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[quote=Anonymous]Are you traveling from DC?  About 16 hours?

At that distance, with those ages, I would totally drive.

In my experience (with now 4-year-old twins, having done many road trips and a few airplane trips), 3 hours is NBD for a stretch.

My game plan would be to find somewhere about 3 1/2-4 1/2 hours from home with a park or museum or other fun thing to visit for the kids.  I would pack everything the night before and carry the kids still sleepy and still in pjs from the bed to the car about 4 hours before they typically get up.  They -should- fall back to sleep in the car if you and DH are super quiet.  Drive as far as you can while they sleep.  If you're lucky, they will sleep until you get to the fun place.  If not, stop for breakfast once they wake up, and sing songs/play with toys/read books/whatever you can think of between breakfast and the fun place.

When you get to the fun place, whoever has driven the most gets to nap in the car for a bit while the other adult takes the kids to go run around.  Stay about 3 hours (4 if you didn't stop for breakfast), then hope back in the car with tired-out kids.  Turn on a movie at this point (I prefer longer movies, but it depends on what will keep their interest).  The movie buys you 90 minutes or so, then keep them entertained TV-free for another 30-60 minutes (because you don't want them to get bored with movies on the first day, not because TV=satan).  At this point you have about 6 hours of drive time behind you and it's around 1-2 pm.

Stop for lunch somewhere that they can run around (I recommend buying a bunch of those punch balloons with the rubber bands and running around punching them).  Stop for a short 30-minute break to eat (not a big meal), get fresh air and get wiggles out, then drive some more (do another movie if they want, or books on tape or coloring books or whatever they like).

Aim to get another 90 minutes in, then stop at a sit-down restaurant for dinner.  It is now 3-4 pm and you have 7 1/2 hours of your 16-hour drive done.  Relax and enjoy the meal, let the kids run around the parking lot while one parent goes in, gets a table, and orders.  Bring them in once the food comes, then run them again as soon as everyone has eaten (take chalk with you and play hopscotch in an empty parking space).  Take 60-90 minutes to eat, use the bathroom, etc.

It is now 4-5:30 pm.  Try to get 90 more minutes of drive time in.  Be sure to have a brand new book, coloring book, game, toy or something for this last stretch.  Before you know it, you will be at the hotel (which has an indoor pool with evening hours and is about 9 hours from home).  One parent gets kids into swimsuits and the other checks in and sets up the room.  It should be between 5:30-7 pm.  Depending on how early it is and how much they have slept, you can decide how long to let them swim.  The pool is great at wearing them out, and they should be ready for bed at a semi-reasonable hour.  You and DH go to bed when they do.

Repeat on day 2, but with only 7 hours of actual drive time left.  Much better to plan on doing a bit over half the first day, when you are all still peppy.  Again, find a fun outing about 3 hours from the hotel, but this time, look for another one about 2 hours from the destination, too.  You should have time for two smaller trips on day 2, and it will make it much more fun for the kids.

Plane travel is going to be only slightly less sitting still (assuming you have two flights, then a 2-hour drive from the cheap airport), only without the ability to pull over, without all your gear handy, and with the added pressure of keeping the kids quiet.  [/quote]

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