# Sightseeing in northern states.....



## woodland (May 23, 2016)

We're leaving Alberta on Friday and ending up in Wisconsin to bring home a forage wagon and check out some corn planters as well. Probably going through Montana, the Dakotas, and Minnesota as well. I got Mt Rushmore on the list to see but not much else so far. Any cool things to see along the way would be greatly appreciated. The crew cab will be full with the Mrs and both kids????

I've only driven to Billings MT before so this will be quite an adventure. Should be over 3500 miles total.

TIA


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

As you very well know, this time of year is not very good for outdoor sights in the territory you just described. Much of everything outdoors looks like copying paper. If it were not that way, I would suggest Cody, Wyoming, the Badlands in South Dakota, etc. The coolest thing to see is Yellowstone National Park in the summer....so you will have to plan on coming back. 

http://www.weatherstreet.com/weather-forecast/Snow-Depth-US.htm

Might check out some of the indoor tourist traps....like Wall Drug.

Regards, Mike


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I really enjoyed the times I’ve been through Montana. The dakotas look pretty much like Sask / eastern Alberta I found.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I really enjoyed Bear Country USA , and if you like reptiles there is Reptile Gardens. I was also going to suggest Roo Ranch but I did a quick search and found that they have closed down.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Vol said:


> As you very well know, this time of year is not very good for outdoor sights in the territory you just described. Much of everything outdoors looks like copying paper. If it were not that way, I would suggest Cody, Wyoming, the Badlands in South Dakota, etc. The coolest thing to see is Yellowstone National Park in the summer....so you will have to plan on coming back.
> 
> http://www.weatherstreet.com/weather-forecast/Snow-Depth-US.htm
> 
> ...


That map is surprisingly accurate for my neighbourhood. We're around 3 feet although it varies from nothing on hilltops to 5 foot drifts thanks to the wind. We drove through the mountains here last winter and it was cool to see the waterfalls all iced up.

"Copying paper" ......... good one⛄ Our whitescape showed up September 13 this year so we're quite used to it. Yellowstone is definitely on a summer tour list.

My mom mentioned Wall drug at lunch too. They passed through a year and a half ago and the signs were everywhere for it apparently.

Thanks⛄


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

woodland said:


> That map is surprisingly accurate for my neighbourhood. We're around 3 feet although it varies from nothing on hilltops to 5 foot drifts thanks to the wind. We drove through the mountains here last winter and it was cool to see the waterfalls all iced up.
> 
> "Copying paper" ......... good one⛄ Our whitescape showed up September 13 this year so we're quite used to it. Yellowstone is definitely on a summer tour list.
> 
> ...


You will not believe the mystery & grandeur of Yellowstone.

It's the most amazing place I've ever been to.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

JD3430 said:


> You will not believe the mystery & grandeur of Yellowstone.
> 
> It's the most amazing place I've ever been to.


Yellowstone is great, I have been there several times. Someday I want to spend a few days in Yellowstone during the winter.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

JD3430 said:


> You will not believe the mystery & grandeur of Yellowstone.
> It's the most amazing place I've ever been to.


That and the Grand Canyon are must see spots in my eyes. Summer is incredibly hard to run away for us though so it may be a few years till that happens though????


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

woodland said:


> That and the Grand Canyon are must see spots in my eyes. Summer is incredibly hard to run away for us though so it may be a few years till that happens though


I was very blessed 5 years ago to hike from the top of the Grand Canyons Bright Angel Trail to the Phantom Ranch down at the bottom with my wife and kids. We stayed down there for 2 days. Stunning.

Went to Yellowstone 3 years ago and it is beyond description. When you hike Yellowstone, you can literally envision the dinosaurs that roamed the park among the geysers millions of years ago. It's like a 15 million acre science exhibit.
Mountains, lush valleys, waterfalls, lakes, geysers, bubbling and boiling, huge Herds of Bison. 
I can't wait to go back.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

A lot of different things to see and do but the Black Hills is the most touristy part. Edge of Deadwood, Mt Moriah cemetery hosts Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane's grave. Hang out in Deadwood is fun, see the hookers in the windows of the Red Light District  It will take you a day to see a small part of the Black Hills so google their tourist guide.

Take 44 out of Rapid to the Badlands and you can work your way up to Wall from there. The SoDak Badlands will catch you with a fee South of Wall and about Interior unless you know how to circumvent it  It was $15 (good for a week) when I last went and has since doubled I believe. It's a long way to circumvent so just pay to support the infrastructure.

Wall Drug is a neat place and I always made a point to stop for the breakfast buffet. Water is free. There is the Minuteman Missile Silo east of Wall off 90. Plenty of tourist traps and spots to get out around Interior. 1880s town won't be open yet. Murdo has a car museum. A lot of the small town museums have seasonal hours so check. Mitchell has the Corn Palace, folks are usually disappointed to find out it's a gymnasium with corn husks on the outside, still a peculiar sight. Just west of Sioux Falls at the Montrose there's a sculpture park.

A lot of stuff to do in Sioux Falls but to each is their own for entertainment. The Battleship South Dakota Memorial is just a few pieces of the ship and small museum. There's Falls Park that brings in a lot of people. If you like Jesse James lore, check out Garretson and the spot of the infamous gulch jump.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If you are taking I-90 you will be driving by me.Im 4 miles north of it.unfortunatly I am going to be gone next week or I could meet up with you.

I've been taken I-90 west many times in winter.A lot of the tourist traps are closed but the ones open are not crowded so that's a plus.BW covered Sioux Falls pretty well.Heading west from there we usually stopped at Al's Oasis at just west of Chamberlin after you cross the Missouri River.They got great pie.Other then that a tourist trap with a lot of Nick knacks.Then there is the Badlands loop you can exit the interstate and the loop goes threw the badlands,pretty scenic.A lot of prairie dogs and a few mountain goats.There is a car museum in Murdo never been there and not sure if open in winter.Wall Drug is big tourist trap and ton of tourist stuff to buy.5 cent coffee!Ate there a few times it was OK but is a bar across the street had very good burgers.Mt Rushmore is open in the winter and not crowded at all like summer.Crazy horse monument also,we didn't stop there.Deadwood is pretty cool but mostly casinos.Some have small museums with some old stuff.

If you are pulling a trailer some places would not be trailer friendly.Rapid City to Mt Rushmore wouldn't be terrible but IDK about parking.Farther on to Crazy Horse it is quite curvy 2 lane.

Yellowstone would be out of your way but is something to see especially in winter.To see the park you need to go with a guide in a group with their 4 stroke snowmobiles or ride in a snow coach- mini bus on tracks.Tree huggers pushed that threw.They thought 2 stroke engines were polluting to much and make it so you have to have a guide.Any way it's something to see.Went threw the park a few times with my own sled before they changed the rules.Yellowstone was our winter vacation many times.Id sooner go there then some beach where you can't drink the water.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Place I’ve never stopped at but need to is the air and space museum at Ellsworth Air Force base.B-1 bombers are stationed there.Had them fly over low when going down interstate,they were doing touch and go landings the one time we went by.They are huge!


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

BWfarms said:


> A lot of different things to see and do but the Black Hills is the most touristy part. Edge of Deadwood, Mt Moriah cemetery hosts Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane's grave. Hang out in Deadwood is fun, see the hookers in the windows of the Red Light District  It will take you a day to see a small part of the Black Hills so google their tourist guide.
> 
> Take 44 out of Rapid to the Badlands and you can work your way up to Wall from there. The SoDak Badlands will catch you with a fee South of Wall and about Interior unless you know how to circumvent it  It was $15 (good for a week) when I last went and has since doubled I believe. It's a long way to circumvent so just pay to support the infrastructure.
> 
> ...


Spent last night in Custer and we had the Pizza Hut to ourselves and only a half a dozen people at the hotel. Checked out devils tower yesterday after taking a "highway" through eastern Montana for a ways that the gravel section was much smoother than the 60 miles of frost broken pavement. ????

Checked out crazy horse (again to ourselves) which was pretty cool and then drove past Mount Rushmore and just parked on the road for ten minutes since there wasn't anyone else around. In Wall drug there was half a dozen locals and us for lunch and that was it. I-90 was quieter than our dead end county road past our driveway if the gravel pits are hauling. Spending the night in Mitchell SD and tomorrow we should start to looking at equipment finally. I really enjoy this off season traveling as I really despise crowds. The brochure at Wall drug said on a busy summer day they can have 20,000 people pass through. If that's the case it'd feel like yearlings running through a loading chute and into a liner. I'd rather be surrounded by worked up cattle than a crowd of strangers so I'm enjoying this trip immensely.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

That's great Adrian....hope you find what your looking for and at your price. Enjoy.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If your in Mitchell awhile and want a good steak try the Cattlemans Club.Pretty good and they grow their own beef.Couple good Mexican resteraunts also one is just south of Cabellas next to Holiday Inn Express.

I spend 3 days a year in Mitchell for Dakota fest so know a few good places to eat,lol.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Vol said:


> That's great Adrian....hope you find what your looking for and at your price. Enjoy.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Found!







Got the money wired down and loaded up ready to start the trek home. Hellenbrand implements which is west of Madison WI was awesome to deal with. Only a few dinged up shields and hardly used otherwise. My brother can't wait till I get back so we can park the old crippled wagon and start using this. Just gotta put the wheels under, wash the salt off, rip the roof off and it can start delivering happy meals to the cows. Now to check out some corn planters on the way back......


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

swmnhay said:


> If your in Mitchell awhile and want a good steak try the Cattlemans Club.Pretty good and they grow their own beef.Couple good Mexican resteraunts also one is just south of Cabellas next to Holiday Inn Express.
> I spend 3 days a year in Mitchell for Dakota fest so know a few good places to eat,lol.


Stayed in the AmericInn in Mitchell and it was great except the kids said the pool needed a slide. Got to see all the big white hay drying fans by your place but I wish someone would've turned them off since it was making it so windy out. Even drove through a town named after me around there too

The hotels in Mitchell SD, Lacrosse WI, and tonight in Madison have each only had a half a dozen other guests with us. I'd say they knew us foreigners were coming and didn't want to stick around but that's impossible since we don't even know where we'll end up at night. Enjoying the trip except both kids have colds and I thought your diesel would be cheaper but it's almost identical to our pump price for clear (road) fuel.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

woodland said:


> Stayed in the AmericInn in Mitchell and it was great except the kids said the pool needed a slide. Got to see all the big white hay drying fans by your place but I wish someone would've turned them off since it was making it so windy out. Even drove through a town named after me around there too
> The hotels in Mitchell SD, Lacrosse WI, and tonight in Madison have each only had a half a dozen other guests with us. I'd say they knew us foreigners were coming and didn't want to stick around but that's impossible since we don't even know where we'll end up at night. Enjoying the trip except both kids have colds and I thought your diesel would be cheaper but it's almost identical to our pump price for clear (road) fuel.


Them big fans don't seem to help getting the hay dry.

Only been into Canada once 30 yrs ago.At that time gas was a little higher there.Any alcohol or tobacco was extremely higher.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

swmnhay said:


> Only been into Canada once 30 yrs ago.At that time gas was a little higher there.Any alcohol or tobacco was extremely higher.


Still is plenty higher back home than down here. The exchange rate means my dollar is only worth 75 cents here which really cuts into everything.

Beautiful country down here. I expected South Dakota to be mostly flat and Wisconsin to have less trees but as many old dairy barns and silos as it has. Very cool. ????


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

This sounds like a great trip. We were out I90 to Rushmore a few summers back. Did you pull the gooseneck to all the places you went?

Ellsworth afb museum is worth checking out if it's not too late, close to interstate.

That is a fine looking forage box but I bet you know it's back there when the wind is blowing against you.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

SVFHAY said:


> That is a fine looking forage box but I bet you know it's back there when the wind is blowing against you.


I was thinking the same, plus the you could also almost watch the fuel gauge moving, a little quicker, if your bucking much of a headwind. 

Larry


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

r82230 said:


> I was thinking the same, plus the you could also almost watch the fuel gauge moving, a little quicker, if your bucking much of a headwind.
> 
> Larry


Just got home????
We fought head/crosswind the whole way back. 
Lots of times 25-45 mph too. Truck was maxed out at 60 mph usually and 1900 miles for the return at 5.75 m/USgal was not much fun. The last 30 miles were dead calm which was nice after supper with the in-laws and a complete wash job in town to leave Minnesota's salt behind. ????

Going down was much better with 2250 miles at 17 m/US gal and that was pushing hard the whole way.


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