Driving Itinerary from Chicago to Fripp Island, SC?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hi - My family and I are driving from Chicago to Fripp Island, SC (it’s near Hilton Head).

We’ll be leaving at 4AM from a northern Chicago suburb on Friday, and can’t check-into our place on Fripp Island until 3PM Saturday. We’ll be staying on Fripp Island for a week, and then driving back on Saturday to arrive on Sunday.

I have a wife and four kids (14,13,11, and 6). We’ve enjoyed past driving trips and try to stop at neat places (e.g. Ruby Falls, Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Superman museum in Metropolis, etc.).

So, can you help me plan my itinerary? What is worth stopping for on the drive there? What city should we make hotel reservations in? While we’re at Fripp Island (we’ll be staying at a house) I heard that day excursions to Charleston might be fun? Anything special we should see in Charleston? Any other day trips we should make?

Thanks.

2

If you’re coming through Columbia we have a lovely zoo.

ETA - and if it isn’t mosquito season you can go to Congaree National Park, which is a bit outside of Columbia - probably the sort of landscape you haven’t seen in Chicago.

3

In my travels with the wife and 4 kids (usually driving from Indiana to NJ, NY or NC, we’ve had great fun stopping to see:
Clifty Falls, IN
Newport Aquarium in Louisville
Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH
Rock City, ruby Falls, Inclined Railway
Chatanooga, TN

Enjoy your drive!