts less stress. And if there is a road blockage, the farm roads are easy bypasses, just take a good map.
Staying south of Atlanta is a great idea. We always drive straight through ATL, on advice of a friend that lives in that city. She says the bypass takes longer and has more delays. As long as you time Atlanta to avoid rush hour, the through route is fine. During rush hour, all routes are awful.
By the time we make it to the McDonough area of GA, we are ready to be done with driving and in the mood for a swim. We have also stayed in Macon and south of there, in Warner Robins. For my family, that was just way too much time driving. We like driving all over the country, but not too set an endurance record. We like it because we get to see things and enjoy each other's pleasant company. When we are all crabby from driving or sitting too much, there is no pleasant company.
Oh, I have a recommendation of a place to visit on the drive south (or north!). Lane Packing (
http://www.lanepacking.com/ ), south of Atlanta on 75. It is about a 5 mile drive off the highway, but a great place to relax, run around, and eat some tasty fruit. We also stock up on other tasty treats. Just a suggestion if you are a family that likes the road trip to be a "trip", not just a "get there" thing. Some kids (and adults!) might just be too excited to see Disney to take time for any stops!
Safe travels!
DH was amazed when he woke up from his nap and realized how far into FL we were at that point!
Glad to read all these helpful hints. Planning on taking the 57 route through IL. Hope there's some decent rest stops on the way, since we'll have a 5 y.o and almost 2y.o who will NEED to run around and kick a ball at least once on this trip. HAHA. Planning on leaving around 4 am and heading down. Sounds like stopping around Macon, GA should be the way to go.
