I've driven both routes and both suck in their own respective ways. Unreal traffic from Nashville all the way to Orlando. Especially over the holidays. The other route takes you through sketchy areas and back roads of Alabama that I never want to see again. Like a whole different world.
True Story:
Since the Cyclones were on the road (@ OU), I went back to Alabama from Ames in 1994 for an Auburn-Alabama double header. Thursday Night was Kentucky @ Auburn, and Saturday Night was Georgia @ Alabama. Both the Tigers and the Tide were still undefeated at the time and in the top 10.
Flew in and out of Birmingham with a side trip to Columbus, GA (to visit my brother) before and after the Auburn game. So, on Thursday, I woke up, drove to Auburn (1st and only visit there), enjoyed the day and the game that night. My brother drove after work to meet us at the game. Nice Campus. Nice Town. Fun football environment.
The real fun started on the trip back to Columbus in the pre-google maps days. My brother asked me if I needed directions back to his place - but I figured, how hard can it be? So, I said, not necessary. Therefore, we parted ways after the game to get to our respective cars and planned to meet back at his place.
Now, Auburn is in a really remote part of Alabama equally distant from everywhere. It was easy enough to get there during the day, so like I previously mentioned - how hard could it be to get out? As I found out, it was kind of hard!
I was looking for the sign to get to Columbus, but I didn't see it, and I kept driving on the whatever road I was travelling. I knew I had gone the wrong way down the long, dark tar roads of rural Alabama when I saw the Marion County sign! I was in pitch black rural Alabama with nowhere to turn around for a stretch.
After a bit, I finally was able to turn around and head back to Lee County (where Auburn is). Still no sign to Columbus. Then, I saw a Randolph County sign! I was like WTF! Therefore, I pulled off at a 24 hour gas station and asked the gal behind the counter for directions to Columbus.
She looked at me funny and asked where we were from, and I said from Iowa but down for our first Auburn game. She laughed and said: "What in the world are you doing up here then!" lol. She gave me directions to get back to Columbus via Opelika, and I finally made it back to my brother's at 2 am or so.
What I missed is that instead of looking for a sign to Columbus (closest bigger city), I should have been looking for a sign to Opelika (another small town in Lee County) to take me to Columbus, GA!
Like I said, I've been to Auburn once.
True Story!