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I am amazed to hear that you have driven from New York to Atlanta in a single day, and 'several times'! How many chambers are in your Russian Roulette gun? That's nearly 900 miles, the first portion through some of the worst traffic in America. You do realize that's half again as many miles as professional long-haul drivers are legally allowed to cover due to safety limits, don't you? And then you're plan is to drive another 500 miles the next day? Yes, I'd say there's a gotcha you're not considering. Such a plan is inherently unsafe, not only to you but to your wife and everyone who will be sharing the road with you.

Add to that the fact that Atlanta is not even on the most direct route from New York to New Orleans and your plan clearly needs some major adjustments. If you absolutely must get to New Orleans in two days, then you should take I-78 to Harrisburg, pick up I-81 south and I-40 west to Knoxville, use I-75 south and I-24 west to get to I-59 south out of Chattanooga, take I-20 west between Birmingham and Meridian, and finish up with I-59 south to New Orleans. That at least cuts a few miles off your trip and keeps you out of some major traffic. Your wife will have to remain awake during the entire trip to keep an eye on you and your overnight stay would be around Morristown TN, but that still leaves both driving days a bit over the limit placed on professional drivers.

AZBuck