Now that I am retired, Mrs. HHD and I are thinking about a road trip in late summer (need to put some miles on her new Infiniti!). The plan is to drive to the Dakotas - see Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, Badlands, Deadwood in South Dakota, on into North Dakota to drive through the TR National Park, then on to Nebraska to visit with Husker son. Anybody got insight into this area of the country you can share? Would appreciate tips on good places to stay, eat, visit, etc. Thanks! HHD
devil's tower isn't too far from mt rushmore. Sundance is close too. The drive over to Yellowstone from both is pretty cool.
My in-laws went to Hill City, SD a couple of summers ago, and absolutely loved it. Wouldn't stop talking about how great it is. They're, shall we say, "frugal," so it must be a pretty affordable destination.
Look into Custer State Park in the Black Hills and Wind Cave NP. Skip Wall Drug outside of the Badlands unless you like overpriced tourist traps.
If you do go to Yellowstone, from Cody instead of heading directly east into the parkl I would suggest going over the Chief Joesph Scenic Highway to Cooke City and the northeast entry. Beautiful drive and Cooke City is a cool little town. From there you can also head over the Beartooth Highway to Red lodge, MT; this is considered one of the most spectacular drives in the country. Much of it is above timberline and there is a good chance to see mountain goats.
While you are waiting, read Dan Simmons' Black Hills. I'd like to think I got some appreciation for the cultures, conflicts and histories up there in addition to a good horror read. It might be hokey, but Little Big Man might be fun to watch as well.
I agree with the suggestions about Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, and Beartooth Highway. The northeast road out of Yellowstone and into Montana via Beartooth is still probably in the top 3 or 4 of my favorite drives in the continental U.S. Whatever you choose, take your time and ENJOY!
Mrs. HHD and I just got back from our road trip. Thanks for the tips and suggestions. Custer State park was well worth the time. Also really awed by the scenic drive through Spearfish canyon. If you haven't seen Mount Rushmore in person, put it on your bucket list - pictures don't do it justice! And stop in Abilene, KS, to tour the Eisenhower Museum - well worth the time. And we ended up putting 3200 miles on the new car! HHD
My family did a bit larger of a loop (no offense intended) that included South Dakota largely on the recommendation of this thread. The family did Texas to Michigan, back to Chicago, to Wisconsin, Minnesota and into South Dakota. There, we hit Badlands National Park, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Keystone, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and then headed south into Wyoming. On the way back to Texas, we hit Rocky Mountain National Park, Denver, Pikes Peak area, Capulin Volcano, Alibates National Monument near Amarillo and back home. I think we beat the 3200 miles. South Dakota is underrated in terms of how cool it is. I highly recommend it to anyone. I regret not making it to North Dakota or out west, but there is always next year. As you can tell, we aren't afraid of putting miles on the truck.
Big Horn, I concur with all your remarks on South Dakota. It was well worth the trip. If you go back and go through Montana, do add the TR National Park. It's at Medora, ND, which is about 20 miles east of the Montana border on the Interstate. The south loop through TR was about a two-hour drive, with frequent stops for photos, and it is beautiful - lots of multicolored canyons, open vistas, prairie dog towns, as well as wild stallions and herds of buffalo. HHD
