Well Dad,
If I were doing this run (again) with the kids onboard, I would find my way to US 20 about Southbend and take that across Indiana and Ohio. You don't say if you want museums, but you pass 20 miles north of the Cord/Auburn/Dusenberg and the American Truck Museum (co-located). Stay with US 20 through Toledo it becomes 120 and runs you into I-280. Go south to Rt2 and get off and take RT-2 across the top of Ohio. In Cleveland it becomes 2/90. Then stay with 90.
Want a Museum? Hook up I-79 north into Erie and find the maritime (name forgotten) museum there.
Run 90 until you see I-86. I-86 and I-88 make up the NY Southern Tier e-way. Stay with that until you get to Schenectady and you have just save 40+$us is tolls. From there, we used to go to Glens Falls and then on to Concord.
Have a safe drive.
Matt - an east coast refugee