We go to the Texas Coast at least once a year, and it's about 400 miles away. Generally heading down we will stop about half-way or 2/3 of the way for the night. We pretty much always leave early when we head home (7:30 or 8:00) and drive all the way home, stopping for lunch, bathroom breaks and just to stretch and let the dogs stretch.
We stay off the Interstate highways, enjoy the scenery and usually we are home by 5 p.m. We've done this for years. At 76 years of age, hopefully we can continue to do it at least a few more years.