US Highway 71

[lhuff]

Y'all might have a different view sometime in the middle of South Dakota, though. :)

Laura

[Mark Sedenquist]

Y'all might have a different view sometime in the middle of South Dakota, though. :)

No worries, you won't have much wireless internet access in the middle of South Dakota...

Mark

[lhuff]

Ok - I now have wifi and dial up. So I'm set there. Still looking for a good 12-volt cooler. I've only found one here in town and they wanted $70 for that. I'm rather cheap, so that's kind of freaking me out. I'm still on the lookout for an electric tea pot type thing that I can heat up soups, macaroni and cheese, etc in. I had one in college but finally killed it.

BTW - it will just be me on this trip. Intrepid Travel Partner is staying home to get ready for grad school and let her foot heal.

Now for my latest itenerary.

Day 1 Leave Keithville, hit Highway 71 north of Shreveport and go to Fort Smith, AR - Must explore Miss Laura's Visitor Center. Apparently it's the only former brothel on the National Register of Historical Places.

From Fort Smith - head further North to Joplin, MO - maybe check out Grand Falls and George Washington Carver's boyhood home.

Travel from Joplin to Springfield. Do theBattle of Springfield driving tour.

Day 2
Onwards to Mansfield, MO and the Laura Ingalls Wilder site there.

Leave Mansfield and head towards Kansas City with a stop in Lee's Summit for some Barbecue like Hadvin suggested. Maybe stop at Missouri Town 1855.

Keep trucking towards Iowa and a place to sleep. The meeting of Highway 71 and I-80 looks like a likely spot, but may be too much driving. I'll have to just see how I'm feeling.

Day 3
Continue treck up Highway 71 towards Minnesota. Go to the Walnut Grove site for LIW. Take Highway 14 into South Dakota and stop in De Smet, SD for my final LIW stop.

Will probably stop somewhere between De Smet and Pierre for the night.

Days 4-6
Explore the following places in South Dakota.
Badlands National Park
Mount Rushmore
Wind Cave
Jewel Cave
Crazy Horse Memorial

I need to find a place that I can use for home base during these days. Any tips? Would Rapid City be too much of a hastle?

Day 7-10
Still working on the logistics of the following. Brand new thought for tonight, so this may all change after I get some sleep.

Take I-25. Stop at Fort Laramie (way too many times of playing Oregan Trail as a kid). Continue into Colorado and New Mexico. Stop and explore Denver and Santa Fe along the way. (Tips greatly appreciated). Continue South towards Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces. Maybe wander over towards White Sands. Keep on I-25 until it hits I-10. Take 10 to 20 and home.

Do days 7-10 look feasible? Any quarky things along 1-25?

Laura

[AZBuck]

I think that Custer would make a better base of operations for you than Rapid City for Days 4-6. It is more centrally located, is a smaller city, but yet has half a dozen or so low-cost to medium-cost motels including several national chains, so good competition.

Days 7-10 include just over 1900 miles of driving as you currently have them scheduled. Doable, but you'll have to pick and choose your stops with care. You won't have time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, for example, but you probably could take an hour or two and drive to the top of Pike's Peak, and to the top of a smaller (non-active) volcanic cone and hike around the caldera. The one other place I meant to stop on my trip a couple of years ago, but ran out of time, is Monahans Sandhills State Park off I-20 east of Pecos, TX.

AZBuck

[Mark Sedenquist]

FYI: Ok - I now have wifi and dial up. So I'm set there.

A Wi-Fi enabled laptop only works if there is a Wi-Fi transmitter within 750 feet of your location -- so, you will probably be able to find some local access in the towns -- but none out in the hinterlands....

Still looking for a good 12-volt cooler.

I was doing some research for an upcoming article and found a truly impressive collection of such devices at the local T/A Truck Plaza -- if you have a truck stop in your area --- go check out the travel store -- best selection I have ever seen!

Mark

[lhuff]

A Wi-Fi enabled laptop only works if there is a Wi-Fi transmitter within 750 feet of your location -- so, you will probably be able to find some local access in the towns -- but none out in the hinterlands....

Yeah - I live in the boonies and can't get wifi at my house. It's only been in the last year that we've been able to get access to broadband. Keithville is not exactly a metropolis (we don't even have a mayor or city council).

I was doing some research for an upcoming article and found a truly impressive collection of such devices at the local T/A Truck Plaza -- if you have a truck stop in your area --- go check out the travel store -- best selection I have ever seen!

There are quite a few truck stops off of I-20 near Greenwood. I may have to take a trip soon and check that out.

AZBuck - thank's for the Hotel and Days 7-10 tips. The whole I-25 thing was literally born in the last two hours, so I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all.

I'm starting to get really excited. I'll be adding 5 states to my "been there" list, although Colorado should really be #6 since I've only made it as far as Mesa Verde before.

Laura

[UKCraig]

Days 4-7 - South Dakota - take Highway 14 - see yet another LIW sight in DeSmet, SD.

You know you liked the look of the play equipment that I install in the UK? Well it comes out of 2 massive factories just along the road from De Smet. Be sure to pop by and play on the swings. Just don't tell em I sent ya! ;)

Visit Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Bad Lands National Park, the Wind Cave and the Jewel Cave.

This all sounds cool. We are supposed to be going to Vegas this fall for some sort of company bash. It is possible (probable) that it won't be in Vegas and at the factory in Brookings SD instead. I'm kinda hoping that it is so I get a free trip to see those exact places you mention. Be sure to look out for other interesting side trips in the area in case it works out that way for me!

I'm thinking the Nebraska route just so that I can see some new states.

Glad I'm not the only one who takes diversions just to say 'I've been there'!

Pikes Peak

OMG, that is so cool! Second only to Bonneville!! Just look what's on there on July 21st - you have GOT to find a way to do that. I'm sure you've heard of it but, if not, check this out!! Fantastic!

[lhuff]

Loved the video link to the Pikes Peak run. I'm so bummed that I can't go. I'll just have to see if Speed or OLN (or whatever it's called this week) will be airing any of it.

However, I don't think I could be as nuts as those guys standing right by the track taking pictures. I mean can you say deathwish or what?

Laura

[lhuff]

I usually hate booking hotels ahead of time since it puts real time constraints on the trip. But I decided that since I'm going to be in South Dakota during the peak season that I'd better do it. So I'm booked into a Days Inn in Custer, SD. Not a great price ($83 a night) but not horrific either. Makes me scared as to what I'd have paid if I just showed up there. Other than that, I don't think I'm going to be booking anymore rooms.

I'm definitely feeling more confident about this adventure after having survived my crash course in solo roadtripping over the weekend.

[lhuff]

Since I managed to perform this feat of grace and cleverness on my last roadtrip my car's compass no longer works. It always says that I'm headed north. So not a good thing for someone who forgets to use her map and tends to just try to head in the right general direction when lost. Does anyone know of a good and hopefully cheap compass that I could somehow mount in my car before I head out?