Chicago burbs to Orlando

[4luv2cdisney]

We never stop, but if I was going to for the sake of visiting someplace else, the only places I'd be interested in stopping would be Nashville and/or Chattanooga. Maybe one on the way there and one on the way back?

Actually, we almost always start planning our trip with it including a day in Nashville. In the end, it never happens. We just want to get to WDW! So, I've decided to take my DDs to Nashville this summer. Everyone I've mentioned it to lately has told me how much they love it there.

As far as stopping for a place to shower, sleep and eat; My inlaws often vacation with us, but drive separately and they almost always stop in Macon and then get up early the next day to finish the drive. They do this when leaving the Chicago area as early as possible (anywhere from 3 am to 7am).

 

[LadyBeBop]

Any thoughts on good locations to stop on the way (NW Chicago to DW)? We are splitting up the drive into 2-3 days leaving on a Saturday morning and expecting to arrive on Monday. Would love to do some small sight seeing on the way. Thoughts?

Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky.

Just several miles off of I-65, it's a geological wonder. Take one of their 75 minute cave tours. It's enough to give you a taste of the caves; however it's not too much that it takes a large chunk off of the day.

Farther down I-65 in Bowling Green, KY is the Lost River Cave. You take a boat ride underground in a cave. Also worth it. And again, it doesn't take too terribly much time off the trip.

 

[grimley1968]

Any thoughts on good locations to stop on the way (NW Chicago to DW)? We are splitting up the drive into 2-3 days leaving on a Saturday morning and expecting to arrive on Monday. Would love to do some small sight seeing on the way. Thoughts?

Mammoth Cave has been mentioned. There are other things besides the cave in this area, though. The Corvette Museum in Bowling Green is one interesting stop. The sinkhole you may have heard about on the news swallowed up 8 priceless cars (all in the process of being repaired as much as possible), but it's being filled now, and the museum is still interesting.

 

[AaronInWI]

For baseball fans (or those who just like to see how things are made), there's the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. It is maybe a mile off of I-65. We are stopping there for the first time on our way home in September.

 

[Minniedap]

We have Six Flag season passes. Two years ago we broke up the trip by going to Six Flags Atlanta on our way home. Last year we stopped on the way down. Again this year we will stop on the way home. If you have the time it is a fun way to break up the trip. The Aquarium in Atlanta and the Coca-Cola company are also good places to visit.

 

[SixLetterMan]

We just got back from our trip to FL with a stop at WDW. Left Schaumburg at 4 am and made it to Atlanta that evening. Left Atlanta around 10 am and got to WDW in the afternoon. Have 2 toddlers so we had to make a few short stops every 3 hours or so.

 

[cruisingkat]

Any thoughts on good locations to stop on the way (NW Chicago to DW)? We are splitting up the drive into 2-3 days leaving on a Saturday morning and expecting to arrive on Monday. Would love to do some small sight seeing on the way. Thoughts?

Atlanta's zoo has pandas including the panda twins that were born last year.
The Atlanta Aquarium is also fantastic - much better than Shedd. The dolphin show there was really worth seeing. It is nothing like Brookfield Zoo's show where the dolphins just perform tricks -Atlanta's is a play (musical) with the dolphins as stars along with their trainers
We were glad we stopped last year.

 

[Ponza79]

We just got back from our trip to FL with a stop at WDW. Left Schaumburg at 4 am and made it to Atlanta that evening. Left Atlanta around 10 am and got to WDW in the afternoon. Have 2 toddlers so we had to make a few short stops every 3 hours or so.

Did you notice any major construction on the way? What route did you take to get down there? How bad was the police presence?

 

[SixLetterMan]

Did you notice any major construction on the way? What route did you take to get down there? How bad was the police presence?

The only construction that I remembered (back in May) was right before we hit Indy on I-65 and a little construction going into Louisville crossing the bridge. We left really early in the morning (4am) so we hit Indy around morning rush hour but we planned it so we stopped for breakfast. We ran into a little traffic heading into Chattanooga but that was during evening rush hour. We stopped at Sugar's BBQ for dinner during the rush hour though. Made it into Atlanta that evening but don't recall any major traffic or construction.

 

[SixLetterMan]

Did you notice any major construction on the way? What route did you take to get down there? How bad was the police presence?

I took I-294 to I-65 down to Nashville. Once we got to Nashville, we took I-24 to Chattanooga and then I-75 to Atlanta. As for police presence I only noticed them going to and leaving Indy and heading into Atlanta. I did see quite a few hanging out in Valdosta near the Florida border. I also saw quite a few on the Florida turnpike heading into Orlando. I hope this helps.

 

[SixLetterMan]

Atlanta's zoo has pandas including the panda twins that were born last year.
The Atlanta Aquarium is also fantastic - much better than Shedd. The dolphin show there was really worth seeing. It is nothing like Brookfield Zoo's show where the dolphins just perform tricks -Atlanta's is a play (musical) with the dolphins as stars along with their trainers
We were glad we stopped last year.

I second the Georgia Aquarium suggestion. It is the best aquarium I've been to, especially if you have little ones. I can sit and watch the whale sharks all day in their massive tank viewing room.

 

[Ponza79]

I took I-294 to I-65 down to Nashville. Once we got to Nashville, we took I-24 to Chattanooga and then I-75 to Atlanta. As for police presence I only noticed them going to and leaving Indy and heading into Atlanta. I did see quite a few hanging out in Valdosta near the Florida border. I also saw quite a few on the Florida turnpike heading into Orlando. I hope this helps.

Thanks so much yeah this helps a lot.

 

[cuteduck223]

I'm late to the party here! We are from about 45 minutes south of the city, and have driven several times. Our favorite is to leave between 3-5 pm and have a picnic dinner in the car before DD gets too antsy. She'll sleep, and DH sleeps too for the first part of the trip and usually takes over a little past half way. This gets us through atlanta before rush hour--which is our major concern.

Right now there is a lot of construction on 57, but its patchy, so it doesn't back up too bad. We usually go down 57/24/75 and then come back up 65, as traffic south of indy is never as bad as it is north.

Chattanooga is our half way point, and we do sometimes stop there on our way back, especially if we've stayed until after lunch at Disney.

 

[smidgy]

ok, I'll read throught the rest of this thread later.
we live in Carpentersville. so yu know how close we are. we ahve driven to wdw MANY times.

2 choices.. you can take I57 through Illinois, or you can take I65 through Indiana.

but NEVER NEVER NEVER !!! drive THROUGH Chicago!!!!! not necessary.


we like the 355 extension of Rt. 53. it is a really nice road. then you jump on 80 for a bit west and voila! you are on I57 sount,, you don't hit another city until Nashville....

and even then, we haven't driven THROUGH Nashville in years. jump on 155 the Briley Parkway. yes, there is about a mile where it turns into regular "city streets" with a couple stoplights. but then you can just pick up 24 and there you go.. next stop" Chatanooga!

some don't like I57.. the speed limit is lower (I think they might have changed that? we haven't drivin a few years, due to hubby Neob's vision)

if you choose the I65/Indidana route.. still do NOT go through Chicago!!!

you can take the 355 route top 80. only this time 80 east, to 65.
now that is the longer route. you can take the "hypoteneuse" 90 to 53 which becomes the 290 extension, and joins up with 294 and take that to 80/94 east.. (to I65 south)

one trip there was MASSIVE construction on 290, and we stayed on 90 t the tristate (294 south) and stayed on that until we hit 80/94.

WGN has a traffic app. you probably know there has bee construction on I90 for quite a while.

I would take rt. 72 or rt 20 to 53 south.. jum[p on that till it turns into 355. take 80 for about a mile west then take I57 south till nashville!!!!

 

[smidgy]

I haven't driven through Louisville recently, but I've read that there are some problems on I-65 between Indy and Louisville. Assuming you still go down I-65 to Indy, you might want to consider taking I-74 from Indy to Cincinnati, then getting on I-75 there and taking it all the way through Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. I-75 is a better road in Ky. & Tn. than I-65, with more 3-lane stretches, less construction, etc. And you avoid the mess around Louisville.

The time of day you drive around Cincy doesn't matter, since you'd be on I-275, which is nothing compared to Atlanta's or Chicago's loops, traffic-wise. I-75 kind of skirts around Lexington and there is a bit of a shortcut around Knoxville. Chattanooga isn't that bad for traffic, though I-75 does pretty much go right by it. I'd just make sure to be in Atlanta away from any rush hours.

I think if you enter Chattanooga on 75, you're good to go. We lost an hour there on 24 once though (right at rush hour). There is a HUGE hill on the East side of the city where 24 plugs into 75 and it really slows the big rigs. Traffic was backed up on 24 several miles West of Chattanooga.

no no.. you son't want to take 75 all the way. you are going way out of your way. the only timje we took 75 (74 from Indy Ti cincinnati.. which that route is really pretty, BTW) was when we were were puposely headed further east to drive alon th eatlantic and do a little beach time.

if you check the miles 75 all the way is much longer that either 65 south OR 57 south. always look for the hypoteneuse (the short cut in the triangle, as opposed to heading due west , then due south.. ie, the right angle)

and AGAIN!!! what ever way you go NEVER NEVER drive through Chicago proper. either take 355 or 290 t 0 294 r just 294.. to 80/ skip the city.

years ago, we used to leave a 2 or 3 am. we would be on I65, never have gone through the city, before rush hour.
also check IDOT.s web site. for construction

 

[smidgy]

hubby always liked to make it past atlanta the 1st day.. but I had a friend who always stayed in Chatanooga. you have rock city in cahatanooga and soem other attraction.. it'
s plastered on billboards for miles before. I wouldn't know.. nebo wouldn't stop except for gas ....mad rush to get to florida!! lol

 

[Minniedap]

We just got home last night from out trip. We left at 3AM (5 cars) and went through Chicago to I-65 then down I-75. We did not have any construction delays on the way down. There were a lot of police south of Atlanta. In Chicago one of our cars was pulled over going well over the speed limit and was given a warning. He stayed behind us the rest of the trip. South of Atlanta we must have texted him 6 times warning of a police car up ahead. They said by the time they got to that mile marker the officer had someone pulled over each time. On they way back we hit Nashville during lunch, very heavy traffic. The only bad construction was from Scottsburg, IN to Seymour, IN. We had a really good trip! It went better than expected for the size of our party.

 

[LadyBeBop]

no no.. you son't want to take 75 all the way. you are going way out of your way. the only timje we took 75 (74 from Indy Ti cincinnati.. which that route is really pretty, BTW) was when we were were puposely headed further east to drive alon th eatlantic and do a little beach time.

if you check the miles 75 all the way is much longer that either 65 south OR 57 south. always look for the hypoteneuse (the short cut in the triangle, as opposed to heading due west , then due south.. ie, the right angle)

I have a bias. I want people to take the Cincinnati route, because I want Disney travelers to stop here, spend some money and eat a Cincinnati chili cheese coney for lunch.

That said, it isn't much farther to go around Cincinnati on I-275 (our bypass) than to take I-65 through Louisville and Nashville. It's an additional 40 miles, but only about an additional 20 minutes. And regarding the I-57 route through Paducah, the time and distance are almost exactly the same. And you don't have to go through Nashville.

 

[Ponza79]

We just got home last night from out trip. We left at 3AM (5 cars) and went through Chicago to I-65 then down I-75. We did not have any construction delays on the way down. There were a lot of police south of Atlanta. In Chicago one of our cars was pulled over going well over the speed limit and was given a warning. He stayed behind us the rest of the trip. South of Atlanta we must have texted him 6 times warning of a police car up ahead. They said by the time they got to that mile marker the officer had someone pulled over each time. On they way back we hit Nashville during lunch, very heavy traffic. The only bad construction was from Scottsburg, IN to Seymour, IN. We had a really good trip! It went better than expected for the size of our party.

Minniedap
In your post you said you left at 3am. How long did it take for you to make it down there? Did you drive straight through?

 

[Detailor]

some don't like I57.. the speed limit is lower (I think they might have changed that? we haven't drivin a few years, due to hubby Neob's vision)

The I-57 speed limit is now 70 mph from a bit south of Chicago and on throughout the rest of Illinois.

Dick Taylor