Rush to Rushmore (through Nebraska)
 

I already know it's crazy. I can explain a lot of the reasons for it: work schedules, budget, other planned trips. There are a couple of things that are harder to put into words: Why Mount Rushmore? My grandma kept a photo of it on the wall in her hallway for years? Why now? An empty nesters desperate attempt to get in one more family road trip before real, grown up life has its way with my kids?

So, yeah, I know it's not ideal. But I need your help to make it work the best it can.

My husband and I are driving from Indiana to Omaha, NE on June 10th. We are renting a car for my son and his fiance so they can also drive to Omaha on the same date. We're meeting my daughter and her boyfriend there on Friday night after 10 hours on the road. (She's recently moved there.)

Hubs and I will stay at the Hilton downtown while the rest will stay at daughter's apartment. (Did I mention an ex-boyfriend of hers might be along for the trip? That's another one of those things I can't really explain.) We'll eat out somewhere that night. I really liked Upstream Brewery when we visited while daughter was interning last summer, but I'm open to other suggestions in a similar price range or less.

The next morning we will drive to Alliance, NE to see Car Henge. From there we'll go on to Hot Springs, SD. We're thinking about checking out the Mammoth Site? I'm looking for a good place to eat breakfast and lunch along the way. We'll be tipi camping at the Allen Ranch beside a warm water river that night. If the weather is good, it will be hot dogs and s'mores cooked over a fire - with beer and conversation as entertainment. What if the weather is not good though? What to do and where to eat in Hot Springs as a back up plan?

Sunday is the day when things really get nuts. We'd like to hit Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore and make a brief stop at Badlands all in the same day ... and the kids have to get back to Omaha that night so the Nebraskans can go to work on Monday and the Hoosiers can drive back to Indiana before work on Tuesday. My questions re this day:

1. Can you get a good look at Crazy Horse from the road? From what I can tell the official visit experience does not normally take you very close to the monument. I thought we might be able to shave some time if we pulled off somewhere to take a quick gander?

2. Lunch at Mt. Rushmore or somewhere else nearby?

Next we'll stop at Badlands and do a couple of the shorter trails before saying goodbye to the kids. They'll head directly to Omaha but we need to go on to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for a short visit with my dad, who is not doing so great. We're thinking of stopping for the night in Sioux Falls or Sioux City. Anything to recommend one over the other? Places to stay? Eat? Things to see? (Assuming we don't just fall into a dead sleep at this point.)

Thanks for your help!

I only got to the first paragraph of your plans and have a question. Is your son 25? Most rental agencies require drivers to be 25.

I don't know very many places to eat or stay there. I used to live there when I was very young (about 7 years old). Your post brought back memories of Mt. Rushmore. My dad used to take me ice fishing in the winter in the Black Hills, behind the monument. We even took a trip there with my uncle and his family who drove up from Nebraska too. Small world. I hope it works out for you.

It's been a number of years since we were in the area, but we got a very small glimpse of Crazy Horse from the road but it was really far away. No telling if trees have grown up and if it's still possible.

I know you didn't ask for opinions on this and I haven't checked all your mileages except the Sunday where you have your children driving a total of 575 miles which is at least 9 hours (without stops) and plus seeing Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Badlands. I'm sorry but this isn't something I'd recommend to anyone.

Utahtea

Linda: Yes, my son is 25. The economy hit him hard and though he's been working, it's not been in his field of study for the past year and a half. He's about to change jobs again - still not in his field but a little more $$. Although this trip isn't much, to me it's a little pat on the back for hanging in there.

bluegreenaide: If my daughter stays in Nebraska I'd love to make longer trips in the area. Maybe I'll even get behind the monument one day :)

utahtea: I hear ya. I do. Sometimes we do irrational things. As far as my kids: they've been known to drive ten hours for a concert, sleep a couple of hours in the car, then drive back again. They are made of hardy stuff.

There is a great place in Hill City, the Alpine Inn. They have a website so you can check it out. They only serve Flet Mignon for dinner, so if everyone in your group is not into that, lunch would be the better choice. Their desserts are fantastic!
You can see Crazy Horse pretty well from the road. Hope you have fun!

The Alpine Inn looks good. Thanks, ytsmom! Do they really serve the dinner meal for that cheap? Their website says $8.95 or $10.95 inc steak, potato, lettuce wedge and toast! I don't think I could even buy all the ingredients for that price here - even if I cooked it myself ;)

1. If you visit the Crazy House visitor center, you can see the mountain fine from there. You can also pay more to ride a school bus closer, but I did not do that. I photographed the mountain from the parking lot and enjoyed the visitor center.

2. I think your best bet is to eat lunch at Rushmore visitor center cafeteria. Your Sunday is really too rushed already, as I suspect you know. I don't think you are going to have time to enjoy a meal anywhere else. Take your track shoes.

Although quite an ambitious plan, if you rise and get going at daybreak:
1. You can pull over for five minutes (or less) & see the Crazy Horse monument from the road. Most of admission price is actually for viewing the museum.
2. Go directly to Mt. Rushmore - (call ahead for opening hours)- if you don't want to visit the studios, take hikes, etc. it will take less time. Set aside an hour or two/be sure to leave on schedule. Take the bypass AROUND Rapid City to save a lot of time to connect to the interstate going East towards Badlands.
3. Take short-loop thru park, continue on way east towards Sioux Falls. (Two/Three Hours in park - depends on driving time going home).

Tip for Meals: Have an early breakfast on way to Mt. Rushmore/pack a light lunch to eat in car or picnicing in Badlands. Or eat brunch at Mt. Rushmore/eat again before heading out of Badlands area - there's an interior park restaurant/gift shop on the way heading out of the park - or take a short drive into Wall, SD to fuel up both yourselves & the car. Don't forget to pack a couple cans of Red Bull Energy Drink - "it'll give you wings!"

Pertaining to "driving home" - be sure to check the SD road conditions prior to your trip. I know that last year SD/NE had extensive road construction done & traffic was slow, one-lane at each & every overpass. It added quite a bit of unexpected time to our trip.

I know for a fact that it takes about 3 1/2 hours to drive from Sioux Falls, SD to Omaha, NE on a good day - and the drive from Rapid City to Badlands is approximately 1 1/2 hrs. (Time from Badlands to SF?) You may want to Mapquest another route, for time opposed to distance, perhaps a secondary road, or at least partially secondary, will save your "Omaha" people some time.

We've been to the Black Hills in days gone by and enjoyed the scenery, also Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse are certainly favorite stops.

Let me add a thought: the Badlands are in themselves worth seeing. Also I recommend Ft. Robinson in Nebraska. One time we were looking forward to camping at Sylvan Lake remembered affectionately but really enjoyed a stay en route at Ft. Robinson and in fact found Sylvan Lake was closed.

As for the son, we have two grandsons facing the same circumstances.

Bill in Boston

Thank you volcrew, hotwheels and ozarksbill.

vc & hw: We're supposed to be served a "cowboy breakfast" at the tipi but the owner warned us it's just rolls, fruit and coffee :) I expect the crew will be hungry again by the time we get through Mt. Rushmore so we'll eat there as you both suggested. I appreciate the route tips too.

ob: This is the first I've heard of Ft. Robinson. I hesitate to add anything else to this already packed trip but if our daughter stays in Omaha we'll put it on the list to check out next year. PS Our son also survived cancer 4 yrs ago so he's really been a trooper.

Happy to see Ft. Robinson get a shout-out here...we've been several times (the first in 1979 and most recently in 2007). It's a lovely spot, very relaxing, but with stuff to do also. It's scenic and if you like history, there's a lot of it there.

More on Ft. Robinson State Park...once an Indian agency and later a K-9 dog training school, now an excellent place to visit. Here was where Chief Crazy Horse was killed (trying to escape?) Nice jeep rides through the hills, museum, swimming pool.

www.stateparks.com/fort_robinson.html

I checked out Ft Robinson and wow, it looks great. Unfortunately, there are no rooms available that suit our needs this trip or I'd change my plans and stop there.

Next time, for sure!