Huntsville has the Space Center - but your kids might be a little young for that.
Birmingham has a decent zoo - my girls always liked to spend the morning there when they were little - take a picnic and toss in the Botanical Gardens right across the road and you are good to go. There are plenty of decent motels and restaurants there - most anything on the southside of B'ham should be fine -
There really aren't alot of small towns along that stretch. Cullman - but that wouldn't be my choice...
maybe Oak Mountain State Park south of Bham but I don't know what facilities are there. (And I don't think it is off 65.)
On your way to Florida - after you pass Montgomery (assuming you take 85 at that point) stop at Fort Deposit at the Priester's Pecan store for a potty stop/snack - they have candy for the tasting and ice cream for purchase.

Also Bates' House of Turkey for lunch or Chilton County farm stand for peaches.

Here is a link to OMSP:
http://tinyurl.com/33av6a
It is a nice place but I've not been in years. I IS on I-65.

Joe Wheeler State Park near Huntsville is also very nice. Google AL parks & you'll see lots of links.

Another must stop is Peach Park at exit 205 (don't confuse it with the one with the big Peach water tower).
They have a mini strolling park & great BBQ & baked goods & a fruit bar & you can get it with yogurt or ice cream - YUM!

http://www.peachpk.com/

Thanks for all the great suggestions.
We chose Birmingham for the
night. Would Pelham be too
far out of town, or is there
a really Safe part of the town
you could recommend to find
a hotel in. We had a bad
experience in Chicago, and
now fear big towns.

This place is nothing special, but we stayed there a couple times in order to be convenient to a niece's graduation at Montevallo & later her wedding on the grounds at Montevallo.

No undesirable situations observed there during either stay. Sits in sight of I-65.

Holiday Inn Express
CLANTON

We have stayed at the Drury Inn in Birmingham on two separate occasions, 2005 and 2006. It is on Lakeshore Drive, exit 255 off I-65. We felt safe here. The area is very commercialized with lots of restaurants and shopping. We like Drury Inns because of their "freebies" like drinks for the adults in the evenings and hot breakfast in the morning. This one has an indoor/outdoor pool as well.

I can't help you much with activities in the area as Birmingham was just an overnight stop on our way to the Florida panhandle.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!

I live in Birmingham, so maybe I can help.

You want a cabin on a lake with great museum, good zoo, and something for history buffs, right? Sounds like a tall order, but you might just find it here.

If you have a day or two for some activities while you’re here you might want to stay closer into town, which would include Birmingham (south side), Homewood, Mountain Brook, Cahaba Heights, Vestavia Hills, and some parts of Hoover. If not, or if you don’t’ mind a 30 minute drive or so, Pelham or Alabaster would be fine.

You mentioned a cabin on the lake but also mentioned museums. Most of the better outdoor activities are in the southern suburbs, while most of the more cultural activities are in the city itself.

The Drury Inn is a good choice, not central to the city but it is in a location very close to not only the interstate but also to a lot of restaurants and shopping. Birmingham isn’t that large so nothing is that far from the city center. But the Drury Inn is not off of Lake Shore Drive. It is at Hwy 280 and I-459. It is undergoing renovations that are supposed to be complete by the end of May. It is a fairly new hotel, so I would not think the renovations are extensive.

I think Oak Mountain State Park would be a better good choice. There isn’t a hotel within the park, but there are cabin. There is a lake in the park, but the cabins are not on the lake. It is right off of I-65, and there will be a lot of outdoor activities for the kids, as well as for the adults if you are outdoor enthusiasts. Great hiking trails, mountain bike trails, a small man-made beach for the kids where you can rent canoes and paddle boats, a petting zoo, horseback riding, and a golf course (although there are much better courses elsewhere in Birmingham). Because it is right off of I-65 it is also convenient to downtown including the museum and the civil rights institute.

Things you might want to do/see while here are:
-The civil rights museum
-Vulcan Park
-The museum
-The zoo, and across the street, the botanical gardens

All of the above are in Birmingham itself or the adjoining suburbs of Homewood or Mountain Brook. But, Birmingham is pretty small so even the furthest southern suburbs like Pelham or Alabaster are probably only about 20-30 miles away.

Birmingham is much more of a great place to live than it is a tourist destination. Those of us who live here do so because we love the small city feel and enjoy the outdoors. It is very safe and the people are very hospitable. We also have some great restaurants, but with young children that may not be a consideration.

Dana: A google search does show one on (or right) off Lakeshore Dr. It looks like you are both correct, as there are two Drury Inns in B'ham.

You're right OSB. I didn't know there was a second Drury Inn. Thanks for the correction.

I just looked it up on mapquest, and the location on Lakeshore looks like it's right across from Wildwood. This location would be very convenient to downtown museums and other attractions.