College Station, TX to Orlando, Fl

Hi,

We are planning a trip to Orlando, Florida in May 2016 and we want to drive all the way there and back. The group will be two adults, a 5-year old, a 2-year old and a 5-month old. We won't be in a rush to either get there or back so we want to make of this a nice road trip (well, up to the point that we can take up to a week in each direction). So, we are looking for suggestions on what to visit and where to stop to sleep taking a couple of things into account. First, because we have the time, one could be tempted to take it slow and stop everywhere, but that is likely to be expensive in particular regarding lodging. So, we want to balance having a nice opportunity to travel along this south route together with not spending too much just because we are not in a rush. Second, we would like, if possible, to follow different routes and visit different places when driving in each direction. Of course, this is not a strict requirement as we might want to visit, say, New Orleans when driving on each way. Finally, places need to be family friendly, or at least not the exact opposite to family friendly.

Thanks.

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

A week each way may prove to be a bit much, especially with several small children. On the other hand, accommodations along the way would, I suspect, be generally cheaper than those you'll find near Disney World or the other major theme parks in the Orlando area. A decent compromise might have you taking four days each way (three nights' lodging) while spending most of one day in one place (like New Orleans) and taking a couple of two hour stops on each of the other days at various locations along the roads you choose. And yes, taking different routes east- and west-bound would definitely be in order.

So what might those two different routes look like? Let's start with an eastbound route more or less along the coast, putting the shoreline on 'your' side of the road for ease of access. Taking TX-6/US-290 into the Houston area and then I-10 eastbound would put you (with a reasonably early start) near the Texas/Louisiana state line for lunch after which you could spend some time exploring Sabine National Wildlife Refuge the Creole Nature Trail before continuing on to New Orleans. Then taking two days to get from New Orleans to Orlando, you might consider visiting Gulf Islands National Seashore and following the coastal roads (US-98 and US-27) which would take you to places such as Fort George Island State Park, Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, and/or Weeki Wachee Springs. Your overnight would be around Panama City FL.

Then on the way home, you could stay inland, taking I=75 north past Kanapaha Botanical Gardens with perhaps a short detour north from Lake City FL on US-441 to Okefenokee Swamp before using I-10 for a relatively rapid return home, or US-84 for a more leisurely drive through southern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to home.

AZBuck

Do you have good maps of the States you will traverse, or a good road atlas? If not you can get these at AAA (free to members), or buy a road atlas.

Then I would suggest you follow the advice in this paragraph:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AZBuck

Start with maps. Not GPS, not software, not Google, but real honest-to-god paper maps that show you your entire route, that you can mark up (and erase), that you can stick pins in, and that show something about the land you'll be driving through. Those are your essential tool in any RoadTrip planning process. Start by marking all the places you know you want to visit. Then connect the dots. Then look for more places of interest and scenic routes along the lines connecting the dots. Repeat until you've got as many sites and roads as you think you want.

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Good detailed maps have most of the natural, historical and touristy attractions marked on them. Scenic routes are also highlighted.

One thing which comes to mind - if it meets your interests - is the quilt musem in Chiefland FL, along US27. US 27 is a very pleasant way to get off the interstate. A most enjoyable drive from Tallahassee to Orlando, with lots of quaint small towns along the way.

Lifey

Thanks for the suggestions and yes, we are using a paper map to start planning.