Any suggestions?

I don't think Detroit-Louisville is 10 hours.. more like 6, unless you stop every half hour. Mapquest shows the drive as 5 hours, 50 mins.
Then, Birmingham is about 6 hours from Louisville.. SoWal maybe another 5?

Thanks amylouky. They are about 1 hour outside of Detroit, but from what you say, it looks like I messed up somehow with mapblast. Perhaps those cities are the best choices to stop for the night after all!

Thanks amylouky. They are about 1 hour outside of Detroit, but from what you say, it looks like I messed up somehow with mapblast. Perhaps those cities are the best choices to stop for the night after all!

If they stop in Louisville, the Slugger museum/factory tour is a good way to kill a few hours. Hope they have fun!

Then, Birmingham is about 6 hours from Louisville.. SoWal maybe another 5?

Yup. SoWal is 10 Hr. from Memphis and Birmingham is exactly 1/2 way on that drive, by miles or distance.

Thanks for the help and for the suggestion about the Slugger Museum too! I see that I did mess up on Mapblast... Good thing that when we drive, I'm the driver...not the navigator!

Fly.

Which interstate would you be coming into Louisville on your trip? 71 from Cincinnati?

When come from about 30 minutes from Detroit and when we drive (we usually fly into Panama city or Fort Walton Beach), we try to drive all the way to Montgomery with the kids watching videos (our more refined friends get books on tape), stay at a hotel in Montgomery, and then get up and get going around 7:00 a.m. which gets us to SoWal before lunch. We don't like driving between Montgomery and SoWal late at night. There aren't many stops, gas stations,etc. during that last leg of the trip.

Which interstate would you be coming into Louisville on your trip? 71 from Cincinnati?

Yes, 71 from Cincinnati to Louisville.

Cheering472 and Paula, I hear you. Fly! We actually offered to fly them out for a visit. They said they were worried about the children and the stop-over in Atl. I really don't understand why they'd rather drive. It seems like such a long, long trip to make with two little ones in tow. I told a friend about the strange turn our invitation had taken. She said "Well they're both lawyers and you know you can't tell a lawyer anything." You know, I really couldn't think of anything valid to say to refute her statement in light of what I just told her. Foot in mouth disease! I hope it's just that they are still young enough to want an "adventure". I am worried about them driving at night during the last leg. They have promised they'll only drive during daylight hours. I'm thankful for that.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

I say fill those younguns full of NyQuil and make it a non-stop drive ...What is there to see in Louisville?

Whitesands:

We used to drive with our kids but we burned them out on one trip when we drove from Michigan to Massachusetts to Florida and back to Michigan. Since then, we've flown. We much prefer to fly, though every now and then I think driving would be fun. But I wouldn't drive that last 3-3.5 hours in the dark. There's really no one around and I thought it was kind of scary. But, of course, many people do it and I'm quite the chicken anyway.

I say fill those younguns full of NyQuil and make it a non-stop drive ...What is there to see in Louisville?

The Newport Aquarium (just across the river from Cincinnati) is a good place to see, also. It would be a great 2 hour or so stop, if the kids are getting rowdy..

I say fill those younguns full of NyQuil and make it a non-stop drive ...What is there to see in Louisville?

"We're gonna strap them kids in give 'em a little bit o' Benadryl
And a cherry coke we're goin' to Oklahoma Gonna have us a time"

- James McMurtry, "Choctaw Bingo"

Thanks, Amylouky. I'll mention the Newport Aquarium to them.

Paula, many, many moons ago, we drove to New England in the fall. The drive down the Boston Post Road (Hwy 1, I believe) was amazingly beautiful. I have fond memories of eating at Thompson's (sp) Clam Bar too, where purportedly, the Kennedy clan used to eat occasionally. The seafood was wonderful, as I'm sure you know. Didn't ever drive to Florida until two years ago. I know what you mean about not wanting to drive the last few hours in the dark. We hit Nashville the first night (stay at the Sheraton Music City) and then aim for the beach house to arrive at about 4:00 pm the next day. So far, it has worked out well.

Thanks everyone, for all the suggestions. I'll think we'll pass on the NyQuil/Benadryl idea though...

whitesands:

If I could have a place other than SoWal (SoWal is my first choice), it would be along the coast of New England, probably Maine. Problem is that it's so darn cold there much of the year. I lived in Rockport and Portland, Maine, for a few years a while ago - living in Rockport was like living in a postcard. The lobsters, mussels... sigh... I'm originally from Western Massachusetts -- that's pretty nice, too, though no ocean.

whitesands:

If I could have a place other than SoWal (SoWal is my first choice), it would be along the coast of New England, probably Maine. Problem is that it's so darn cold there much of the year. I lived in Rockport and Portland, Maine, for a few years a while ago - living in Rockport was like living in a postcard. The lobsters, mussels... sigh... I'm originally from Western Massachusetts -- that's pretty nice, too, though no ocean.

Oh Paula, Rockport! We love Cape Ann...a postcard indeed! In fact, our home (which was built over 30 years ago now) is a Cape Ann design, complete with gambrel roof. On the weekend, I mulled over your idea of "if I could have a place other than SoWal..." where would it be. Though some areas of the coast of California are very appealing, I have to agree with your second choice. Somewhere along the coast of New England would be my second choice...even with the long, cold winters Just to clarify, we don't own a place in the Panhandle.

What gets to us here are the long, dreary months of the mostly dull, brown/grey weather of our winters. It can get depressing at times. I think (though perhaps I'm waxing nostalgic) I'd prefer snow, and lots of it, to the brown/grey winters we experience here. We have two small grandchildren now...so lots of memories to build with them. My first choice would be SoWal too though! Such a gorgeous, gorgeous place, even in the winter time We're looking forward to showing our children and grandchildren your beautiful beaches.