Driving from Illinois... any good rest area's?

[jodim]

We are leaving Sunday after my niece's First Holy Communion and we'll be taking I-57 to I-24 to I-75.

Can anyone recommend any good places to stop with kiddos?

They will need to run / play a bit after being stuck in the car so long!

 

[KY*Figment]

Congrats on your niece's Holy Communion. My oldest will have hers next Sunday. We live in north western KY 45 minutes south east of Evansville, IN so the interstates we are on is I-65, I-24, then I-75 but I am familiar with some of the KY stops because I went to college off of I-75 and was just in that are a few weeks ago. The problem on all of these is I don’t know exit numbers. I also added some did you know things. My sister-in-law is from PA and she says when you cross into KY from Ohio the ascents become really southern and everyone is very nice. She has a hard time w/ no one from KY knows a stranger. She likes to stay to herself.

*Crossing the Ohio River from Ohio to KY
Did you know: Cincinnati Airport is actually in KY.?
Did you know: The large white water tower you will see in the city of Florence will say “Florence Ya’ll. It did not begin that way. It originally said Florence Mall but it was against regs to advertise a mall on gov’t property so rather than repainting the entire thing they just edited the M to make a Y and put in an apostrophe.

Okay, it will be a bit of a boring stretch from Florence to Lexington. Stop at the last Lexington exit and this will be called Athens/ Boonsboro exit also Richmond Road, I think the number is exit 418. There is fast food and a Super Fuel or something like that. It is pretty lit up and the bathrooms a few weeks ago were clean.

Leaving Lexington.

You will see Ft. Boonsboro and this appears to be a safe town.
Also, you will cross the KY River. Did you know there is a fault line underneath the bridge? If you go on the cat walk (illegal) you can see where the rock is divided. I’m scared of heights so I’ve never seen it w/ my own eyes.

You will upon Richmond- Home of the EKU Colonels. You are pretty safe stopping at any exit. EKU is where they train police of KY. At exit 87 Lancaster/ Richmond Exit there is a Comfort Suites that we stayed at. It was good. It has a Chick Filet at this exit and believe it had a Play Land. Everything in this area is pretty new. I love Richmond.

Leaving Richmond.

You will drive through Renfrow Valley are. George Jones always sang there and think Dwight Yocum & Travis Tritt did too. I’m not a big country fan so I could be off on names.

You will then drive through London, KY there use to be a large truck stop called something like Dawg Hollow. A few years ago it was old but clean. They served plate lunches and desserts. I didn’t eat there but it was pretty busy at lunch.

You will eventually come to Corbin, KY. This is the home of the first KFC when Colonel Sanders and his wife cooked it & served you. My mom ate there as a kid and remembers his wife. For the people in KY that reads this I can only say this is what a friend told me: Allegedly this is the home of one of the first KKK chapters. I don’t know if this is true.

Once you get into TN I don’t know of anything until you are leaving TN. When you cross from TN to GA, you will be in TN then GA then TN then GA. The very last TN exit/ the one after it there is quite a few stops. It has an A&W/ Long John Silver Combo and quite a few lit up gas stations.

Through GA we try to get through it while the kids are sleeping. It is the most boring stretch and the longest. If you don’t go through Atlanta late at night just plan to be in traffic. Even if you try to find your way around it you will have traffic. We like driving through there late at night. It’s a pretty city.

Once you get into FL the first FL rest stop actually has a Burger King in it. It appears to be clean and lit up. It always has someone working there. You won’t find that in the middle of night in KY or GA.

I always buy a new moving to take on the trip. They will watch it at least twice during our 12 to 14 hour trip.

Have a fun & safe trip.