My first road trip from Charlotte to Dallas

Hello Guys,

I'm planning for my first long road trip from Charlotte to Dallas. I'm traveling with my wife and my 2 years old daughter and I'll be the lone driver.

I'm thinking of the following route with overnight stops.

Charlotte - Bessemer, AL (approx 400 miles)
Bessemer - Vicksburg, MS (approx 300 miles)
Vicksburg - Dallas (approx 400 miles)

Any suggestions from the experts will be really appreciated.

Welcome to RTA!

One of the first thing I noticed about your plan is that it's well-planned as far as mileages are concerned. You've also positioned yourself on the opposite side of Birmingham (in Bessemer), to avoid the rush hour on your departure the following morning.

My suggestion now would be to look at the maps and see where you could find places to get out and stretch every couple of hours, and let her run as well (other than interstate rest areas).

Are you planning to do any sightseeing in Vicksburg? Such beautiful homes there, and of course there is the national military battlefield (which has some lovely lawns for your daughter to play on and run).

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask us. So far, though, it seems like you're doing a great job in planning!


Donna

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

First of all, congratulations on taking three days rather than just two for this RoadTrip. While you could get to Dallas safely in two, taking three will let you take some time to both attend to your daughter and enjoy some time off from driving. And I actually think your planned stops are much closer to evenly spaced than you're giving yourself credit for.

So what else can we tell you...? A few examples of places to stop along the highway perhaps, or some quiet, lesser known attractions that are (more or less) on your way such as the Mississippi Petrified Forest or the site where Bonnie and Clyde got gunned down. We could also warn you about the nightmare that is Atlanta traffic although the major problem seems to now be fixed and you shouldn't be going through at rush hour.

Anything else in particular you were hoping to find out?

AZBuck

Thank you Donna for the quick response. You're right. Going by normal human ability, 400 miles will take around 8 hours drive including breaks. That will give my daughter enough time to play and stay cheerful throughout the journey.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AZBuck

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

First of all, congratulations on taking three days rather than just two for this RoadTrip. While you could get to Dallas safely in two, taking three will let you take some time to both attend to your daughter and enjoy some time off from driving. And I actually think your planned stops are much closer to evenly spaced than you're giving yourself credit for.

So what else can we tell you...? A few examples of places to stop along the highway perhaps, or some quiet, lesser known attractions that are (more or less) on your way such as the Mississippi Petrified Forest or the site where Bonnie and Clyde got gunned down. We could also warn you about the nightmare that is Atlanta traffic although the major problem seems to now be fixed and you shouldn't be going through at rush hour.

Anything else in particular you were hoping to find out?

AZBuck

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Thanks AZBuck for providing the links. I'm amazed to see so detailed collection.