Maira

My husband & I are planning a trip out West. The main objective of the trip is to visit the last five States that neither one of us have been to.

We are planning to take 9 days to do the following:

Flight into Denver
Drive into WY to NE (Cheyenne-Orin-Crawford)
Crawford (NE) to Rapid City (SD)
Rapid City to Bellefille (ND)
Bellefille to Billings (MT).

Things we hope to see: Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Natural History, Cheyenne, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Badlands (SD), Old West Towns, Indian reservations, drive.

Any comments? sightseeing ideas?, driving tips?, lodging ideas in Denver, Crawford, Rapid City?. Thanks in advance.

John

That's a lot of windshield time!!Can't speak for Colorado or Wyoming but in western Nebraska you can visit Scotsbluff national monument, Chimney Rock and Agate Fossil national monument. In this area are also actual ruts still visible from wagon trains moving west.
Western South Dakota has of course the Black Hills,Mt. Rushmore,Crazy Horse. etc. If your into gambling Deadwood has open gambling ;blackjack,slots etc.
From the Rapid City area to North Dakota is a little desolate but you will eventually reach Theodore Roosevelt National park. The drive from there to Billings is boring and long. Before you reach Billings you may want to drop south a little and visit Custer battlefield.
Further west of course is Yellowstone and Glacier National park.
You have a long drive ahead of you.
Good luck!!

utahtea

John has pretty much summed up what there was to see.

A few places not mentioned are Custer State Park in South Dakota near Rapid City. Wind Cave National Park, Walls Drug Store which you will see signs back in Wyoming and Nebraska about this tourist trap. Pompey Pillars just east of Billings Montana on I-94.

I hope you realize that the parts of Wyoming and Montana you will be driving through are the rolling hills plains parts of those states and not the beautiful mountain sections.

You might want to take the Beartooth Highway from Billings into Yellowstone to get an idea of the beauty both Montana and Wyoming have to offer.

You really aren't traveling that many miles in a 9 day period.

Utahtea

Connie

I agree you are missing the best of what the area has to offer. At least consider the national parks--Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Rocky Mountain.

Maira

I should probably provide a better context to this trip. My husband is in his way to recovery from a very serious health problem, the renmants of which is having to use a wheelchair. This is his first vacation in a long time and he has chosen to travel to the five States that he has never been to. It is his journey and I am tagging along. He always enjoyed driving long distances, so this trip is a dream trip for him. I totally agree that we are in fact missing quite a bit, but the fact that we have to be able to travel within all five states in 9 days limits us somewhat. The advice you have offered is awesome and greatly appreciated.

Utahtea, when you said "You really aren't traveling that many miles in a 9 day period.", could you elaborate?

Connie

The above mentioned national parks are all great to just drive through and
Yellowstone has several places off road you can get to by way of board walks that would be accessible by wheel chair.

The western side of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana have the best mountain scenery and things to do and see.

Nine days really is a decent time period to see a lot of things in the area, especially since you aren't interested in doing time intensive activities.

utahtea

Hi Maria,

I just assumed you were flying into Denver and flying out of Billings and then it's less than 1,000 mile trip.

If you have to get back to Denver then it's a different story. It can be anywhere from 1600 or 1900 miles if you go though Yellowstone.

I love driving vacations. I love to sit back and see the miles go by. These areas that you are going are interesting.

If you wanted a little taste of the mountains you could drive the Beartooth Highway to the top of Beartooth Pass and back to Billings is only 180 round trip day trip. If you husband shouldn't go to high elevations then I would skip it.

If you visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park make sure you get to the Northern section too.

Utahtea

Maira

Connie & Utahtea, thanks for the reassurance; it is a driving trip and I am looking forward to see some of the unique natural beauty of the area.

Utahtea, your assumption was right--- we are flying into Denver and out of Billings.

Thanks again for all the great advice.

Tess

Maira,
It sounds like a wonderful trip--you're seeing the 'real west' and not just concentrating on the mountains like so many travelers do (although they're definitely worth another trip). I would consider one minor change...John's suggestion of Chimney Rock/Scottsbluff National Monument fits in well with the theme of your trip. I guess I'm biased, though, since that is where I call home. You can indeed still see the ruts of wagon trains on the Oregon Trail near Chimney Rock in Bayard and by the SB National Monument in Scottsbluff. You'll reach Crawford and Ft. Robinson if you head north up Hwy. 71 from Scottsbluff--a drive of a little more than an hour. Unless you're camping, there really isn't a great place to stay in Crawford, although they have a nice winery called Lovers' Leap that's worth a stop. I'd recommend an overnight in Scottsbluff instead. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Denver to Scottsbluff. Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn are two newer hotels. For something elegant and fun, stay at the Barn Again Bed and Breakfast outside of town. Many weddings are held here in the summer because the setting is so pretty. I've been inside during a Christmas tour of homes and it's somewhere where I'd happily stay. I know and love the entire area you'll be visiting (except Bellefille--not familiar with ND) and would be happy to make any other suggestions. Definitely reserve a couple of hours for Custer's Battlefield near Billings...it has a haunting quality that time and tourism hasn't erased. We have relatives in Billings so don't know much about the hotels (although my Grandpa once owned and farmed the land where several of Billing's chain hotels now sit). What's your price range for hotels in Denver and Rapid? I can suggest several in each $$ category if you let me know.

Maira

Tess, my husband & I are taking all this advice into consideration and have gladly made some revisions to our draft to accomodate your great suggestions. Our hotel price range is NTE $125.00/double, unless there is something really special, in which case we don't mind splurging! Thanks again!!