Mike h.

I am on a quest to discover the best attractions; experiences in a road trip through Nebraska to South Dakota/Black Hills
and a return through Minnesota/Pipestone, Iowa and home to Illinois. I do not have a
lot of time or money. I am curious about others experiences at Deadwood/Days of 76; and comparisons between the Badlands area in
North Dakota and the Badlands Nat.'l Park in South Dakota. Also, has any one drove near Devil's Tower Nat.'l Park and visited other sites in that vicinity? I am traveling with my 17 yr. son, 20 yr. daughter, her boyfriend and my wife. I like photography and short hikes. I enjoyed my drive through Arizona from Las Vegas (2 days: Grand Canyon, Chenelly Nat.'l Mon., Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater. in '96). I plan to start out in about three weeks. Thanks.

dave

In the Black Hills, make sure to get off the main roads and go exploring. See Rushmore, of course, but instead of sticking to the tourist areas, head down the backside of the mountain (to the west) where there are beautiful little lakes, etc., and a LOT less traffic. Just pick a road that looks interesting and go for it (even some of the gravel ones aren't bad). It's a relatively small area, and you really can't get "lost". I found Hill City this way....neat little town (check out the old trains parked there !!).

In the northern part, drive up the backside of Terry Peak for a great view. (Don't go to the ski resort. Loop around to the east and south and look for signs)

Kim

Just a few notes: I haven't been to the badlands in North Dakota, but the bandlands in South Dakota are beautiful. If you take the long route through the badlands, remember to bring water, there isn't anywhere to get any. There are some fun trails to climb there. Personally, I think Mt. Rushmore is over-rated. Make a quick stop, but I wouldn't spend much time there. Of course, other opinions will differ. There is a very nice hike around Devils Tower and it's fun to watch the rock climbers. While your driving to the monument keep you eyes out for prairie dogs in fields along the sides of the road. There are many of them. In Minnesota, highway 14 will take you through New Ulm, a town with german heritage. I think the heritagefest will be over by the time you're travelling though. But it's still a nice town to stop in. You can visit the Schells Brewery. Even if you don't take a tour they have nice mansion grounds that you can walk through. Also,in New Ulm is Herman's Monument (Herman the German) high on the hill looking over the town. You can go up the monument for nice views. There is also a glockenspiel - I believe it is the largest freestanding one in the US. The bells play and figures come out a few times a day. Also in southern Minnesota is Walnut Grove of Little House on the Prairie Fame. You can see the indent in the earth where their sod house stood near the banks of plum creek. It's a nice stop off point. I'll try to answer any other questions if I can.

anna

See my post from a few days ago titled "Black Hills recommendations" The maze would be fun even for adults, though it's not exactly scenic or natural. Deadwood is strictly a gambling town now, unless you go up to Mt. Moriah cemetary to see where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane are buried. If you are pulling an RV you will have to walk to the cemetary up a very steep hill. The hike around thebase of Devil's Tower is just over a mile long, very scenic, and a photographer's dream. The prairie dogs were cute. If you're staying at the Devil's Tower KOA, be aware that the Trading Post across the street begins playing LOUD music from their outside speakers before 7 AM. I felt bad for the KOA folks because they have no control over it, and when I complained to the owner of the Trading Post, she seemed to have some animosity towards the folks that own the campground. First denied that they were doing it, then blamed it on her manager. I recommend that if you stay in the KOA, you do not patronize the trading post across the street. In the campground itself, they have a nightly showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which is cool to watch with the stars out and sitting in the shadow of the tower. Walnut Grove also has a Little House museum with all kinds of Laura Ingalls Wilder Artifacts, and further west on Rt. 14 is DeSmet, SD, which is where most of the Little House books were set and has 2 houses that the family lived in and the burial places of Ma, Pa, Mary, Carrie, and Grace. (Laura and Almanzo are buried in Missouri)

Mike h.

I want to thank the people with their
wonderful and thoughtful suggestions.
It seems to be the consensus that Mt. Rushmore is over-rated that it is advised to stay away from commercialized
sites. So I will probably stay away from the over-commercialized areas. Also, I probably will stop at the Corn Palace at Mitchell, and go through Huron and RT. 14 to De Smet, S.D. to Pipestone, MN and south to Luverne, MN and Blue Mounds s.p. Also, I may be having problems with the cost of this trip. And would appreciate any suggestions on how other people can afford and justify family road trips.
Thanks, Mike h.

anna

Are you camping or staying in hotels? First rule for saving money is to camp. Look for State parks and forests or national parks and forests to save even more money. We went the private campground route because state and national facilities seldom have hookups and we are spoiled campers, but you can save big bucks if you tent camp.

Mike h.

I will be staying in motels but am considering ones with kitchenettes to save money and picnicing in parks when
possible. Also, I wonder about purchasing a permit for all federal/national parks since I am interested in visiting several.

Thanks, Mike h.