Cracks from freeze/thaw in asphalt only happen when the base is poorly constructed and does not drain properly and/or no crown on the drive was achieved when installed or the material was improperly compacted. You have a higher chance of this with a cold roll drive than a hot roll one. With a properly graded lot with ditches or swales, a properly compacted gravel/stone base that reaches deep enough, and a crown in the asphalt, any water that falls is directed away from the drive and you will not have cracks or frost heave. There are way too many cost cutting fly by night people doing asphalt installations who simply do not really know what they are doing and that is why you have issues with asphalt drives. Done properly, an asphalt drive is more durable than a concrete one. Done poorly, it is not. Far more are done poorly than done well so this is not a place to cut corners. It's just like painting. It's all about the 90% of prep that comes before. The last 10% is about the skill of the compactor and the quality of the product. I do live in the South, but not the Deep South. We get several months of below freezing temperatures here, most often at night, with daytime winter temps rising back above freezing into the 40's, or like today, the 60's. (It was 27 the night before last with a high of only 34 the following day and then the warm front with tornadoes came through.) We deal with a daily freeze/thaw cycle instead of a more seasonal one, although we do get 1 out 5-6 winters when the daily temperature remains below freezing for a period of a couple of weeks. Our record low temperature is 13 below 0, and 0 itself is seen 1 out of 10 winters. We also get periodic ice storms, which are worse for wear and tear on just about everything than snowstorms. The longevity of my drive is due to it's proper construction, not the fact that it has never been subject to freeze/thaw conditions. There are asphalt drives in 10 year old subdivisions on the outskirts of town that are already failing. It's because they were poorly constructed.

Asphalt gets tracked in on shoes as well as bare feet. I've had light color floors and an asphalt drive and fought the walk pattern stain with little success. It probably doesn't show on darker floors but it still has to be there. You could do the asphalt on the long approach then change to concrete or pavers for your entry areas. We're looking to purchase a house and that's one of the first changes we'll make if there is an asphalt drive - I won't have it near the house but if it's a long drive it's fine coming in from the road. FWIW, where I live now you would not be allowed to do either a concrete or asphalt drive in new construction or a replacement at all - revised code says it has to be a permeable surface.

Concrete work is as varied as it gets. An interior exposed aggregate in a contemporary furniture store is sure to be a polished finish which is completely different than exposed aggregate exterior flatwork. Grinding or polishing exterior work is very rare. Washing or rinsing away the paste layer is more typical for exposing outdoor concrete aggregate. Ive seen and experienced plenty of exposed aggregate that was WAY more slip resistant than typical broom finish. Interior polished floors can have huge variation in slip resistance as well. Depending on the quality of install and aggregate, I would much prefer the look to typical broom finish but it comes with more concern for those in heels. But with a blue stone approach, I would probably be disappointed to see the transition to something else for the main entry even if I was wearing my heels. Here is a link that might be useful: Concrete network on slip resistance

What has worked for me....for 8 bucks, you can buy a bag of cold patch. Use a block of wood and a hammer and work it into the joint. Once you get near the top, use a little kerosene, diesel fuel or even charcoal lighter on the block as you tamp it in. It brings the aggregate closer together and makes for a very smooth surface. In the areas where you drive in and out and the weight of the vehicle might leave some indents, you might have to add another layer. This would happen usually during the summer where the heat softens the asphalt a bit and allows it to give. I never noticed it the first year but the second year, they showed up ever so slightly.Before filling in the indents, use some asphalt primer or tack coat. A small bottle of crack filler solution would work. That allows permanent bonding between the old and new. Then tamp it in like mentioned before. The next time you seal coat the asphalt, it will all look the same. I used this process about 5 years ago and it did the job with no regrets.