Itinerary help for SD, ND, and NE
 

I have 8 days and want to visit South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska. Flying in and out of Rapid City, SD.

From my quick research, I'd like to hit:
Black Hills
Mount Rushmore
Custer State Park
Wind Cave
Teddy Roosevelt National Park
Homestead in NW Nebraska

Arrival Day: Mount Rushmore Lighting. Overnight in Keystone or Rapid City
Day 1: drive to ND. Stay overnight
Day 2-5: drive back to SD. Stay in Custer area 3 nights. tour Black Hills area.
Day 5: drive to NE. Stay in cabin 2 nights
Day 7: back to SD. tour Badlands, stop at Wall Drug
Day 8: one more day to play with -where and when?
overnight near airport
fly home

Is it doable in the time frame? Keep in mind that the 8 days do not include the day we arrive and depart.

I have 7 states left to visit, so really want to see something in all 3.

would love any advice.

susan,
Where are you staying in Nebraska? I'm assuming somewhere in the Sandhills area? I live in western Nebraska so will be happy to give you suggestions is you let me know what your interests are.

Tess -

Thinking of staying in the Chandron area... or maybe heading to Fort Robinson.

Have you heard of High Plains Homestead? http://www.highplainshomestead.com/

Any suggestions you have are welcome. Just want to stay in NW Nebraska, since we're coming in and out of Rapid City, SD.

I think your schedule is doable.

We loved Custer State Park.

Don't forget a stop at Crazy Horse.

One more thing - - on our last trip through we discovered the Minuteman Museum. Not far from the exit of the badlands, near Wall.

If you call and plan ahead of time you can visit the underground missile silo.

We wish we had called (or knew about it). It was a great find along the way.

Susan,

You state you are planning to visit Teddy Roosevelt NP and spending only one night in ND. Perhaps you should add a night in ND. TRNP is near Medora. We visited Medora last year and attended the musical. I wasn't sure if it would be worth the money, but we really enjoyed the show (we didn't eat at the Pitchfork Fondue). In the afternoon we attended the one-man play Bully about Teddy Roosevelt's life and enjoyed it also.

If you have time and are a history buff, we visited the Lewis & Clark center north of Bismarck, and really enjoyed our visit there.

What dates?

Keith

Susan,

I haven't heard of High Plains Homestead but the website is enticing.

We love Ft. Robinson and you should definitely put it in your plans. I would even suggest staying there if you'll be there in the summer.

Ft. Robinson has been perfectly preserved as a frontier army base--you can even stay overnight in the old officer's quarters. They're nice and quite comfortable. Ft. Rob has dining and a large (modern) indoor pool, as well as a pretty good museum and walking tours.

Thanks to Tess, RKogel, mlm59 and Keith for the responses. Here's more info and questions:

Dates: early July (sometime between 7/1 and 7/14, but a little flexible)

Are there any rodeos going on around that time? (even small ones would be great)

Would the Minuteman Museum and missile silo be appropriate/interesting for 7 and 8 year olds?

How about the musical in Medora (again for 7 and 8 year olds)?

TIA

Susan,
I know there's a huge rodeo in Crawford (right by Ft. Rob) on July 4 that you'd probably enjoy. I haven't been to a rodeo in years but hear a lot of folks talk about this one.

Most of these rodeos include Mutton Busting competitions, which is basically kids from the audience who kick off their shoes and ride a sheep (whoever stays on the longest wins). Lots of fun for the kids and it doesn't hurt the sheep at all. My now-19 year old did it when he was 6 or so--quite a memory! If memory serves me right, the kids have to weigh 55 pounds or under, though each rodeo probably has different criteria.

Susan,
We were stunned by the beauty and quietness of TRNP north during our visit there. It was absolutely breathtaking and we liked it much more than the southern park. Maybe because of the old bull bison that ambled along a trail to our left and crossed the road in front of us.

Mlm mentioned the Pitchfork Fondue.
I asked for opinions about it here at the forum, and most of the replies were negative. We tried it anyway and were very disappointed with the food.

Great itinerary - you should love this trip! I'd add another day North Dakota as I also loved TRNP. So beautiful and quiet - it would be great to take the time to do some short day hikes, or visit the North side of the park.

Every time you do the park loop, you'll see something new and part of the wonderful atmosphere is just the quiet relaxation - take the time to get in the spirit.

I visited ND a few years ago and still want to go back - one of my favorite spots. I spent about 5 days in the Black Hills/Badlands area last year and enjoyed it as well.

While in SW SD and NW NE area if time allows visit the Wounded Knee Site on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Its worth a few hours of your time.

http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/lak...nded_Knee.html

I also suggest spending more time in ND. It will take approx. 1/2 day to drive from Black Hills to TRNP - 2-lane roads most of the way. And be sure to have a full tank; not much but prairie in between. It will take at least a day to leisurely view the park itself, not to mention walking Medora with it's small shops,museums,activities,etc.
Just a note - the ND Badlands are quite different from SD. Somewhat like a mini Grand Canyon; much more colorful than SD. Inside the park is a great place where you can go for horseback rides - they have them right outside Medora proper, too, but the experience inside the park is more peaceful. Try the site DiscoverND.com for more information.

While you're in Chadron, be sure to visit the Museum of the Fur Trade.
It's a very small museum but really gives you a lot of fascinating information about frontier life.
http://www.furtrade.org/index.html

I think the minuteman musuem - if you can get the tour - would be very compelling for kids. You go below ground w/in the missile silo and visit the actual control room and such. Good experience.