Seattle to Detroit up US Highway 12!

{03-13-09 Edit: The original Fall trip has morphed into an early Summer trip and the scope has changed as well. Hence the change of venue on this forum.}


Call me crazy (Yer crazy), but I have this wild notion that I want drive the length of I-90 from Boston all the way to Seattle. The tenitive plan would be: fly to Boston, rent a car, drive to Seattle.

The questions I have are: Has anyone done this before. I imagine that the east coast is pretty cool, and I know the west coast well enough that the far end is covered - but how about all the points in the middle. Is it just one long, boring stretch? Is it worth doing, or would I be better off with another route?

About how long should I plan for? Mapquest says that it's only 46 hours to physicaly get from A to B, but that's the blow through top speed, who cares about stopping way of doing it. I'm thinking 14 days - too much or not enough?

Any other suggestions or crazy ideas?

I think you've got a pretty great plan. 14 days should give you a nice amount of time to explore. Realistically, you'll need 6-7 days to make the trip just driving, but that gives you a whole week of time to look around.

I've never found a boring place, and there are things to do along every interstate in the US. However, just a few of the major highlights along I-90 would including Niagara Falls, Cleveland/Sandusky, Chicago, Badlands, Black Hills/Mt. Rushmore/Devils Tower, and Yellowstone.

Niagara falls? I didnt think that 90 got that far north. If it does, then heck yes I'll hit that for sure. But so far my random brainstorming - and mind you, this is just the first couple of states, based on about half an hour of reading on wikitravel - has included:

Devils tower
Mount Rushmore
Wall Drug (which might be too far north - we'll see)
Continental Divide
The Last Stoplight on I-90 - Wallace, ID
Custer's Last Stand- Crow Agency
Our Lady Of The Rockies - Butte
1880 Cowboy Town - Buffalo Ridge, SD
Petrified Wood Park - Lemmon, SD
Chief Crazy Horse Memorial - Crazy Horse, SD

And I havent even gotten to the east coast yet. :)

It's about 25 miles from I-90 to Niagara Falls, well worth the side trip. Wall, SD is right on I-90. The last stoplight was bypassed in 1991. Bring your EZ-Pass, you have a lot of tolls to deal with! You also have a traffic nightmare through Chicago.

I-90 doesn't go directly to Niagara Falls, but its only a short detour via I-190 from Buffalo. The same is true with Yellowstone, its not directly on I-90, but its a pretty easy detour. Wall, and of course Wall Drug, are directly on the interstate. Its hard to have something that's a pure and proud roadside tourist trap be anything but right off the highway!

I hadn't heard about the last stoplight, but after looking at it, that sounds pretty interesting. It sounds like the town of Wallace certainly had some fun "mourning" when it lost its claim to fame, as the stoplight is now on display, in a casket, in the town's museum.

Well, From the Badlands west, you probably know most of what you can see.

From Rapid City to Chicago is quite nice. The drive through Wisconsin heavily wooded. Southern MN is quite flat, as is eastern SD.

If you're taking your time, stop at gas stations, ask locals, as well. They may tell you hidden gems. Crossing the Missouri south of Pierre is cool.

Usually, my times through there have been to just 'get through there' to the west coast.

Sykotyk

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Originally Posted by Sykotyk

Well, From the Badlands west, you probably know most of what you can see.

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Yeah, I'm not so concerned with Washington and Idaho (and probably Montana). those are easy enough to get to on a weekend trip. Pretty much the east side of Montana onwards is what I'm interested in.

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If you're taking your time, stop at gas stations, ask locals, as well. They may tell you hidden gems. Crossing the Missouri south of Pierre is cool.

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Good point - idealy, I'd like to wander a bit, find side roads and whatnot. The interstate is great for getting about, but I'm not adversed to diversions as we go. And two weeks should be plenty of time.

Hello TJCSG,

What a great trip idea! Here are some other ideas of sights, scenery along the way, or just a bit off of I-90:

Any of the Mississippi River towns along the WI-MN and WI-IA border are worth a look. Although they're closer to I-94, the towns of Red Wing and Hastings, MN and the whole Lake Pepin area (a wide section of the Mississippi lined by tall sandstone bluffs) are very scenic, particularly in the Fall.

"Right-angle" traverses in SD and MT: Most Federal, State, and local highways follow "section line" boundaries or sub-boundaries. The result is one's ability to go northwest by going north, then west. Such makes it possible to see some cool old farm towns and rural scenery along the way.

The Beartooth Highway: South of I-90 and west of Billings, US 212 passes through Red Lodge, MT, itself a fun tourist town, to the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone NP. The Beartooth Highway rises to some 11,000' of elevation along the way and passes through tundra terrain. One can then make a loop through Yellowstone and back to I-90 at either Livingston or Bozeman.

The Berkely Pit: A large concentration of the rich copper ores mined by underground methods were consolidated into a huge open-pit mine at Butte, MT, and the result is one of the largest holes in the world. A viewing platform right in Butte provides a look, and a nearby mining museum provides a great look at a historic mining district.

A bit farther down the road is Anaconda, MT, where the smelter for the Butte ores stood. Still standing is one of the largest, if not the largest, smokestack ever built. Stay on MT 1 through Anaconda to Philipsburg, the coolest town in all of MT, as far as I'm concerned. Overnight at the Broadway, have ice cream at the town soda fountain, carouse at the local bars, and take a bag of home-made candy from the town's candy store when you leave. Travel back to I-90 near Hall, MT, completing the loop. If you're somewhat more adventurous, travel a short distance west of Philipsburg to Rock Creek Canyon and take the 40 mile gravel road northward through the canyon, amidst lodgepole pines, fir forest, talus slopes, bighorn sheep, moose, and trout fishermen back to I-90 at Clinton, MT. A quick look at Beaverhead NF and Lolo NF maps shows the way, as do most any MT highway atlases. Or, traverse the mountains opposite of Rock Creek on the Skalkaho Road to US 93 in the Bitterroot Valley and travel south to Missoula and I-90 that way.

In Missoula, the Clark Fork River winds through town, with street and pedestrian bridges and walking paths on each side. The downtown is alive with cool college (U of M) and locals (Stockman's) bars, and the venerable Oxford, where the Western tradition of going out to breakfast following a session at the bars is played out nightly, 365 days a year. The place doesn't even have locks on the doors, as they never close. The nomenclature related to breakfast orders is worth the price of breakfast, not to mention the large servings of eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, and coffee.

The time of year you're looking at is perfect in my opinion, as you should be in full Autumn foliage, including aspens out West, the whole time.

Have a great time planning and taking your trip!

Foy

Well, the plan has changed slightly. My travel partners have all wussed out on me, and I cant afford to rent a one-way car by myself, so the Boston->Seattle trip is off.

However, I did secure 10 days off this Memorial Day, so the new plan is drive up US Highway 12 (a route that runs parallel to I-90) from Seattle to as far as I can before I have to turn around and bomb home. I figure 8 days of leisure out, 2 days of non-stop driving home, and I should be able to cover a great deal of ground.

US-12 does go through some interesting farming country, but it's not as scenic as other routes. Given the time frame and that you are starting in Seattle -- if it were me... I would choose US-2 over the mountains to Spokane and then north to State Route 20 and go has far west on SR-20 before you have to bomb home. A much more interesting set of routes and topographies.

Mark

If it's open, what about WA-20 from Mount Vernon up through the Cascades?

The timeframe: May 22nd to the 31st
The Trip: up US Highway 12 from Seattle to Detroit (or as far as we can get)
The Trip Back: Speed run down I-90
Round Trip: 4,966
Miles per day: 496.6 (or about 8.27 hours on the road each day)

This originally started life as a trip down I-90 from Boston to Seattle, but as budgets and timeframes became more defined, I had to cut back. I also decided to go earlier in the year, just at the end of spring. We've got 10 days, from the evening of may 21st to the 31st, so plenty of time to take it nice and easy.

We'll probably head up US Highway 12 at a casual pace, and then (depending on how much time we make) fly back down I-90. And of course this list is before I really start digging into the weird and quirky tourist traps along the way.

TRIP OUT:
Teapot Dome Service Station - Zilla, WA
Continental Divide - MT (ok, not much of a stop, but I have to get a pic at least)
Custer's Last Stand - Crow Agency, MT
Statues for the Proletariat - Crow Agency, MT
Our Lady Of The Rockies - Butte, MT
Mount Rushmore SD
The Corn Palace - Mitchell, SD
1880 Cowboy Town - Buffalo Ridge, SD
Petrified Wood Park - Lemmon, SD
Chief Crazy Horse Memorial - Crazy Horse, SD
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Darwin, MN
Spam museum - Austin, MN

TRIP BACK:
Wall Drug - Drug, SD
Devils tower - WY
Last Stoplight on I-90 - Wallace, ID

Like I said, that's just the rough draft list. Some of it may be too far away from 12 to be practical.


So, thoughts? Suggestions?

This will clearly be a trip that is mostly about the driving, but your pacing is about right at 500 miles/day and most of your stops are of the sort that can be done in an hour or two, thus giving needed physical and mental breaks from behind the wheel. All in all, it looks like fun.

AZBuck

Hey guys -

So I was planning to do some driving over Memorial Day, and I thought I'd bounce my itinerary off you and get some ideas. The plan goes like this - Seattle to Detroit up US Highway 12 and then back. I've got 10 days and roughly 5,000 miles to cover - so a nice steady 500 miles a day should be about enough and still give me plenty of sightseeing time.

Here's the day by day breakdown:

DAY 00, 4/21)
I get a head start on Thursday evening right after work, getting from Seattle to Kennewick/Pasco. Yeah, it's a bit of a cheat, but I'm not too concerned about seeing stuff in Washington. Anything that's in easy driving distance I can get later.

DAY 01, 4/22)
Hook up with Highway 12, if I can get through to the other side of Helena (like about Winston), then I'm doing good.

DAY 02 4/23)
Continuing along US 12 up to White Butte, SD

DAY 03, 4/24)
Follow along 12 until I get to Darwin, which puts me a bit short of the 500 miles a day that I'd need, but much past that and I hit the Twin Cities and lose that small town Americana feeling that I'm going for. Besides, sleeping across the street from the Biggest Ball of Twine has a certain charm about it.

DAY 04, 4/25)
Since I don't really have the time to explore Minneapolis or Chicago, I might briefly drive through them, but for the most part, I'll skip them. So it'll be a long haul day, where I try and get to White Pigeon or Sturgis MI, making up some of the shortfall from the Ball of Twine.

Huzzah! Detroit and the end of Highway 12! Now, here's where things get interesting. Since I don't really want to double back and cover the ground that I just drove, I was going to and try to avoid Highway 12. I was thinking of following US Highway 14 (but I'm certainly open to suggestions and ideas if someone has a better idea).

However from Detroit, as a side trip I'll drop down to Ohio quickly (I'm on a mission to get pictures of me with all 50 "welcome to . . . " state signs - and it's only a couple of extra miles). From the Toledo-ish area, I'll probably hook up with I-90 and powerbomb back to Madison (or thereabouts) and crash for the evening.

DAY 06, 4/26) Continue down Highway 14 (with perhaps a brief sidestep to Iowa to get another state sign picture, driving through Harper's Ferry) stopping at Lake Preston, SD

DAY 07, 4/27) A shorter haul today, since there's a bunch I want to see in this neck of the woods: I want to swing down to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, I have to stop by Wall Drug of course and Mount Rushmore. So if I get to Keystone, SD, I'm golden.

DAY 08, 4/28) Probably another shorter jump today, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of the Badlands and Devils Tower, so if I get to Billings I should be good.

DAY 09, 4/30) Saturday 4/30 - Powerbomb down I-90 back to Seattle

DAY 10) Since I dont have to be back until Sunday the 31st, This would be a floater day, in case I fall short of the drive, I find something cool that I must see or otherwise have the schedule thrown off.

So - a couple of questions:
* What'll the weather be like? We're still a month away from summer, so I expect that the national parks will all still be quiet, right? Would places like Rushmore and Devils Tower even be open yet?
* Does that sound like a reasonable schedule? 500 miles a day, with about 8 hours of driving - that should leave plenty of time for sleep, sightseeing and whatnot.
* Alternate routes? I think I'm pretty good with the route to Detroit, but back I'm flexible on. If someone says "You need to do THIS!", I'm open to suggestion
* Rent a car? That's a hell of a lot of miles to put on my aging Saturn. Sure it'll cost me a couple hundred bucks, but that'll save a lot of wear on my ride. Am I just being paranoid, or do you think this is a good idea?
* Any Must-See that I need to be aware of? Here's the short (and growing) list of what I'd like to see

TRIP OUT:
Nez Perce National Historical Park - ID
Fort Missoula Museum MT
Old Montana Prison Complex, Deer Lodge, MT
Continental Divide - MT
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Darwin, MN

TRIP BACK:
Spam museum - Austin, MN
The old 1880 Cowboy Town in Buffalo Ridge, SD
The Corn Palace - Mitchell, SD
Mount Rushmore SD
Wall Drug - Drug, SD
Devils tower - WY
Custers Last Root Beer Stand, Three Forks, MT
Last Stoplight on I-90 - Wallace, ID

I think you may be overlooking an important issue - taking a non-Interstate such as US-12 or US-14 can be a LOT slower than taking an interstate. What smacked me in the face is you saying you will drive from near the Twin Cities to Michigan in one day? This is a long haul on the Interstates - on 12 it's impossible. It's going to take you 2 to 3 hours just to get from the WI-IL line to the IL-IN line, and you will be going through some of the worst traffic on the face of the earth. 500 miles a day is not realistic for a large portion of your trip. You need to adjust your expectations or get onto the Interstates more.

Not only is it slower-going on roads like Hwy 12, but I dont think you're allowing yourself much time each day for all the stops you'll likely make because you're going to find a lot of places worth stopping at not on your list.

Personally, I love the idea of going east on 12, west on 90. But I think you should travel with no planned nightly stops. Just drive, stop when something interests you, explore, and enjoy your day. If you only make it to Minneapolis, for example, before it's time to return home, so what?

The best places to get an idea of weather is either The Weather Channel's website or Accuweather. Just google 'em. Of course, you'll want to be checking right before leaving and keeping an eye on the weather while on your trip. But I think it's late enough in the spring where you shouldn't encounter an real problems.

Mark suggested taking Hwy 2. You could always do that instead of I-90. However, you may be getting tired of 2-lane roads by that time so 90 might be more appealing at that point.

If your car isn't road-worthy, then getting a rental makes sense. Personally, I like driving my own car. I would be inclined to take the same amount of money, maybe a bit more, to have your car tuned up, preventive maintenance done, new tires (if needed), etc. in order to make it road worthy. Then you have invested in your car and it should keep going for many more miles. Of course, only you can determine whether or not this would be worth it to you. And it's possible that even with that work, your car might not be road-worthy. Do you have a mechanic you trust who can help you figure out if it would be worth it?

Devil's Tower and Mt. Rushmore will both be open.

A couple good places to find out must-see places to stop are: (1) google "____name of state____ tourism" and you'll get the state tourism websites which are usually a treasure-trove of information; and (2) Roadside America which has lots of information on tacky tourist traps (like that great big ball of twine); and the Roadtrip Planning section on this website (see the green bars above).

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

But I think you should travel with no planned nightly stops. Just drive, stop when something interests you, explore, and enjoy your day. If you only make it to Minneapolis, for example, before it's time to return home, so what?

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You know, after thinking about it that's probably the wise way to go. I've got all the cool things to see between here and Detroit, but if I get 6 days into it and find that I'm only a quarter of the way there, I juist go "Meh, okay - heres where I stop and turn around".

Basicly a 'go as far as I can until I need to go home' pholosphy. That said, I really would like to get to the Biggest Ball of Twine. :)

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

Mark suggested taking Hwy 2. You could always do that instead of I-90. However, you may be getting tired of 2-lane roads by that time so 90 might be more appealing at that point.

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That might be a bit too far north for some of the sights that I want to hit on the way back. Although I do have to admit that I might take a run up Highway 2 at a later date. . .

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

If your car isn't road-worthy, then getting a rental makes sense. Personally, I like driving my own car. I would be inclined to take the same amount of money, maybe a bit more, to have your car tuned up, preventive maintenance done, new tires (if needed), etc. in order to make it road worthy. Then you have invested in your car and it should keep going for many more miles. Of course, only you can determine whether or not this would be worth it to you. And it's possible that even with that work, your car might not be road-worthy. Do you have a mechanic you trust who can help you figure out if it would be worth it?

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Actualy I do keep on top of my car and it's maintainance, regular tune ups, oil changes on the dot, the tires are reasonably new and so on. I'm just a bit worried - well, paranoid - about putting on another huge chunk of miles on the car. That I'm thinking of taking another road trip south-wards at the end of summer, so I might be putting on 6-10 K miles by the end of the year on top the 100,000 that my poor old car is already sporting.

The car is solid, I just want to make it last as long as I can.

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That I'm thinking of taking another road trip south-wards at the end of summer, so I might be putting on 6-10 K miles by the end of the year on top the 100,000 that my poor old car is already sporting.

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Just 100,000? You've barely got it broken in! I'm expecting to cross the 200k mark on my roadtrip vehicle this summer. If you are taking care of your car like you say, putting a few thousand roadtrip miles on it really shouldn't have much impact on the long term.

I think you're making a wise decision about taking things as they go. And if getting to that ball of twine is really important to you, you could always cut down to I-94 and do a little sprint before turning around and heading back home.

I've got 108k on my 03 Ford pickup and it runs like a new truck.

100k is nothing on a Saturn - I have a friend that got 160k out of his, and the only reason it didn't last longer is the timing belt (ORIGINAL) broke and he holed a piston. If yours is original, change it NOW. It's an interference engine - if the timing belt breaks, something has to give.

Ah my friends never wanna go on a cool road trip. I've thought of going from Seattle as far east on i90 as I plan

Many roadtrippers enjoy going solo. You can do what you want, when you want. It can be great fun.

Have done Seattle to Boston (actually Gig Harbor near Tacoma to Kittery Maine) once in each direction, eastbound in 2007 and westbound in 2008.
Now getting ready to do westbound trip in June.

Sounds like you are getting some good advice - lots of stuff to see either on
12 or on 90. Book "Road Trip USA" has city-by-city descriptions (my copy loaned out to a friend). More later...

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Just 100,000? You've barely got it broken in! I'm expecting to cross the 200k mark on my roadtrip vehicle this summer. If you are taking care of your car like you say, putting a few thousand roadtrip miles on it really shouldn't have much impact on the long term.

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That's good news to hear - while I've had a car for a while, this is the first one that I've put any number of miles on. (My first one doesnt count, since I got it as a handme-down from my mom and it had a ton of miles and not a lot of care).

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I think you're making a wise decision about taking things as they go. And if getting to that ball of twine is really important to you, you could always cut down to I-94 and do a little sprint before turning around and heading back home.

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While I'm not adverse to doing some interstate sprinting (in fact the trip back from Idaho will probably be all I-90), I'd like to stay off as much as I can. My one regret going down to Four Corners was that we did interstate most of the way down there. Lovely scenery, but dreadfuly boring.

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Originally Posted by pererik

Sounds like you are getting some good advice - lots of stuff to see either on 12 or on 90. Book "Road Trip USA" has city-by-city descriptions (my copy loaned out to a friend). More later...

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I picked up a copy of Off The Beaten Path - A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenic and Interesting Places. It's a state by state guide that doesnt cover the quirky stuff like The Biggest Ball of Twine or Hole n' the Rock, it does have a pretty good cross section of smaller stuff. I havent read the book all the way yet, but it seems like a solid selection of attractions.

You know, after thinking it over, I think I'm going to go with the rental. My baby is starting to act twitchy with the transmission - nothing I can put my finger on as "this is bad", but it's not quite feeling just right. And of course with a week or two (give or take a couple of days) left to go, now is not the time for the big expense of sending it into the shop.

It's only 250 bucks for the 14 days, so I'm willing to eat that for some peace of mind. (On a side note, how is Avis for a rental company? I've not rented before, so this is all new and uncharted waters here).

The good news is that my new camera lens just showed up today, so I'll be able to take some (hopefuly) fantastic pictures.

Most any of the car rental agencies have similar policies and customer service. And isn't Avis the "We're #2 so we try harder!" agency?

I hope you'll share photos with us when you get back.

I am a long time Enterprise customer that had a nasty experience at the local agency right here in town, so I am now an Avis customer. The local agent here is very accommodating, unlike the Enterprise agent. Note that I filed a complaint through corporate, received an automated acknowledgment but no followup whatsoever. Bye bye.

Is that 250 bucks for 14 days include all taxes and fees and unlimited mileage - and allowed out of state? If so, that's a bargain unless they stuff you into an Aveo or some other micro tin can.

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

I hope you'll share photos with us when you get back.

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Of course!

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Originally Posted by glc

Is that 250 bucks for 14 days include all taxes and fees and unlimited mileage - and allowed out of state? If so, that's a bargain unless they stuff you into an Aveo or some other micro tin can.

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Whoops, actually it's 10.5 days - not sure why I said 14. And it looks like it's unlimited miles, so I'm good there. It's a Chevy Cobalt, so it shouldnt be too tiny for my 6 foot frame. So 257 over the 10 days is about 25 bucks a day - not too shabby.

A Cobalt is probably about the same size as your Saturn.

So last weekend, the weather was nice and all my friends up and stiffed me so I decided to hop across the sound to Bremerton to wander the pinnuncula. With the cursed Hood Canal Bridge closed, I wound up going southwards to Aberdeen. On my way, I was - hey, look at that. The end of Highway 12!

Since I can see the Washington end any time I want, I was going to drive like a madman up to Idaho, so it was nice to get a sneak preview of the end I'm not going to drive.

(I'll see if there were any pictures worth posting once I sort through them in a couple of days)

Yup, it ends quite near my home. If you were gonna come back here for the start, I could have met you at Starbucks for a send-off. LOL

Shame you're not driving White Pass. Lovely. Be sure and do it another time.

Where in Idaho do you plan on picking up 12? Lewiston? That's really about your only option until you get to Montana.

To be honest, the drive on 12 throughout Washington is so beautiful, I encourage you to do it instead of just taking 90 across.

Seattle-Jct of I-5/12-Lewiston is roughly 450 miles. Seattle via I-90 to Sprague than secondary roads to Lewiston is roughly 345 miles. Yeah, you won't be able to burn miles on 12 like you can when you're on 90 but won't you be traveling 90 on the way home?

I say at least start where 12 merges with I-5. I don't think you'll regret it.

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

Yup, it ends quite near my home. If you were gonna come back here for the start, I could have met you at Starbucks for a send-off. LOL

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Well, I knew I was going to be in town, I'd have said something. But it was one of those "Oooh! Lets see where this road goes" sort of road trips.

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Shame you're not driving White Pass. Lovely. Be sure and do it another time.

Where in Idaho do you plan on picking up 12? Lewiston? That's really about your only option until you get to Montana.

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Well, originally I was thinking of going over I-90 and hooking up with 12 over in the Yakima/Zilla neck of the woods, then following it along until I get to Lewiston, which will probably (depending on how I'm doing for time) be where I first crash for the night.

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To be honest, the drive on 12 throughout Washington is so beautiful, I encourage you to do it instead of just taking 90 across.

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Oh, I've driven 12 before, scooting along the south end of Rainer many a time - just not in the last couple of years. And yeah, it is some lovely country down there. If I don't do it this time around, I'll probably get to it sometime during the summer (I want to get back down to the Stonehenge on the Columbia anyway)

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Seattle-Jct of I-5/12-Lewiston is roughly 450 miles. Seattle via I-90 to Sprague than secondary roads to Lewiston is roughly 345 miles. Yeah, you won't be able to burn miles on 12 like you can when you're on 90 but won't you be traveling 90 on the way home?

I say at least start where 12 merges with I-5. I don't think you'll regret it.

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Ok, fair enough. You're a persuasive salesperson - if I get an early enough start and have no hassles getting the car, I'll do it. If things go rough, well, I'll see how I'm doing on the time.

Oh, which reminds me - I have to call Avis and see if I'm getting a CD player with the car or if I should bring my ipod.

Okay, so I think I've got all the things I want to see plotted out on a map (only 30 or so roadside attractions. Nothing, really! :) ), and I think I've got the course plotted - U.S. 14 all the way back - save for one stretch.

So I'll probably stick with Highway 14 into Yellowstone. The big question is: whats the best, most scenic route back to Seattle from Yellowstone? If speed turns out to be an issue, I'll just hop up to I-90 and race home, but if time allows, might as well see if I can take a nice route, huh?

Oh, and after all the planning, the last thing on my route that I really want to see is in Wisconsin Dells. I only want to do Illinois, Indiana and the rest just to say that I was there and I got to the very end of Highway 12. So if time looks like it's about to become an issue, I could easy cut the last 800 or so miles off the trip.

Ok, after debating back and forth if I should do all of Highway 12, I think I'll cut things short and try and fit in a couple more things in the Badlands. Here is the (more or less) final draft of my schedual:

Day 00: Thursday 5/21
Leave work a bit early, not many stops, just drive like a madman
Reach: Lewiston, Idaho

DAY 01: Friday 5/22
* Dworshak Dam - Ahsahka, ID
* Nez Perce National Historical Park - Idaho
* Continental Divide - Before Helena, MT
* Old Montana Prison Complex - Deer Lodge, MT
Reach: Barber, Montana

Day 02: Saturday 5/23
* Joe Montana, Ismay Road, Joe, MT
* Life Sized T-Rex - Marmarth, ND
* Petrified Wood Park - Lemmon, SD
* Grave of Sitting Bull - Mobridge, SD
Reach: Mobridge, South Dakota

Day 03: Sunday 5/24
* Paul Bunyan's Anchor - Ortonville, MN
* The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Darwin, MN
* The Old Depot Museum - Dassel, MN
* Big Chicken - Delano, MN
Reach: Millston, WI

Day 04: Monday 5/25 -
* Exact Center of the Northern Half of the Western Hemisphere - Poniatowski, WI
* Paul Bunion Logging Camp - Eau Claire
* Mid-Continent Railway Museum - North Freedom, WI
* The Forevertron - Baraboo, WI
* Top Secret Upside-Down White House - Wisconsin Dells, WI
Reach: Reach Madison, WI

RETURN TRIP

Day 05: Tuesday 5/26 -
* State Capital - Madison, WI
* Spam museum - Austin, MN
* Last Happy Chef - Mankato, MN
* Hermann the German - New Ulm, MN
Reach: Lake Preston, SD

Day 06: Wednesday 5/27 -
* World's Largest Pheasant - Huron, SD
* The Corn Palace - Mitchell, SD
* Wall Drug - Drug, SD
* Minuteman Missile National Historical Site - SD
Reach: Keystone, SD

Day 07: Thursday 5/28
* Mount Rushmore - SD
* Chief Crazy Horse Memorial - Crazy Horse, SD
* Thunderhead Falls - Rapid City, SD
* Cosmos Mystery Area - Rapid City, SD
* 1880 Train - Keystone
Reach: Chill in the badlands

Day 08: Friday 5/29
* Center of the Nation - Belle Fourche, SD
* Deadwood - SD
* Devils tower - WY
Reach: Chill some more in the badlands

Day 09: Saturday 5/30
* Heart Mountain Japanese Internment Camp - Powell, WY
* Custer's Last Stand - Crow Agency, MT
* Statues for the Proletariat - Crow Agency, MT
Reach: Bozeman MT

Day 10: Sunday 5/31
* Custers Last Root Beer Stand - Three Forks, MT
* Berkeley Pit - Butte, MT
* Last Stoplight on I-90 - Wallace, ID
Reach: Seattle

Now, you may noticed that I have *WAY* overbooked the schedule. Pretty much that's a huge list of everything that's really cool that happens to be on my way. If I don't get to everything, or need to cut a couple of things to make up time, so be it. But I've learned that it's better to reach for the brass ring and come up short than not have enough planning done.

So - what do you guys think?

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If I don't get to everything, or need to cut a couple of things to make up time, so be it. But I've learned that it's better to reach for the brass ring and come up short than not have enough planning done.

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Let me throw out another option. Allow yourself time to see everything you've identified along the way, unless you get there and truly find yourself uninterested in it. And be open to the other things you'll find along the way.

I think you might have a better trip if you focus on the things along the way rather than the final destination of Detroit. Or not. Your choice. Just be open to doing things the other way if it feels right.

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Originally Posted by PNW Judy

Let me throw out another option. Allow yourself time to see everything you've identified along the way, unless you get there and truly find yourself uninterested in it. And be open to the other things you'll find along the way.

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Oh, totally - the last thing I want to do is zoom by Mount Rushmore at 75 miles an hour as I stick my camera out the window and grab a blurry snapshot.

I still have to go through and identify a few key sites, the "this will take all day and/or I *cant* live without it" moments. Fortunately there's lots of stuff in there - like the life sized T-Rex or the Grave of Sitting Bull - that wont take but a few moments to stop and see.

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I think you might have a better trip if you focus on the things along the way rather than the final destination of Detroit. Or not. Your choice. Just be open to doing things the other way if it feels right.

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Yeah, the more I think about it, the more Detroit seems like a pipe dream. Really, I wouldn't do more than "Look! Here I am!" before moving on. Not really enough time to explore the city at all, so I probably wont go. Pity - I bet they have some killer Motown museums there!

I guess the important thing to remember: no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. A willingness to improvise and adapt will be key. And besides - whats the worst that could happen? Well, aside from getting really lost and winding up in a Flordia swamp. :)

Well, the bags are all packed and the itenarary printed - I'm all set. I just need to get past one meeting here at work and it's open road, baby!

I borrowed a laptop, but I dont know how much updating I'll be able to do. But I'll try and at least post the odd photo to my Flickr Account, so keep your eyes peeled there!

I'll look forward to your roadtrip report when you get back!

I love your trip plan. I don't think you'll get to half of your stops, but I'm glad you've got options and have things flexible enough to make sure you have a good time!

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* The Forevertron - Baraboo, WI

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Just a heads up on this one, there really aren't many signs for this and its kind of hidden back off the road a bit.

Its actually located several miles south of Baraboo (so you'll want to stop in the Dells first and visit this on the way to Madison), and its located right next to Deleny's Surplus, across the highway from the old Ammo Plant. I've driven by it a million times, but the first time I actually noticed it was when I was looking around at the surplus store, whose yard kind of extends into the sculpture garden.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Just a heads up on this one, there really aren't many signs for this and its kind of hidden back off the road a bit.

Its actually located several miles south of Baraboo (so you'll want to stop in the Dells first and visit this on the way to Madison), and its located right next to Deleny's Surplus, across the highway from the old Ammo Plant. I've driven by it a million times, but the first time I actually noticed it was when I was looking around at the surplus store, whose yard kind of extends into the sculpture garden.

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Yeah, the directions I had for it said: "On U.S. 12, about five miles south of Baraboo, behind Delaney's Surplus, across the highway from the Badger Army Ammunition Plant" but that gives me a bit more to go on.

Ok, guys - I'm outta here. Peace!

Well, I guess that's a pretty good set of directions! I guess the biggest thing to note is that there isn't a sign, you'll just see some metal sculptures and you'll know you're there.