Dakotas

[Cashcow]

This summer I'll be visiting some friends in Grand Forks, North Dakota, after which I'm going to spend a few days in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Should I take a few more days to drive through the Great Plains (I'd love to see SD and Rushmore) or just fly there from Minneapolis?

[J. J.]

Drive, it's cheaper and more interesting.

[PBrunsel]

They're are NO resturants for miles and miles in the Dakotas. Last Summer my family went to South Dakota and we were practicaly exuasted by lack of food by the end of the trip.

[Akno21]

[Liberal elitist self] Heh, Flyover country, heh[/liberal elitist self]

You'd see Rushmore driving, but aside from that, you just see nothing for miles and miles.

[J. J.]

In 1988, I drove to Chicago from western PA in a day.  It was fun.  I got to see different countysides and had the Purple Rain soundtrack blaring from the speakers.  It was very relaxing.

[Akno21]

Now that I think about it, it depends who you have in the car. If you have the right people, or lack thereof, if that's your preference, it could be a very relaxing and enjoybale ride. If your company sucks, the ride will.

[TheWildCard]

I'd drive just record some tapes or burn some CDs with good music and hit the road.

[Cashcow]

You'd see Rushmore driving, but aside from that, you just see nothing for miles and miles.

I actually find that quite relaxing.

[Akno21]

You'd see Rushmore driving, but aside from that, you just see nothing for miles and miles.

I actually find that quite relaxing.

Are you going by yourself?

[J-Mann]

Cashcow, you should drive.  It can actually be expensive because of the high price of gas (and depending on what you drive), but if you're interested in countryside at all, driving is the way to go.  Mt. Rushmore is very impressive, Crazy Horse is a great stop, and the Black Hills are beautiful.  Wyoming is a neat place, too - it's a different kind of scenic, being very open...almost barren, but if you find that relaxing, I think you'd really like the drive.

[muon2]

The plains are vast so keep in mind it's about 600 miles from Grand Forks to the Black Hills and a little more than 500 miles from the Black Hills to Jackson Hole. That's about the same total distance from Philly or DC to Minneapolis, or about the same as a round trip drive from Boston to Richmond.

That said, it's well worth the drive to get a feel for not one but two different regions: the Great Plains and the high country of the Rockies. I don't knwo how many days you have but I'll give you my suggestion for a three-day tour.

Day 1: Great Plains. Head west from Grand Forks and have lunch in Devil's Lake, about 180 miles away. Go west to Rugby (60 miles) just so you can say you were in the geographic center of North America. If you have extra time go north 40 miles north to the International Peace Garden. Otherwise, head south through the plains into SD. Pierre is about 300 miles from Rugby. But you could stop in northern SD at Mobridge across the river from Sitting Bull's grave.

Day 2: Badlands. Starting from Pierre, SD. Head south to I 90 and go visit Badlands Nat'l Park (120 miles) the change in scenery after a day in the plains is striking. Have lunch in Wall, just 'cause you gotta . Spend the afternoon in the Black Hills and see Mt Rushmore. You should have time to drive into WY and see Devil's Tower at sunset.  If you head west on I90 you can find lodging in Buffalo.

Day 3: Rockies. Here the choice depends on whether your friends in Jackson will take you to Yellowstone while visiting. I'll assume that they will, so take a southern approach to Jackson. Head west on US 16 through the Bighorns to Worland. Go south on US 20 to Thermopolis (130 miles from Buffalo). In this area of the Wind River you can visit the world's largest hot springs (Thermopolis) and go south to Lander for Sacajawea's grave. There are museums in Riverton and Lander if you like. From Lander you can get to Jackson by heading NW on US 26 (170 miles to Jackson Hole). You can also go south around the Wind River range and cross the Continental Divide at South Pass through the Antelope Hills (220 miles from Lander to Jackson Hole).

[dazzleman]

How much do you like to drive, and do you have a comfortable car?

It sounds like a driver's paradise - miles of open roads.  I love that kind of driving on a nice open road where I can really open it up.  I get so few opportunities for that type of driving in this congested section of the country.

If the answers to my first two questions are affirmative, I would probably drive, and take in some of the landmarks along the way.

[7,052,770]

definitely drive.

[J. J.]

I can't drive that distance now, unfortunately.

[opebo]

Don't drive across the US - it is horribly boring, uncomfortable, and it all looks the same.  In fact since you have to buy a plane ticket anyway why not just leave the country?  As a matter of fact, consider a one-way.. how do you people live there?

[minionofmidas]

Take the greyhound, unless you can find a train service (and not one of those super-fast-can't open windows-evade cities thingys they're building in Europe these days).
If neither is available, take two months and walk her, or maybe go by bicycle.
These are the only options you should seriously consider, as these are the only options that allow you to get to know the country.

[DanielX]

Don't drive across the US - it is horribly boring, uncomfortable, and it all looks the same.  In fact since you have to buy a plane ticket anyway why not just leave the country?  As a matter of fact, consider a one-way.. how do you people live there?

We make do. Not everyone hates this place, you know.

That said, I've been to South Dakota but not North Dakota. South Dakota is a long drive. The eastern half gets boring after awhile - just plains. The western half, on the other hand, is very interesting. The badlands and the Black Hills.

A few heads-ups:

1. In South Dakota, mid-grade gas is often cheaper then regular. This is because mid-grade has ethanol, while regular doesn't, and ethanol gets subsidies.
2. The Black Hills are especially nice. Besides Mount Rushmore, check out the still-incomplete statue of Crazy Horse, Wind Caves (they have box-work formations, rather than normal stalagmites and such), and plenty of bison and prarie dogs. There are some scary roads, though - stay on the main highways when there's snow or rain!
3. Wall, South Dakota, has a famous drug store. Worth a day stop, but beware - the town's a ghost town in the Winter, and there are almost no chain restaurants. Eat at your own risk.
4. Sioux Falls isn't a bad town, but it doesn't warrant a big visit. Not the most scenic or great towns around.
5. Speed limit in rural areas on I-90 is 75 - of course, it'll still take 5 hours to cross the state.

[Hitchabrut]

Drive

[MAS117]

get a few friends together, rent an RV, and take a road trip