I'm going to take my family (me, DH, DD15, DD11 and DS2) to Eastern Ohio to visit relatives. We took this trip once before, in 2007, and really loved it. Turns out the kids don't remember much from that trip--Mount Rushmore is the boldest of their road memories--and so we will drive it again.

I'd love some tips on picking our route and choosing what to see. I've got books, maps and have been searching the forums for ideas, but it's frankly overwhelming. Some thoughts from experienced cross-country travelers on what's worth the detour and what isn't would help. And of course, it is all subjective, but here are some of the things we like:

Mount Rushmore--loved it, want to see it again
ghost towns and well-preserved turn of the century towns
pie
roadside kitsch
caves
microbreweries
places made famous on screen, big or small
water (lakes, rivers)

We're going to give ourselves three weeks or so to get there, visit our family, and drive home. I don't like to drive at night and with the little guy, we can't do any huge mileage days, so we have to break it up.

thanks for any and all input!