When I travel, I don't push it. I take frequent rests and stop for the evening when I am tired. That does not fit with planned rest stops or reservations. I get by without hook ups so I tend to stay wherever it is convenient, i.e., rest stops, truck stops, Walmart parking lots, campgrounds if available. For that trip, I would probably decide in advance how many days to drive. My typical Interstate driving routine would be to drive a couple hours in the morning and then take a relatively quick pit stop. I would then typically drive 3-4 hours and take an extended break with a hot meal and a nap. At that point it would typically be about 3 in the afternoon having driven roughly 300 miles. Often I would put in another 3-4 hour leg bringing me to 500 or as much as 600 miles. So with plenty of stops and rests, I could comfortably drive the 1000 miles in two days, stopping overnight once. For a very leisurely drive I would take 3 days, stopping overnight twice, again wherever convenient.
BTW, splitting the trip in half would put you near Birmingham, Alabama. As I remember there was a really nice rest area there complete with an overnight attendant.
