madison to portland (cycle, map, route, old)

[oradba]

Hello, i've just started to plan a drive from madison, WI to Portland, OR in late summer and am looking for interesting/off-beat sites along the way, specifically in the Dakota's and Montana - it will be I-90 / I-94 mostly and the time is somewhat flexible -

for those of you who live or travel there, is 94 or 90 the better route to take across the dakota's

according to friends, a must-see is the corn palace in s dakota



thanks very much

[Jammie]

Oradbo, my preference is I-90. I can give you some info about what you could see in So. Dak. Do you have plenty of time to see whatever you'd like or is there a bit of a time limit?

First of all, Mount Rushmore south of Rapid City is a must see for everyone. You'll be shocked at how majestic it is. Right down the hill from Rushmore is Keystone and you may want to stop there. It's the cutest little town. I believe you take 16A at Rapid and just head south. That is the one thing you won't want to miss while traveling through here.

If you aren't pressed for time, I'd stop at Sioux Falls when I get to So. Dak. Falls Park and their new Phillips to the Falls is really neat. There's a lot to see in Sx. Falls if you're interested. They have a travel guide, too.

If you liked the Laura Ingalls Wilders books or like "Little House on the Prairie", you could swing north and see the Ingall's homestead up at DeSmet.

The next stop I'd make would be to check out the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It's something nice to see if you've never seen it before.

You could stop at Wall and visit Wall Drug. There are signs for it all over the world. It was started years ago by the Hustead Family and they offered free ice water to travelers and it was a hit.

Murdo has a very nice museum with a lot of old cars and things. The last time we were there, they had Elvis' motorcycle.

I think you turn at Interior, but please rely on a map because I'm not good at directions. This route will take you south so you can go through the Badlands. You'll feel like you're in another world.

The Black Hills region has so many things that you may want to ask specific questions on the So. Dak. forum. There's Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, the Cosmos, Deadwood, the Horse Sanctuary over at Hot Springs, Evans Plunge at Hot Springs, Reptile Gardens in Rapid City, the 1880 train, etc. There are also museums there, too.

I hope this will get you started, and if you have any questions, I will try to answer them for you and if I can't, I know just the person who can.

[oradba]

thats awesome - thanks

i have about 7-10 days to get from madison to portland so its pretty flexible but from that list it sounds like its still not enough to cover all of that

how would you rank them if you had 5-6 days?

thanks again

[mawipafl]

If you haven't been to Mall of America, that would be your first stop. On the second day head to South Dakota. On your way, stop in at Wall Drug and at the Corn Palace. The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, etc. as mentioned by Jammie can possibly be done in one longggg day, but really, to enjoy it, plan to spend at least two days there (and even that doesn't afford you the time to do all there is to do.) Don't miss driving through "The Needles" in Custer State Park (that is, if your vehicle isn't very big), and be sure to take in The Wildlife Loop to see the free-roaming buffalo and the begging burros. On the road to Mt. Rushmore, Bear Country USA is a fun place - be aware that the black bears roam free and will come right up to your car and lick the windows. If you like paleontology, Mammoth Site is south of Mt. Rushmore in Hot Springs. There's an active excavation of wooly mammoth fossils going on that you can observe.

I can't help you beyond the Black Hills area, but I'm sure there's tons to do between there and Portland.

[Jammie]

I like the way you think, Maw.

I'm really not sure how to rank them. I guess I would omit the Ingal's homestead. I would definitely not omit Rushmore.

Once I hit So. Dak., I'd do the Phillips to the Falls/Falls Park. Then I'd head over to see the Corn Palace. You should be able to slip Wall Drug in there later in the day and head for the Badlands to drive through them and watch the sun setting on them. It's beautiful.

Then I'd head for Rapid City and call it a day. I guess everything else sort of depends on what your preferences would be. If you have two full 10-12 hours a day to explore the Hills are, you'll be able to get most of it in.

[oradba]

thanks folks, that gives me a lot to work with - sounds like a pretty awesome state. i appreciate the fast and excellent help and i'm sure i'll be back with some more questions.