Michigan to gulf coast, AL trip in need of tips

[022minihaha]

We are going in a spring break vaca and would like to know of any scenic routes or places that are a must see along the way(and back). We have some extra time and are driving. We have five daughters. Two about to go off to college and three that are in elementary. Thanks. We are traveling from Michigan to gulf shores, AL.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

We can't help you much on the northern portion of your trip since we don't know where in Michigan you're starting from, but all roads from Michigan to Gulf Shores go through Louisville KY and from there it's pretty much a straight shot down I-65, so let's start there. The obvious major attraction along the way is Mammoth Cave National Park outside Bowling Green KY. A couple of other sites to at least consider would be the NASA rocketry facility in Huntsville AL and the civil rights sites in the Selma/Montgomery area. Also just outside of Selma is Old Cahawba, the first capital of Alabama and an active archaeological site.

If you're up for a slightly longer RoadTrip in one direction then you should consider staying west of I-65 south of Nashville and instead using the Natchez Trace Parkway between there and Jackson MS with US-49 providing the link between Jackson and Gulf Shores. Highlights of this route are the Parkway itself, the Shiloh battlefield, and Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo MS.

Whichever route(s) you end up taking, be sure to involve your daughters in the planning. Get a good atlas or set of individual state maps and start seeing what other smaller venues pop out at you such as historic sites, national wildlife refuges, and scenic roads (often marked with a parallel green dashed line).

AZBuck