Air Travel vs Road Trip

FLY!!! you will be absolutely crazy to drive with a kid that already doesn't like being strapped in the car! no matter how miserable you may be on a plane, it's 2.5 hrs and you are done! if you drive the misery will go on for 2 days down and 2 days back!
we flew down to FL with our almost 15 month old ddaughter last weekend. she is super wiggly, and it was a pain, as she wanted to go up and down the aisle the whole flight, but bringing enough snacks to distract her and going up and down 5-6 times through the flight and we were done! she even slept a little both on the way there and the way back, so it wasn't all that bad.
Make sure you have snacks and different toys, and you'll be fine. if you can, reserve a bulk-head seat (the first row), so that way you have extra room to lay the child on the ground for a nap (couple of airplane blanks covered with your own baby's bedhseet makes a perfect little bed).
have fun, and do yourself a favor and don't fly!

I paid the extra money and got my daughter her own seat on the flights she took at both age 1 and age 2. Just kept her busy the whole time and she did okay.

We've done both with my daughter (a road trip from NY to GA and a flight from NY to CA). The road trip was hard because it gets boring for her to sit in the carseat for so long. We had to keep stopping just to break up the monotony and that just made thet trip longer. The best thing we did with a flight was to buy a seat for her and place her carseat there. This way, if she got bored, she walked around and she was able to sleep comfortably when she was tired. That was a 6-hour flight. Since your flight is much shorter, I think you can survive a 2.5 hour flight without buying a seat. You'll just have to walk up and down the aisle during sometimes to break up his boredom. Good luck!

I say definitely fly. Sounds like either could be a challenge, so with flying it will go be over with sooner. Try to fly during non-peak times so that the plane will be less full to get an extra seat for free. I just went to LA with my 13 mo old 'large' son. On both flights the plane was nearly booked and the third person in our row was always willing to move to another open seat. I think people know that a happy baby means a happy flight for all.

I have experienced both. I think at that age, flying would be fine. I flew to PR with my daughter for her 1st birthday and she did great on a 4 hour flight. just bring toys and snacks. try to schedule flight during nap time and if not try skipping whatever nap and hold it off for the plane.

I've also done the road trip to north/south carolina by myself, pregnant, and with a 1 yr old and 3 yr old. It wasn't easy but they get used it after a while. Rest stops were important but they did great!

Good luck!