Drive I-35W / I-35 Eagan to Nashville Southeast Antioch — Eagan, MN to Antioch, TN; leave 3:00 am on Aug 7, with ~11.5–12.5 hours driving plus stops and meal breaks, aiming to arrive by early evening; plan fuel/comfort stops at Kwik Trip locations as they appear on your route (pick any convenient open locations in MN/WI/IA), then continue via major interstate corridors, and note that e-858 gas stations are not a clearly identifiable chain name so use any signed highway fuel stop along the way as needed.
Kwik Trip — La Crosse, WI area; quick breakfast/coffee, restroom break, and top-off fuel if needed; early morning, ~20–30 minutes; approx. $8–15 per person.
Kwik Trip — Madison, WI area; a second easy stop to reset the drive with snacks and fuel before the long stretch south; late morning, ~20–30 minutes; approx. $8–15 per person.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nashville Southeast Antioch — Antioch, Nashville area; check in, rest, and freshen up after the drive; late afternoon/evening, ~1.5–2 hours for arrival and settling in.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que — Antioch/Nashville area; a solid first-night dinner with classic Tennessee barbecue close to the hotel so you can keep the evening low-key; evening, ~1 hour; approx. $18–30 per person.
Nashville Shores area drive-by / nearby evening relax — Hermitage/Lake area; if you have energy, take a short scenic post-dinner drive or walk near the lake-side corridor rather than doing a major attraction after the marathon drive; night, ~30–45 minutes.
Leave Eagan, MN at 3:00 am sharp so you can make the most of the daylight and beat the heavier traffic through the Twin Cities. The drive to Nashville Southeast Antioch is a long one—plan on about 11.5–12.5 hours of pure driving, plus fuel, coffee, and bathroom stops, which puts you into the early evening if you keep the breaks efficient. The cleanest route is the main interstate run south via I-35W / I-35, then continue through Iowa, Illinois, and down toward Tennessee on the major highway corridor. I’d treat the mystery “e-858 gas stations” note as just a reminder to use well-marked highway fuel stops whenever you need them; on a day like this, predictable exits matter more than hunting for a specific brand. If you want to keep it simple, aim to top off before leaving the metro, then settle into the rhythm of the drive. Expect tolls only if your chosen routing detours onto tolled segments, which most straightforward interstate routing can usually avoid.
Your first planned break should be at a Kwik Trip in the La Crosse, WI area, usually a very reliable early-morning stop for fresh coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and clean restrooms. Budget 20–30 minutes here; it’s the kind of stop that keeps the day from getting sloppy. If you’ve left at 3:00 am, this is the sweet spot for a quick stretch without losing momentum. After that, keep rolling to a second Kwik Trip in the Madison, WI area for another easy reset—snacks, fuel, and one more bathroom break before the longer push south. This stop also works well late morning to keep drivers alert. In both places, plan on roughly $8–15 per person depending on how much coffee and food you grab, and if you need gas, Kwik Trip is usually one of the easiest in-and-out options on a road trip day.
By late afternoon, arrive at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nashville Southeast Antioch and take the full 1.5–2 hours to check in, unpack what you need, and reset after the drive. This part matters more than people think—shower, charge devices, and give your legs a proper break before dinner. For an easy first-night meal, head to Edley’s Bar-B-Que in the Antioch/Nashville area; it’s a solid, low-stress choice for Tennessee barbecue after a long interstate day. Go for the pulled pork, smoked chicken, or brisket if they’re moving well that evening, and expect around $18–30 per person. If you still have any daylight left and want a little motion after sitting all day, take a short Nashville Shores-area drive-by or a relaxed stroll near the Hermitage / lake corridor—nothing ambitious, just enough to decompress before bed. If you’re continuing on to Fairburn, GA the next morning, keep your departure early and simple, then leave Antioch around 7:00–7:30 am via the most direct interstate routing so you can make Fairburn comfortably by early afternoon.
Antioch departure via I-24 / I-75 corridor toward Fairburn — leave Nashville Southeast Antioch around 7:00–7:30 am after breakfast, with ~5.5–6.5 hours driving to Fairburn depending on traffic and stops; use a quick fuel/coffee stop as needed on the interstate and keep the day efficient.
Waffle House — Antioch/Nashville area; simple, fast breakfast before heading out so you can get on the road without delay; early morning, ~30–45 minutes; approx. $10–18 per person.
Buc-ee’s — Calhoun, GA area; a practical and fun mid-route break for fuel, snacks, and a clean restroom stop on the way south; late morning, ~30–45 minutes; approx. $10–20 per person.
Piedmont Park — Midtown Atlanta; stretch your legs with a brief scenic pause near the city center before continuing toward south metro Atlanta; early afternoon, ~45–60 minutes.
The Brake Pad — East Point area; a casual lunch stop on the south side of Atlanta with convenient access back to your route; mid-afternoon, ~1 hour; approx. $18–30 per person.
Drive to Fairburn, GA — leave East Point / south Atlanta around 2:30–3:00 pm and arrive in Fairburn in ~20–35 minutes depending on traffic; this is the final leg, with easy access off the highway and minimal extra backtracking.
Leave Holiday Inn Express and Suites Nashville Southeast Antioch feeling rested and aim for Waffle House around 7:00–7:30 am for a quick, no-fuss breakfast before the long haul south. In this part of town, the easiest play is to keep it simple: eggs, toast, hashbrowns, coffee, pay, go. Budget about $10–18 per person, and plan on 30–45 minutes so you’re back on the road without dragging the morning out. If you need a last-minute top-off, there are plenty of fuel stops along the I-24 / I-75 corridor, and this is the time to make sure you’re set for the day.
Your main practical stop is Buc-ee’s in Calhoun, GA, which is exactly the kind of place road-trippers appreciate after a few hours in the car. It’s a great fuel-and-bathroom break, and the snack wall is a danger zone in the best way. Expect 30–45 minutes here and roughly $10–20 per person if you grab coffee, jerky, or a sandwich. Keep an eye out for your e-858 gas stations as you go—if you’re using an electronic toll or fuel-tag setup, this is the stretch to stay flexible and use whatever quick interstate fueling option is most convenient rather than overplanning every stop. If you’re tracking Kwik Trip locations for consistency, note that they’re not a real feature on this southern route, so the better move is to rely on clean, easy interstate stations and keep the drive moving. After that, you’ll have a nice stretch into Midtown Atlanta for a quick leg-stretcher at Piedmont Park.
At Piedmont Park, keep it light and scenic—walk a little, get out from under the car for 45–60 minutes, and enjoy a quick reset near one of Atlanta’s most recognizable green spaces. Parking around the park can be tighter and pricier than you expect, so it’s usually easier to use a nearby paid deck or meter and avoid circling too long. Then head to The Brake Pad in East Point for lunch, which is a smart southside stop because it puts you nicely back on the route without extra backtracking. It’s a relaxed, local-feeling place for burgers, sandwiches, and cold drinks; budget about $18–30 per person and give yourself about an hour. From there, leave around 2:30–3:00 pm and take the straightforward drive into Fairburn, GA in 20–35 minutes, depending on Atlanta traffic. That timing usually gets you in with enough daylight left to check in, unpack, and breathe before the evening settles in.