OT: Sight-seeing recommendations, northern US

I've driven a semi through most of the US, but being in a vehicle that's
75 feet long makes it really difficult to do much sight-seeing. Next month
Nancy and I are taking some vacation time and will driving our minivan
from California to southern Wisconsin.

We're going to have a few extra days on our return trip, and would like to
see some of the interesting sites. Right now we're planning on stopping at
Mount Rushmore, but that's the only point we've identified yet.

Wayne Mitchell...

Since you'll be in Wisconsin already, check out the Wisconsin
Dales. I've never been, but I've seen some lovely photos.

Karen AKA Kajikit...

Make sure you check out the Forevertron while you're there... it's the
most amazing junk sculpture you'll ever see in your life!

And don't go to Mount Rushmore without leaving yourselves enough
time to explore the rest of the Black Hills -- particularly The
Needles and Custer State Park. In fact, if time is short, you
can skip Rushmore -- there's nothing much there except touristy
stuff and a view of the desecration of a mountain. The rest of
that territory could absorb one for months.

Are any of you catfolks on this group familiar with particularly
interesting points reasonably accessable to the major highways? My initial
thought on our return route is maybe I-90 west from southern WI to South
Dakota, either I-90 or state routes to I-25, south to I-70 or I-80,
eventually working down to the I-10/I-15 junction.

Victor Martinez...

The badlands in South Dakota are supposed to be really beautiful, Tom
went there last year when he visited his sister in Bismarck, there are
pictures on his website.

mlbriggs...

IMHO the Badlands are awe-inspiring, but certainly not beautiful. I
considered them rather horrifying. But, as they say "beauty is in the eye
of the beholder".

Yellowstone, Glacier, Zions, Bryce and the north rim of the Grand
Canyon are all worth seeing

mlbriggs...

By-the-way, the weather at Zions Park was 105 F today. MLB

Monique Y. Mudama...

I spoke to a woman recently who said the same thing -- she was touring
the country on a motorcycle and said the badlands were like nothing
she'd ever seen.

mlbriggs...

I am NOT an expert. However, summer is upon us and it is going to be hot.
It seems to me if you stay north as far as possible then take a coast
highway (Redwood Forest?) you would enjoy the trip more. Just my
opinion MLB.

Dan M...

Good point! We've got good air conditioning in the van, but even good A/C
can only do so much in really hot weather.

Victor Martinez...

I'm curious about something. I understand that families with school-age
children and people who live in very cold climates (hi Marina!) prefer
to go on vacation at summer time. Granted, that seems to be most people
and all vacation spots are *packed* in the summer, prices go up, etc.
So, why do people travel in the summer when they don't have to? Friends
keep asking us where we're going this summer. I reply, we don't travel
in summer. Everything is packed, expensive, and the weather is hot! We
like to travel in the fall, when the weather is nicer and the crowds are
gone.
I'm not trashing anybody, I'm just curious. :)

Dan M...

I agree! I much prefer to travel when things are less hot and less packed.

In this case our schedule is set for us. Nancy's niece just had a baby and
they're doing the christening in early July. Since we haven't seen her
family since we got married 5 years ago we decided to deal with the heat
and the crowds and travel during the summer.

Next vacation, though, won't be in the summer! Our last vacation was 3
years ago, in March or April. That was wonderful!

Marina...

I may be the wrong person to answer, because I only travel to the island
in the summer ;o) but I have always wondered why other Finns go abroad
in the summer, when the weather is warmest and most beautiful in
Finland. It might be because they can't take their vacations at any
other time of the year. Many do travel during the winter, and I can
understand that. Especially the time around Nov-Dec tends to be very
dark, when there's no snow yet and there is daylight for only a few
hours each day. Mum is trying to talk me into going to Africa with her
next November, but she's my trusted catsitter, so who would take care of
the cats if we are both gone?

Victor Martinez...

I'll cat-sit! :)