Get a copy of a travel planning software, such as Rand McNally's Trip Planner or Microsoft's Streets & Trips. These programs are useful for plotting courses by giving you average times, distances and places to stop to eat or rest along the way.
Factor in an average speed of 60 mph for your trip if you are traveling mostly via interstate highways. While you may average a greater speed than this while on the road, stops to fuel up, buy snacks and take bathroom breaks reduce your average speed.
Decide how many hours per day you are willing to drive and multiply this times 60 to determine about how many miles you will be able to travel in a day. If you can drive for eight hours you should be able to go about 480 miles for the day. You can allow yourself some wiggle room and use a range, such as 450-500 miles.
Take this number and use the trip planning software to determine locations with hotels that will be close to your stopping point for the day. You may want to book in advance if a limited number of hotels are near your stopping point to ensure you will have a place to rest your head for the night.
Use the software to search for interesting points. You may want to vary your trip somewhat in order to take a few hours to sightsee along the way. For example, if your trip was from North Carolina to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, you might decide to stop at Petrified Forest National Park or the Meteor Crater site.
