Charleston, Mo is about an hour from Paducah and there's hotels there. The drive is very rural and you cross the Ohio and Mississippi rivers where they merge at Cairo, IL. Murray, KY is about an hour and it is 4 lane hwy all the way to Paducah. Lots of hotels since it is a college town. Cadiz, KY is an hour down I-24 and there are lots of hotels at exit 65. Try Eddyville, KY at exit 40 on I-24 several hotels at that exit as well.