100 degrees South

[Gambs]

I'm in the beginning stages of a roadtrip more or less down the 100th longitude line begining in North Dakota and ending in Texas. Any suggestions on a scenic route and/or great spots along the way? Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[AZBuck]

Not many people make north-south road trips through the heartland. I haven't and so have no specific recommendations. The spots where I've crossed your general route (going east-west) don't offer anything truely noteworthy. This trip is intriguing, though. US-83 is the road that most closely follows the 100th meridian, and it has the distinction of hitting very few large, or even medium-sized, cities, so this would really be 2-lane open road almost the entire way. If I were doing this, I'd try to have a theme for the trip. Note that the 100th meridian was traditionally the demarcation line between the 'civilized' east and the 'wild' west. There are a number of old cavalry forts, Indian reservations, settler museums, etc. along this route that would make interesting stops and give you a better feel for the land you'll be travelling through. If you follow US-83, be sure to have a good watch. The 100th meridian also forms the boundary between the Central and Mountain time zones. Particularly in the northern stretches you may cross this boundary several times a day.

AZBuck

[Gambs]

Fascinating! Thank you for the reply. My intention is to veer off when intrigued but mainly play it by ear. Avoiding the large cities to me is a plus. Seeing real mid-america is the goal.