Florida--Texas driving routes
 

We are moving home and have looked at several routes to get from Daytona Beach, FL to Dallas, TX. We will be driving a moving truck and car (separately, not towed) with 3 adults and a 1 yr old. We prefer "off the beaten path" routes to stay out of any heavy traffic and for better scenery. We've mapped out a path on either 90, 80, 84, or partway on 10 and then 20.

My questions are:
1. Any advice/thoughts on routes? (either the ones we are thinking of or any additional you can suggest)

2.Any suggestions for places to stay or eat along way?

3.Has anyone driven with a 1 yr old? Normally, we drive straight through (aside from gas and letting the dog out to "do her business"). How much stopping do you think we will need to do with a young toddler?

Thank you!

Um, for clarification, 10 and 20 are interstates, and 80, 84, and 90 are US Routes.

Right?

Considering you have a hobbit and all your stuff, I'd skip the scenic routes and barrel down the interstates as much as possible. I-20 tends to suck in Alabama and much of western Georgia, so going I-10 to Lafayette, LA, I-49 to Shreveport and I-20 to Big D may be the quickest route. I-10 is probably more scenic than I-20 -- I-10 goes through the Gulf Coast and I-20 goes through a bunch of nothing.

In my experience scenic/off the beaten path gets old after the 1st 1/2 day slowing down through every backwater town from here to there.

I agree with Russ - stick to the interstates to put some real miles on your odometer, and pick a few places to stop along the way to break up the trek.

This is about 17 hours of driving total, from mapquest. If you drove straight through with no stopping for baby, it would be two days of driving with a stop in Pensacola, Mobile, or Biloxi. However, with a 1 yr old I believe you should stop two nights, the first night perhaps Tallahassee, the second night New Orleans, and then the third night you'll be back in Dallas.

I'd take 40 through Ocala National Forest to Ocala, then I-75 up to I-10. Take I-10 west to I-49 north then I-20 west to Dallas.