The Wife wants to try another road trip, this time out to Mt Rushmore. We’ll likely going out from Albany in I90. I’m looking for some places to stop along the way to break up the drive. I’m open to anything, museums, tourist traps, giant balls of twine, give me ideas.
Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. They say it's worth the stop. I've been by many times, usually hammer down so I don't stop.
I'm a visual learner and I like pictures/maps...
Dr. Hess said:Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. They say it's worth the stop. I've been by many times, usually hammer down so I don't stop.
When I hauled Amish they always wanted to stop and I have to say I wouldn’t....
Downtown Cleveland: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Full AC'ed and wheelchair accessible. Plan 4 hrs to get through (if you're a big R&R fan)
Sandusky, OH (my home town) has Cedar Point the greatest roller coaster amusement park in the world (though I am guessing this is not your or your wife's thing.)
I live about 8 miles north of I-90. Just about another 8 miles south of I-90 is Summit Motorsports Park Dragway. If you can plan to be here on a Weds night.... I have 2 Infiniti Q45s. One previous Challenge car (10th overall in $2015) and another future Challenger. We can take them to the track and you and the Mrs can line up against me and my Mrs. Really!
Custer State Park. Lots of Buffalo.
Wall Drug. Everyone needs to go to Wall, SD. Free ice water!!. No ice in it, kinda, but FREE. And it's cool-ish out of the well.
Dr. Hess said:Wall Drug. Everyone needs to go to Wall, SD. Free ice water!!. No ice in it, kinda, but FREE. And it's cool-ish out of the well.
I second this. Buy a jackalope and get the free stickers.
Spam museum in Austin, MN.
Jungle Jims International Market.
It's a little bit off 70 in Cincinnati.
The restaurant at Wall Drug is actually pretty good. Good burgers, and they have veggieburgers. Good fries. 5 cent coffee. You just help yourself to the coffee and put a nickel in the box. The place is usually staffed by foreign exchange students. Last time we were there, there were a lot of East Europeans.
Trying to think of things in the Wally wheelhouse...
Mon-Weds 8:30-4:30 (closed for lunch), I could get you a tour of the only Ohio Based Nascar Team(Truck Series) Thorsport which is 4 miles from my house.
Saskatoon is about 8 hours north. After driving across Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota, you might be all done with wide open spaces, but Canada has...Canadians. We are a fun loving group.
Then, you can drive home through the Boreal forest of the north. The north route through Ontario might be as lonely as you've ever been.
oh wait 90 not 70. oops. 
I-90 through Ohio will only have you an hour south of Dearborn, MI if you need another dose of The Henry Ford Museum?
Another option coming through Indiana on I-90, you could probably hit any or all in one day.
RV/Motorhome Hall of Fame & Museum
You can stop here and say hi or i can meet you somewhere for food in Cleveland
Go-karts in Wisconsin Dells. Circus museum in Baraboo Wisconsin. Deadwood, South Dakota is interesting if you push a little further past Rushmore.
The Opelfarm is an hour north of Sioux Falls and depending on when you come through could be good for a meal, scooter parts, and maybe a couple of beds. You could probably grab a kitten or 8 as well.
Corn Palace never really did it for me, but when you cross the Missouri river you can stop at Al's Oasis for a buffalo burger; I do every time I cross the state. Right around Wall drug there's a scenic bypass loop that goes down through the Badlands and I would do that. There's also an old ballistic missile silo you can tour around Phillip, SD if that interests you.
You want to get to Rushmore from the back way through the park on a road they call the needles. Several old school tunnels that frame Rushmore as you come through from that direction.
After you see Rushmore you want to follow up with a visit to the Crazy Horse monument. If you have the time and it's still available there's a 2k or so hike tour at Crazy Horse right up to the monument that's well worth the afternoon.
If you can get a room at Spearfish Canyon Lodge it used to be one of those places you spent the night and remembered it fondly for the rest of your life. I haven't been there in ages but it was fantastic.
In reply to Appleseed :
Oh, we’re doing the Dells now?
All of those places are fun to check out, if you want to route yourself s a little south for a while swing through Indianapolis and check out the track and then through St Louis and see the Arch. When at Rushmore go a little further west and see Devils Tower. Be aware if you go in early August the Sturgis rally will be going on and it is super hot, 100+ but think that is a most of the summer thing. If you are not doing a bonsai trip get off the highway once you are west of the Mississippi and you will.make almost the same amount of distance traveled and get to see more the speed limit on many of the secondary roads is like 65.
Not far off 90 is Charles Lindberg's boyhood home. Neat museum and some interesting background o him.
The Corn Palace looks terrible, it’s added to the list, Wall Drig as well. I love a good tourist trap. The Spam Museum looks promising.
I’m going to skip Dearborn because if this trip goes well I want to go back to the Henry Ford at Christmas for the decorations. The museums in Indiana will probably be good stops though.
We’re planing to go in the middle of October so hopefully it won’t be too crowded/hot. I hadn’t thought of coming back through Canada but I haven’t traveled much internationally so that’s a possibility.
The Badlands, missile silo, and other monuments are good ideas too. She’s got a collection of stickers from national parks and monuments so she’d be happy to cross a few more off the list.
In reply to imgon :
Any suggestions for roads to take off 90 or anything I pick from a map should be fine?
In ohio I would recommend ditching 90 at route 250 and taking a detour via 2, then driving around marblehead peninsula. It’s mostly vacation land but when you turn the corner and are basically in the lake pointing at the lighthouse it’s pretty darn cool. It loops you back around to 2, that you can take into toledo and catch back up with 80/90. There’s a good little ice cream shop and a drive in theater along the route if you feel like a movie, and there are lots of wetlands and stuff to bird watch or just chill
Check out the driftless zone. Its where glaciers never wiped the geography off the landscape.
https://driftlesswisconsin.com/
Its located by the Mississippi River kind of by where Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin meet. Fun roads good views. Little tourist spots sprinkled around.
Here is a link to pictures of Marblehead Light, the lighthouse that Pat mentioned.
The oldest, continuous operating lighthouse in the US Great Lakes; since 1822
If following this route then to Toledo, I would recommend eating at the original Tony Packo's. My recommendation would be to get the stuffed cabbage roll, one chili dog and a side of paprikas noodles
That will feed you until tomorrow. All that goes about $14 with a drink.
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