First time across the Plains

OK, so the part of your trip that has me interested is your return. Having drove I-94 and I-90 in the great states of Dakota, I'd recommend I-90.

Now we get to my area of expertise: Some recommended stopping points between Rapid City and Yellowstone. Obviously, there's Mount Rushmore, but don't forget the Crazy Horse monument (bigger than Rushmore, still in construction). Deadwood's a good place to gamble; the Old No. 10 Saloon has a free hold-em tournament at 11 a.m. every day for the first 10 guys to show up (or at least they did when I went there). If you stop in Sundance, eat at the Aro, drink at The Turf and stop by the Crook County Hospital (azom's birthplace). Devils Tower is worth a look. If you have the time, hike the trail around the base of the tower. Drive as fast as possible through Gillette. Buffalo's nice; eat at the Main Street Diner (greasy spoon but good food) or the restaurant right off I-25 at exit 299 (I forget the name, Bozeman Trail or something like that). Over the top, you have a few choices. You can go through Buffalo and go to Ten Sleep and Worland; the alternate route is to go via Sheridan and over the top to either Lovell or Greybull. I'd say go over the top to Greybull; Shell Canyon is beautiful. But Ten Sleep Canyon is nice, too. Cody is kinda touristy, the same way that the Pope is kinda Catholic. In Yellowstone, do as many things as possible during the early morning or late evening -- everyone and their 2.3 children goes to see the sights between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Lamar Valley is highly underrated and worth a peek if you can get to it. Go through the Tetons while you're there and try not to get ripped off in Jackson. If you're in a hurry to get back to Vegas, go over Teton Pass and hit I-15 in Idaho Falls. If not, go through Star Valley (advertises itself as America's Switzerland or something like that; it's not that good but it's very pretty), eat at the Polar King in Kemmerer (best burger I've ever had) and get to Salt Lake that way.

Yes, I have spent a lot of time in Wyoming. And no, I've never owned a pair of velcro gloves. ;D

 

Definitely, if he has time, he should make a trip up the North Shore. Gotta see Split Rock Lighthouse.

 

Great line Armchair.

But those orange sunrises they picture on their license plates are really cool.

Plus once when I was in Omaha for the CWS I found a killer water slide park.

Other that, that, though ... yeah the pickin's be slim.

Just not the women.

 

Back to Texas ... Good news is TxDOT is raising the interstate speed limit between Monahans and El Paso from 75 to 80. They should've done it statewide ... everyone drives like a bat out of hell anyway on the rural stretches.

 

FACT. I'll never forget the time I was driving 90 down Central Expressway in North Dallas and was being passed by traffic on both sides. Both fun and frightening at the same time.

 

70mph on 635 northwest-bound near Garland and Richardson towing a horse trailer, and people were flying by on both sides. When I tried driving in the right lane, I nearly got squashed by merging drivers who thought they had the right of way. I started breathing again when I got past Denton on I-35E.

New state motto: Don't mess with Texas or we'll run your ass over like it's standing still.

 

By all means, stop by Lake Tahoe on your trip. I hear it's about 30 minutes from Denver.

 

Plains?

"I been hangin' around grain elevators
I been learnin' 'bout food
I been talkin' to soil farmers
I been workin' on land

Moose Jaw saw a few, Moosomin too
Runnin' back to Saskatoon
Red Deer, Terrace and a Medicine Hat
Sing another prairie tune
Sing another prairie tune"

Thank you, Burton Cummings

 

I once did Louisville to San Diego in two days.

 

Throw in a few soybean fields along the way, and you've probably got it right...... but it's still prettier than going up the spine of Illinois (zzz) or across South Dakota..... so, so boring and flat.