Well, we drove from MN so a pretty similar trek, I would imagine. There is one place in Kentucky where you are going from one of the interstates to another. You cannot see a darn thing for miles and my DH always chooses to be on empty right about there. (Yes, this is a choice, because just before you get to the interchange, a few miles before there is a nice well lit gas station that he invariably passes by. Well, not after the little fit I had this last trip, but I digress.....) Anyway, I will figure out exactly where that is--Hwy #s and post again, but DON"T get off there.
Also, we personally found any roadside stop that was not a state rest stop in the entire state of GA to be really dirty. Tennessee was not too great either, but we have a new policy that we only go to the official rest stops in GA. Maybe we had bad luck, but for our midwestern way of thinking, they were creepy.
It is a good drive. Very pretty scenery. Depending on your route, it feels like it takes forever to get through IL. Of course, we feel that way about western WI too! No offense!! Getting to Madison just seems endless rolling hill after rollling hill.