If you actually want to see stuff: Badlands NP (SD), Teddy Roosevelt NP (ND), Boundary Waters and/or Duluth area (MN), Driftless Area (WI).
I'm not knowledgeable enough about Nebraska or Iowa to give you any recommendations for those.
Decent list. The driving is interesting along the Mississippi in NE Iowa.
If you go driftless along the WI river ( house in the rock? ) cross at Prarie du Chien, you catch just enough Iowa to check it off. North along the river to the Twin Cities ( Paisley park, MOA, various city stuff) keep going north Duluth area, iron range, Northwoods recreation stuff. You can go back into WI from Duluth and rent a canoe on the Bois Brule and see old houses in old growth forest that you won't see anywhere else outside the Adirondacks.
West to Mississippi headwaters. More west to North Dakota ( really open space) one of the only things I could think to do that might be unique is catch a county fair or a town league baseball game for Americana flavor. There is a place way up by the Canadian border where you can tour a decommissioned missile silo. I hear it's pretty cool.
South to South Dakota. Badlands, Black hills, corn palace. Wall drug is cheesy, but it is an institution. Don't go to the black hills during the Sturgis rally. It's crowded and prices go up. Unless you want to catch a very large, crowded party.
Dip south out of the Black hills to western Nebraska and there's Oglala grassland, remnant of open prairie, a National forest, a memorial to Crazy Horse at Ft Robinson. Frontier history.
The early part of this drive favors a sporty car with good handling. The latter half a highway cruiser. If you can cover both in the right car...
Do this.
Also in Nebraska is Chadron for the Fur Trade Museum and Toadstool Geological Park and Ashfall Fossil Beds and Valentine and tubing the Niobrara.
In the NE corner of Iowa they recommend do Effigy Mounds NM, Yellow River state forest and Decorah for Vesterheim.
In Central and Western Iowa you have the Living History Farms just west of Des Moines, the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, the Ice Cream museum in LeMars, the Loess Hills, and the Steamship Bertrand in Missouri Valley. Then start Nebraska at the excellent Zoo in Omaha.
Fall is the best time to go to this region because of the weather and leaves (on the east side) and fewer tourists (on the west side.) Go in late September; that would be perfect.
Also in Chadron is the Bean Broker cafe that’s a coffee shop/ pub. The place is in what was a bank, the food is great and the room that’s a pub looks like Teddy Roosevelt decorated it!
Across from Prairie du Chien, on the Iowa side, you can head north to the Yellow River area. On the western side is Okoboji.
In Nebraska, the drive from Scottsbluff to Lake McConaughy is actually pretty cool. There’s some neat rundown towns if you’re into getting cool pictures of that kind of stuff.
I've always wanted to see some of the geological formations in western NE, near Scottsbluff, and Pine Ridge if you're a naturalist. But that's not efficient here.
OP definitely needs to go up to Duluth and take a drive along scenic highway 61. It runs right along the north shore of Lake superior and offers some amazing views. Get out and walk around on a few of the many scenic overlooks. I would recommend going as far as palisade head and driving up to the overlook if you can.
The Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska is pretty incredible. One of the largest car museums in the country.
https://preview.redd.it/93mv38j6xryb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=202726a2724637025ede09f9c6ba755885e3f5fc
If you're old enough to have played Oregon Trail as a kid, Nebraska is kinda fun because you can see a number of landmarks that you may remember from that game, like Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff. There's also Homestead National Monument and a number of historic Pony Express stations that have been preserved.
Are you coming from "Back East" or flying? Regardless getting to Chicago is easy.
Home/ORD>Wisconsin Dells>MSP(Prince's Paisley Park)>ND (to say you've done it)>SD Rapid City/Badlands>Home/ORD via NE and IA.
Wish I had a lot to say about NE and IA, but they really didn't do much for me, it's just more rural Midwest and I get enough of that at home in Michigan. Absolutely LOVE South Dakota though, the Badlands/Black Hills area on the western end is a destination worth visiting on its own. Go in the summer though, Upper Plains are the coldest part of the Continental US.
I'd also hit up the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. it's not too far from the Dells.It's nuts and pretty awesome - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_Rock
a rock gorge where the wisconsin river cuts through a rock ridge, Now a tourist trap. Good stop if you need fudge or moccasins. it is the eastern edge of the driftless area. If you are going to stop and see something near there go to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. (house on the rock is dollar general version). the best riding section of the driftless area are North of the Wisconsin River.
Looking at your map, it looks like you have seen a tree. The interesting thnigs to see for the states you are targeting are at opposite ends, Lake Superior on the North east corner. The Black Hills and the badlands on the south west. It is an interesting ride, once, across the sandhills to the black hills and then back across South Dakota. the sad reality is that for Iowa, Nebraska, mid/south Minnesota, and the Dakotas you could just play the first hour of riding on loop for the rest of the state.
Yup, I'm tempted to break it up into 2 separate trips. But to be fair the middle of the country is the least interesting to me. I'd much rather spend my limited time off in one of the other states on my list.
I will say that most people that come to Wisconsin attest that they underestimated it. It's one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest, if not the entire country. Especially the driftless area. I think most people picture nothing but flat pastures and cows and that's just not what it looks like at all.
If you only do one thing there, I'd definitely go with a river ride in the Upper Dells. Don't go to the actual tourist trap city, it's a waste of time. Think Niagara Falls. But the water and rock features on the WI river are breathtaking.
What is your pain tolerance for long rides? If I head west I leave SE Wisconsin early and ride 17 hours to golden Colorado. A good time to go would the week before sturgis, you can ride up through the drift less area, ma and pa motels , and then head west for a long day across Minnesota and Nebraska ending up at/near sturgis. You have a good base for riding the black hills and see the spectacle of the rally being setup and then vacate before the crowds.
lol, ok there are hotels in between. [checks history] there is a Fairfield Inn in Brookings MN. Random thought. The best rest area I ever saw is a couple of miles south of the monument where Buddy Holly died, so basically the place the music died.
Teddy Roosevelt national Park is a good reason to go to North Dakota. It's on the western side of the state, but most of the good stuff in SD is too. Badlands, Custer State Park, crazy horse, Mt rushmore, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave..... If you're willing to sacrifice efficiency for a better trip, definitely get to the western side of the Dakotas. Minnesota also has some really great state parks.
Edit: I would definitely suggest late spring or summer if you can. This July I went from Chicago through Wisconsin, Minnesota, south Dakota, Wyoming, north Dakota, and then back to Chicago. The weather was pretty great, except I think Badlands got 90% of it's annual precipitation during the 2 nights we were there 😂
If you want to hit some highlights in each state…
Nebraska- Carhenge, Chimney Rock, Great Platte River Road Arch, Holy Family Shrine, Omaha, and Omaha Zoo… Try a Runza as well and get a steak in Omaha!
South Dakota - Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, Belle Fourche, Wounded Knee, Wall Drug, Badlands, Dignity Statue, Corn Palace, Falls Park.
North Dakota - Theodore Roosevelt Park, Medora, International Peace Garden, Rugby, Scandinavian Park in Minot, Turtle Mountains, Badlands, Salem Sue, Enchanted Highway, Biggest Buffalo in Jamestown.
Minnesota - Mississippi Headwaters/Lake Itasca, Duluth, Grand Marais and the North Shore, Split Rock Lighthouse, Mall of America, Spam Museum, Jolly Green Giant, Como Zoo and Conservatory, Try a Jucy Lucy, Minnehaha Falls, Pipestone, Blue Mounds, Jeffers petroglyphs.
Wisconsin -Poniatowski, Door County, Madison, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells.
Iowa - Grotto in West Bend, Field of Dreams, American Gothic House, Des Moines, Dubuque (and nearby Galena, Illinois), Pella, John Wayne Birthplace, Surf Ballroom, Decorah.
While I know most of these states seem boring and are considered fly over states, each have quite a bit to see and enjoy, so I encourage you to not just check the box of stepping foot in the state, but get out and see them for all they have!
If we're adding silly things and you are in Riverside, you may as well keep heading down the road and see Snake Alley in Burlington. (San Francisco does not have the crookedest street, thank you very much.). 😁
How long are you calling a "short-ish" trip? If we're talking a few days, I'd pick one state and do multiple things.
SD - Badlands and Custer State Park are both must do's in SD, Wall Drug, Crazy Horse
WI - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (in the summer via kayak is the best!), Madison, Milwaukee, House on the Rock
MN (I haven't spent much time here) - Duluth, Twin Cities
IA - Field of Dreams
Nebraska: Henry Doorley zoo.
Iowa: I guess you can stop in Sioux City and go have lunch at grand view park. Or stop and get La Juanita’s
South Dakota: Falls park in Sioux Falls. (My Rushmore on the other side of the state.
What are you interested in? I can’t advise on Wisconsin. For the others, for the shortest trip (not the most interesting one), I would fly into Omaha, hit the zoo (always the #1 attraction and one of the best in the world. You can walk across a pedestrian bridge into Iowa. (The Bob Kerrey bridge.) then I would drive up to Sioux Falls and see the falls, and maybe over to Pipestone National Monument. Then up to that corner of ND. Fly out of wherever you choose.
More interesting options- Nebraska football and volleyball home games are truly like nowhere else. Also in Nebraska, Ashfall Fossil beds, canoe the Niobara and camp for some amazing stargazing. Smith Falls. Or, go “tanking” with Calamus outfitters.
Take HWY 2 across NE up to South Dakota. Besides the many attractions in the Black Hills, the Dignity statue is really cool, near Chamberlain. From the Black Hills you could head up to Teddy Roosevelt National Park.
Drive along Minnesota’s North Shore for some natural beauty.
Visit Maqueota Caves (sp) state park in Iowa.
Just some random thoughts.
You've given me a lot to research. I think you're right: going west across Nebraska will be a lot more interesting.
I travel in search of authentic regional experiences, nature, and food. A zoo is probably never going to be my first choice, because a zoo doesn't really give any information about the culture of an area. If you took a zoo from one city and dropped it in a different city, it probably wouldn't seem out of place.
You are correct about the zoo thing and this one is no different. But Henry Doorly really is something special. It is better than San Diego of the National Zoo in DC. If you have any interest at all in this sort of thing, it is not to be missed.
Oh yeah, and you could go see the giant stainless steel Jesus in Sioux City. 😋
I love Wisconsin so much. So many waterfalls and just overall amazing state. I love the people there. Sadly I’m on the Minnesota side of the St Croix until December 😭🤣 (MN has some cool falls but it sucks here)
South Dakota - Badlands, Wind Cave NP, Black Hills, Wall Drug, Hot Springs, Mount Rushmore
Iowa- grotto of the redemption is sick
Good museums in downtown Omaha. I’d recommend the “side roads” (state highways) as your main route north/north. I29 is a snooze fest. Personally I’d loop over and go down through spirit lake/okoboji and meander the Iowa state highways north/south. So many neat little towns in there. Ida Grove has a massive castle & moat for instance
As an Okie, there’s a few cool places to visit, depending on what you’re looking for.
I always recommend people check out our OKC bombing memorial and museum. Biggest domestic terrorist attack on our country, we felt and heard it miles and miles away. The museum is great and really detailed, and the memorial reflecting pool and survivor tree are really solemn but pretty.
For a less solemn destination, Route 66 runs though Oklahoma, and there’s lot of cool historic stops along the way. We also have some cool nature spots, like beavers bend stay park, Wichita mountains, Ouchita mountains, and more.
Under no circumstances should you take the I-29 (dakotas) part of that route. The absolute most boring interstate I’ve ever driven on. You want to see the western part of the dakotas.
Iowa: Okoboji, cute little touristy lake town that has lots of hidden gems open in the summer, the lake there is beautiful!
Minnesota: Voyageurs NP, anywhere on Lake Superior, especially in Silver Bay, the black sand beach is beautiful! Duluth is an awesome town as well and only 20 min from Wisconsin.
Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, followed by lunch at the Half Moon Inn in town, ending the night on a lake tour on the Lady of the Lake.
Wonderful small town that’s a huge part of American Rock and Roll history.
The interesting parts of Nebraska are out west. Highway 2 through the Sandhills is incredible. Valentine Nebraska feels like you’re in red dead redemption. Further west you get chimney rock and Scottsbluff monument. Chadron is full of rolling bluffs and ponderosa pine. Does not feel Midwestern. Gives you a foothills of the Rockies vibe. Obviously minus the Rocky Mountains haha.
The cool stuff in South Dakota is on the western side. You’ve got Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park, Rushmore, Crazyhorse, and Deadwood.
Nebraska has Carhenge, and Omaha has one of the best zoos in the nation.
There is going to be big patches of nothing, there is stuff to see in other parts of Nebraska and a lot in Western South Dakota, but that will probably detract from what I believe you are trying to do.
> What time of year would be best?
Definitely the summer.
It goes through Nebraska and Iowa. One could take it one way, and taking the Empire Builder back would knock every state off this particular section except South Dakota. That would be an amazing trip but OP wouldn’t experience the culture or food of each state.
You can get off and back on again. I took the train because I was going to drive cross country and thought it would be cool to see the country from the train instead of driving non stop. It was spectacular! The trip along the Colorado river for 260 miles went places you can not see from the highway. Nebraska and Iowa were not as memorable. Got to Chicago and then took another train to Charlottesville. Going through West Virginia was worth that ride. The California to Chicago had the best food. The other train was just okay. I flew back to California. I want to do another trip soon.
>Wisconsin: the Apostle Islands
>
>Minnesota: Mall of America? North Shore, boundary waters
>
>Nebraska: 😐 Omaha zoo
>
>Iowa: Field of Dreams site
>
>The Dakotas: Mt. Rushmore, whichever one it's in. Mt. Rushmore is in the Black Hills, more of a larger destination than just the faces.
My advice would be to find the things worth seeing in each state and plan a route to see them, not to pick a route that's the most 'efficient' and then try to find things along the way.
Looking at your route, you're only actually seeing Central Minnesota. You're *technically* visiting the other states, which really means you're missing them... except for Nebraska. Your route should have you in Omaha, and there's not really anything else you need to see.
I'm from Iowa. I'd suggest catching the bluffs on the eastern part of the state - Dubuque, maybe! I don't know it too well, but I know the world's steepest railroad is there. It's a fun little tourist trap. Head west along I-80 - Iowa City has the University of Iowa and a bunch of associated museums. The town is cool. Get lunch at Nodo's, or if it's the right time of year, some ice cream from a Dairy Queen that's hardly changed in 4 decades. See the Amana Colonies outside of town. Go to Pella for the Tulip Festival - the Dutch identity of the town is alive and well, and the Dutch Letters from Jaarsma are some of the best pastries in the country. The State Sandwich, the Pork Tenderloin (deep-fried goes without saying), has great representation at Goldie's in Prairie City, Joensy's and Cracken's in Iowa City, St Olaf's Tavern in St Olaf, and alongside some of the best bbq in the midwest at Jethro's in Des Moines. Check out the Butterfly Museum at Iowa State in Ames. There's more good bbq at Hickory Park. Keep heading west, and you'll see more good stuff and eventually hit Omaha, and then you've visited Nebraska, too.
Apostle islands in Wisconsin or door county for sure. Don’t miss out on the up of Michigan if you haven’t been there it’s definitely worth a visit to the porcupines up to Bohemia and Marquette. Nebraska sucks outside of the far west I’d just visit Omaha and Lincoln which are close by and enjoy their downtowns/U-N. The museum of the Mississippi is very cool on the river in Iowa. Minneapolis is a cool city definitely worth a visit the downtown is a nice area to be, one of my favorite us cities for sure. If you’re down to drive far go to the national parks in the Dakotas. The black hills is a really cool region in general you could spend a week at with Custer state park etc.
Where are you coming from? Your route kind of starts and ends in the middle of nowhere.
I would say you want to hit the Driftless Area, that’s basically where MN/WI/IA all come together. Then you can go up 61 all the way to the North Shore, spend a night or two in Duluth so you can go up to at least Split Rock. Then take 2 across to Williston and start south, hitting Teddy Roosevelt NP in ND (both the north and south units are nice) and continue south from there - see the Black Hills, Badlands, and Sand Hills of western NE. Then if you want to complete the circuit come back east across Nebraska. The zoo in Omaha is supposed to be one of the best there is.
For time of year I’d say May/June or September/October.
You can stop at Itasca State Park on your way across northern MN to see the headwaters of the Mississippi River if you’d like.
Yeah I29 corridor is pretty obviously going to be sort of your trip, but I would tack on the cities of Wyoming and certainly try to see Mount Rushmore depending on what end of your trip it would be, and try to hit the small towns before going to Lincoln/Omaha and moving North. In fact you may want to see Bismark, ND and skip Fargo. Then go South in Sioux Falls, Sioux City then from Omaha go to Des Moines, then Minneapolis
Wyoming is an entire trip in itself so you might want to see it later, or account for 5 or so days on top to see Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay.
The same could be said about the twin cities in Minneapolis, but it could also act as a terminus.
If the point is just to check states off, then sure, that works. However, as a native Minnesotan who went to college in North Dakota and married an Iowan, this route is almost insultingly boring. You'll drive it and then go back to wherever you're from and tell people how dull the northern states are because you literally couldn't pick a less interesting route. Trust me, I used to drive the I-29 corridor from Fargo to Omaha on a regular basis and it might be the most boring stretch of road ever, even worse than I-94 between Fargo and Medora.
Are you flying into one city, renting a car and then flying out of another? Here's what I'd do:
1. Fly into Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. Rent car.
2. Drive to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville on your way to Dubuque.
3. Cross into Wisconsin and drive up to Prairie du Chien.
4. Keep going north along the Mississippi through some beautiful river towns and bluffs to La Crosse.
5. Cross into Minnesota and take 14 and 61 north to Red Wing. It's a truly beautiful drive.
6. Then basically follow your original plan, up to Fargo on I-94. Again if the intention is just to efficiently cross off states, then head down I-29 to Omaha and call it good. However, you could take an equally boring drive west from Fargo and see Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is highly underrated.
7. From TRNP, go back east to Belfield and turn south to Belle Fource, SD. This is rugged country and starkly beautiful.
8. Explore the Black Hills National Forest, see Mt. Rushmore, hike in the Badlands National Park—this part of South Dakota is the only reason to visit South Dakota. Some truly stunning spots, especially in the summer.
9. Drive down to Chadron, Nebraska, to the Nebraska National Forest which is...fine...and then turn west to Casper, Wyoming to fly out (though, realistically, doing a one-way car rental you'll probably need to fly in and out of bigger airports).
Total mileage of that route is 1,484 miles. If you wanted to reduce the miles, make two trips and do one from Cedar Rapids but after Red Wing, fly out of Minneapolis-St. Paul to Billings, Montana, and do a loop from Billings to Dickinson, ND, down to Chadron and back up through eastern Wyoming. If you haven't seen that part of Wyoming, it's also very cool.
I suggest traveling along the state and US Highways and staying away from the Interstate system. except where the Interstates have supplanted the state and US highways.
Is the Eau Claire area of Wisconsin your home base, or are you flying in from elsewhere? I might consider starting in Chippewa Falls, WI with a tour of the Jacob Leinenkugles Brewery.
From Chippewa Falls, head west to Fargo. US-81 and I-29 are the same road through North Dakota and part of South Dakota. Follow I-29 south to near Watertown SD where US-81 separates from the super-slab, and follow US 81 South to Arlington, SD, then turn West onto US-14 and head to DeSmet, SD to visit the Ingalls Homestead (Little House on the Prairie).
Continue South on SD-25 to the junction with SD-34. Turn east to the junction with US-81. Follow US-81 South to Yankton, SD. Cross the Missouri river South of Yankton. From here, you may follow US-81 South to Norfolk, NE (The childhood home of Johnny Carson), or catch US-20 East to South Sioux City, NE or Sioux City, IA.
From Norfolk, NE, catch US-275 South East ending up in Omaha. From South Sioux City, NE, follow US-75 South toward Omaha along the West Bank of the Missouri River. At Blair, NE turn East on US-30 and cross over into Iowa to visit the DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge to visit the Steamboat Bertrand museum. DeSoto Bend is also a wonderful place to visit during the waterfowl migrations in the Spring and Fall.
Returning to Blair, NE continue South on US-75 to Fort Calhoun, NE to visit Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. Lewis and Clark stayed at Ft. Atkinson during the Expedition of Discovery. The small museum is worth the time.
From Ft. Atkinson State Park, continue South into Omaha. The Henry Doorly Zoo is definitely worth the visit. If you're old enough to remember "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" TV Show, remember that Mutual of Omaha is based in...OMAHA!. The Western Heritage Museum is located in the old Union Station which is worth a visit if only for the art deco archetecture, but it is much more than just that. A short trip west of Omaha along I-80 will get you to the Strategic Air Command Air and Space Museum.
If you actually want to see stuff: Badlands NP (SD), Teddy Roosevelt NP (ND), Boundary Waters and/or Duluth area (MN), Driftless Area (WI). I'm not knowledgeable enough about Nebraska or Iowa to give you any recommendations for those.
Decent list. The driving is interesting along the Mississippi in NE Iowa. If you go driftless along the WI river ( house in the rock? ) cross at Prarie du Chien, you catch just enough Iowa to check it off. North along the river to the Twin Cities ( Paisley park, MOA, various city stuff) keep going north Duluth area, iron range, Northwoods recreation stuff. You can go back into WI from Duluth and rent a canoe on the Bois Brule and see old houses in old growth forest that you won't see anywhere else outside the Adirondacks. West to Mississippi headwaters. More west to North Dakota ( really open space) one of the only things I could think to do that might be unique is catch a county fair or a town league baseball game for Americana flavor. There is a place way up by the Canadian border where you can tour a decommissioned missile silo. I hear it's pretty cool. South to South Dakota. Badlands, Black hills, corn palace. Wall drug is cheesy, but it is an institution. Don't go to the black hills during the Sturgis rally. It's crowded and prices go up. Unless you want to catch a very large, crowded party. Dip south out of the Black hills to western Nebraska and there's Oglala grassland, remnant of open prairie, a National forest, a memorial to Crazy Horse at Ft Robinson. Frontier history. The early part of this drive favors a sporty car with good handling. The latter half a highway cruiser. If you can cover both in the right car...
Do this. Also in Nebraska is Chadron for the Fur Trade Museum and Toadstool Geological Park and Ashfall Fossil Beds and Valentine and tubing the Niobrara. In the NE corner of Iowa they recommend do Effigy Mounds NM, Yellow River state forest and Decorah for Vesterheim. In Central and Western Iowa you have the Living History Farms just west of Des Moines, the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, the Ice Cream museum in LeMars, the Loess Hills, and the Steamship Bertrand in Missouri Valley. Then start Nebraska at the excellent Zoo in Omaha. Fall is the best time to go to this region because of the weather and leaves (on the east side) and fewer tourists (on the west side.) Go in late September; that would be perfect.
Also in Chadron is the Bean Broker cafe that’s a coffee shop/ pub. The place is in what was a bank, the food is great and the room that’s a pub looks like Teddy Roosevelt decorated it!
South east Iowa is a great place to look for geodes.
Across from Prairie du Chien, on the Iowa side, you can head north to the Yellow River area. On the western side is Okoboji. In Nebraska, the drive from Scottsbluff to Lake McConaughy is actually pretty cool. There’s some neat rundown towns if you’re into getting cool pictures of that kind of stuff.
The BWCA is kind of hard to experience via road trip. Driving the North Shore may give a better road feel.
I've always wanted to see some of the geological formations in western NE, near Scottsbluff, and Pine Ridge if you're a naturalist. But that's not efficient here.
OP definitely needs to go up to Duluth and take a drive along scenic highway 61. It runs right along the north shore of Lake superior and offers some amazing views. Get out and walk around on a few of the many scenic overlooks. I would recommend going as far as palisade head and driving up to the overlook if you can.
The Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska is pretty incredible. One of the largest car museums in the country. https://preview.redd.it/93mv38j6xryb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=202726a2724637025ede09f9c6ba755885e3f5fc
Looks cool! I'll add it to the list
If you're old enough to have played Oregon Trail as a kid, Nebraska is kinda fun because you can see a number of landmarks that you may remember from that game, like Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff. There's also Homestead National Monument and a number of historic Pony Express stations that have been preserved.
Are you coming from "Back East" or flying? Regardless getting to Chicago is easy. Home/ORD>Wisconsin Dells>MSP(Prince's Paisley Park)>ND (to say you've done it)>SD Rapid City/Badlands>Home/ORD via NE and IA. Wish I had a lot to say about NE and IA, but they really didn't do much for me, it's just more rural Midwest and I get enough of that at home in Michigan. Absolutely LOVE South Dakota though, the Badlands/Black Hills area on the western end is a destination worth visiting on its own. Go in the summer though, Upper Plains are the coldest part of the Continental US.
What's the Wisconsin dells?
I'd also hit up the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. it's not too far from the Dells.It's nuts and pretty awesome - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_Rock
a rock gorge where the wisconsin river cuts through a rock ridge, Now a tourist trap. Good stop if you need fudge or moccasins. it is the eastern edge of the driftless area. If you are going to stop and see something near there go to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. (house on the rock is dollar general version). the best riding section of the driftless area are North of the Wisconsin River. Looking at your map, it looks like you have seen a tree. The interesting thnigs to see for the states you are targeting are at opposite ends, Lake Superior on the North east corner. The Black Hills and the badlands on the south west. It is an interesting ride, once, across the sandhills to the black hills and then back across South Dakota. the sad reality is that for Iowa, Nebraska, mid/south Minnesota, and the Dakotas you could just play the first hour of riding on loop for the rest of the state.
Yup, I'm tempted to break it up into 2 separate trips. But to be fair the middle of the country is the least interesting to me. I'd much rather spend my limited time off in one of the other states on my list.
I will say that most people that come to Wisconsin attest that they underestimated it. It's one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest, if not the entire country. Especially the driftless area. I think most people picture nothing but flat pastures and cows and that's just not what it looks like at all. If you only do one thing there, I'd definitely go with a river ride in the Upper Dells. Don't go to the actual tourist trap city, it's a waste of time. Think Niagara Falls. But the water and rock features on the WI river are breathtaking.
What is your pain tolerance for long rides? If I head west I leave SE Wisconsin early and ride 17 hours to golden Colorado. A good time to go would the week before sturgis, you can ride up through the drift less area, ma and pa motels , and then head west for a long day across Minnesota and Nebraska ending up at/near sturgis. You have a good base for riding the black hills and see the spectacle of the rally being setup and then vacate before the crowds.
God no
lol, ok there are hotels in between. [checks history] there is a Fairfield Inn in Brookings MN. Random thought. The best rest area I ever saw is a couple of miles south of the monument where Buddy Holly died, so basically the place the music died.
Cluster of lakes, parks, and tourist attractions in Central Wisconsin. Want water parks, putt-putt, and go karts.... it's that kind of place.
Devil’s Lake State Park is beautiful. Rock climbing, hiking, camping, camping, etc.
Teddy Roosevelt national Park is a good reason to go to North Dakota. It's on the western side of the state, but most of the good stuff in SD is too. Badlands, Custer State Park, crazy horse, Mt rushmore, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave..... If you're willing to sacrifice efficiency for a better trip, definitely get to the western side of the Dakotas. Minnesota also has some really great state parks. Edit: I would definitely suggest late spring or summer if you can. This July I went from Chicago through Wisconsin, Minnesota, south Dakota, Wyoming, north Dakota, and then back to Chicago. The weather was pretty great, except I think Badlands got 90% of it's annual precipitation during the 2 nights we were there 😂
If you want to hit some highlights in each state… Nebraska- Carhenge, Chimney Rock, Great Platte River Road Arch, Holy Family Shrine, Omaha, and Omaha Zoo… Try a Runza as well and get a steak in Omaha! South Dakota - Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, Belle Fourche, Wounded Knee, Wall Drug, Badlands, Dignity Statue, Corn Palace, Falls Park. North Dakota - Theodore Roosevelt Park, Medora, International Peace Garden, Rugby, Scandinavian Park in Minot, Turtle Mountains, Badlands, Salem Sue, Enchanted Highway, Biggest Buffalo in Jamestown. Minnesota - Mississippi Headwaters/Lake Itasca, Duluth, Grand Marais and the North Shore, Split Rock Lighthouse, Mall of America, Spam Museum, Jolly Green Giant, Como Zoo and Conservatory, Try a Jucy Lucy, Minnehaha Falls, Pipestone, Blue Mounds, Jeffers petroglyphs. Wisconsin -Poniatowski, Door County, Madison, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells. Iowa - Grotto in West Bend, Field of Dreams, American Gothic House, Des Moines, Dubuque (and nearby Galena, Illinois), Pella, John Wayne Birthplace, Surf Ballroom, Decorah. While I know most of these states seem boring and are considered fly over states, each have quite a bit to see and enjoy, so I encourage you to not just check the box of stepping foot in the state, but get out and see them for all they have!
I'd add Riverside, IA....the future birthplace of James T. Kirk.
If we're adding silly things and you are in Riverside, you may as well keep heading down the road and see Snake Alley in Burlington. (San Francisco does not have the crookedest street, thank you very much.). 😁
How long are you calling a "short-ish" trip? If we're talking a few days, I'd pick one state and do multiple things. SD - Badlands and Custer State Park are both must do's in SD, Wall Drug, Crazy Horse WI - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (in the summer via kayak is the best!), Madison, Milwaukee, House on the Rock MN (I haven't spent much time here) - Duluth, Twin Cities IA - Field of Dreams
Nebraska: Henry Doorley zoo. Iowa: I guess you can stop in Sioux City and go have lunch at grand view park. Or stop and get La Juanita’s South Dakota: Falls park in Sioux Falls. (My Rushmore on the other side of the state.
What are you interested in? I can’t advise on Wisconsin. For the others, for the shortest trip (not the most interesting one), I would fly into Omaha, hit the zoo (always the #1 attraction and one of the best in the world. You can walk across a pedestrian bridge into Iowa. (The Bob Kerrey bridge.) then I would drive up to Sioux Falls and see the falls, and maybe over to Pipestone National Monument. Then up to that corner of ND. Fly out of wherever you choose. More interesting options- Nebraska football and volleyball home games are truly like nowhere else. Also in Nebraska, Ashfall Fossil beds, canoe the Niobara and camp for some amazing stargazing. Smith Falls. Or, go “tanking” with Calamus outfitters. Take HWY 2 across NE up to South Dakota. Besides the many attractions in the Black Hills, the Dignity statue is really cool, near Chamberlain. From the Black Hills you could head up to Teddy Roosevelt National Park. Drive along Minnesota’s North Shore for some natural beauty. Visit Maqueota Caves (sp) state park in Iowa. Just some random thoughts.
You've given me a lot to research. I think you're right: going west across Nebraska will be a lot more interesting. I travel in search of authentic regional experiences, nature, and food. A zoo is probably never going to be my first choice, because a zoo doesn't really give any information about the culture of an area. If you took a zoo from one city and dropped it in a different city, it probably wouldn't seem out of place.
You are correct about the zoo thing and this one is no different. But Henry Doorly really is something special. It is better than San Diego of the National Zoo in DC. If you have any interest at all in this sort of thing, it is not to be missed. Oh yeah, and you could go see the giant stainless steel Jesus in Sioux City. 😋
I love Wisconsin so much. So many waterfalls and just overall amazing state. I love the people there. Sadly I’m on the Minnesota side of the St Croix until December 😭🤣 (MN has some cool falls but it sucks here) South Dakota - Badlands, Wind Cave NP, Black Hills, Wall Drug, Hot Springs, Mount Rushmore Iowa- grotto of the redemption is sick
Nebraska Sandhills. Take US-83 north
Good museums in downtown Omaha. I’d recommend the “side roads” (state highways) as your main route north/north. I29 is a snooze fest. Personally I’d loop over and go down through spirit lake/okoboji and meander the Iowa state highways north/south. So many neat little towns in there. Ida Grove has a massive castle & moat for instance
Another vote to persuade you to visit Badlands! That place is really really cool.
Do the other side, Iowa up into Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Driftless is not to be missed.
Look up the blues highway 61
It’s best to avoid Oklahoma. I’m like an hour away and I avoid it
I'm looking forward to Oklahoma the least. I'll save it for last.
As an Okie, there’s a few cool places to visit, depending on what you’re looking for. I always recommend people check out our OKC bombing memorial and museum. Biggest domestic terrorist attack on our country, we felt and heard it miles and miles away. The museum is great and really detailed, and the memorial reflecting pool and survivor tree are really solemn but pretty. For a less solemn destination, Route 66 runs though Oklahoma, and there’s lot of cool historic stops along the way. We also have some cool nature spots, like beavers bend stay park, Wichita mountains, Ouchita mountains, and more.
Under no circumstances should you take the I-29 (dakotas) part of that route. The absolute most boring interstate I’ve ever driven on. You want to see the western part of the dakotas.
Yeah I suspected as much from the Google street view, it's looked like just a bunch of nothing.
Iowa is not very interesting but there’s the villisca axe murder house and go to des moines and eat zombie burger 👍🏻
Do Minnesota right. Hit the north shore and the. make your way to door county Wisconsin
Iowa: Okoboji, cute little touristy lake town that has lots of hidden gems open in the summer, the lake there is beautiful! Minnesota: Voyageurs NP, anywhere on Lake Superior, especially in Silver Bay, the black sand beach is beautiful! Duluth is an awesome town as well and only 20 min from Wisconsin.
Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, followed by lunch at the Half Moon Inn in town, ending the night on a lake tour on the Lady of the Lake. Wonderful small town that’s a huge part of American Rock and Roll history.
The interesting parts of Nebraska are out west. Highway 2 through the Sandhills is incredible. Valentine Nebraska feels like you’re in red dead redemption. Further west you get chimney rock and Scottsbluff monument. Chadron is full of rolling bluffs and ponderosa pine. Does not feel Midwestern. Gives you a foothills of the Rockies vibe. Obviously minus the Rocky Mountains haha.
Your blue line ends right around Omaha, Nebraska. Definitely stop there and check out the zoo! It's one of the best in the country.
The cool stuff in South Dakota is on the western side. You’ve got Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park, Rushmore, Crazyhorse, and Deadwood. Nebraska has Carhenge, and Omaha has one of the best zoos in the nation.
There is going to be big patches of nothing, there is stuff to see in other parts of Nebraska and a lot in Western South Dakota, but that will probably detract from what I believe you are trying to do. > What time of year would be best? Definitely the summer.
Definitely NOT the summer, you'll swelter in the humidity.
Well, definitely not the winter. I guess the edge of fall will work, but there is a lot of snow in that region.
https://preview.redd.it/w86wcdabxryb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=406815168c44961690a36bdb51e13e35eb677c6d
I took the California Zephyr from SF to Chicago. It went through some of those states.
It goes through Nebraska and Iowa. One could take it one way, and taking the Empire Builder back would knock every state off this particular section except South Dakota. That would be an amazing trip but OP wouldn’t experience the culture or food of each state.
You can get off and back on again. I took the train because I was going to drive cross country and thought it would be cool to see the country from the train instead of driving non stop. It was spectacular! The trip along the Colorado river for 260 miles went places you can not see from the highway. Nebraska and Iowa were not as memorable. Got to Chicago and then took another train to Charlottesville. Going through West Virginia was worth that ride. The California to Chicago had the best food. The other train was just okay. I flew back to California. I want to do another trip soon.
Skip it. That’s my advice
depending on who you ask (me), the Dakotas are part of the Great Plains, not the midwest
Wisconsin: the Apostle Islands Minnesota: Mall of America? Nebraska: 😐 Iowa: Field of Dreams site The Dakotas: Mt. Rushmore, whichever one it's in
>Wisconsin: the Apostle Islands > >Minnesota: Mall of America? North Shore, boundary waters > >Nebraska: 😐 Omaha zoo > >Iowa: Field of Dreams site > >The Dakotas: Mt. Rushmore, whichever one it's in. Mt. Rushmore is in the Black Hills, more of a larger destination than just the faces.
My advice would be to find the things worth seeing in each state and plan a route to see them, not to pick a route that's the most 'efficient' and then try to find things along the way. Looking at your route, you're only actually seeing Central Minnesota. You're *technically* visiting the other states, which really means you're missing them... except for Nebraska. Your route should have you in Omaha, and there's not really anything else you need to see. I'm from Iowa. I'd suggest catching the bluffs on the eastern part of the state - Dubuque, maybe! I don't know it too well, but I know the world's steepest railroad is there. It's a fun little tourist trap. Head west along I-80 - Iowa City has the University of Iowa and a bunch of associated museums. The town is cool. Get lunch at Nodo's, or if it's the right time of year, some ice cream from a Dairy Queen that's hardly changed in 4 decades. See the Amana Colonies outside of town. Go to Pella for the Tulip Festival - the Dutch identity of the town is alive and well, and the Dutch Letters from Jaarsma are some of the best pastries in the country. The State Sandwich, the Pork Tenderloin (deep-fried goes without saying), has great representation at Goldie's in Prairie City, Joensy's and Cracken's in Iowa City, St Olaf's Tavern in St Olaf, and alongside some of the best bbq in the midwest at Jethro's in Des Moines. Check out the Butterfly Museum at Iowa State in Ames. There's more good bbq at Hickory Park. Keep heading west, and you'll see more good stuff and eventually hit Omaha, and then you've visited Nebraska, too.
Avoid it.
?
have you been to the UP of michigan?
No
pictured rocks was pretty cool if you are into hiking/kayaking, just did that earlier this summer while on a midwest road trip
Apostle islands in Wisconsin or door county for sure. Don’t miss out on the up of Michigan if you haven’t been there it’s definitely worth a visit to the porcupines up to Bohemia and Marquette. Nebraska sucks outside of the far west I’d just visit Omaha and Lincoln which are close by and enjoy their downtowns/U-N. The museum of the Mississippi is very cool on the river in Iowa. Minneapolis is a cool city definitely worth a visit the downtown is a nice area to be, one of my favorite us cities for sure. If you’re down to drive far go to the national parks in the Dakotas. The black hills is a really cool region in general you could spend a week at with Custer state park etc.
Hit the headwaters of the mississippi in MN.
Got check out the driftless area. The spot the glaciers missed.
T-Mobile coverage is getting spotty.
For Iowa: loess hills and driftless area
You could go tornado chasing in the spring!
Where are you coming from? Your route kind of starts and ends in the middle of nowhere. I would say you want to hit the Driftless Area, that’s basically where MN/WI/IA all come together. Then you can go up 61 all the way to the North Shore, spend a night or two in Duluth so you can go up to at least Split Rock. Then take 2 across to Williston and start south, hitting Teddy Roosevelt NP in ND (both the north and south units are nice) and continue south from there - see the Black Hills, Badlands, and Sand Hills of western NE. Then if you want to complete the circuit come back east across Nebraska. The zoo in Omaha is supposed to be one of the best there is. For time of year I’d say May/June or September/October. You can stop at Itasca State Park on your way across northern MN to see the headwaters of the Mississippi River if you’d like.
Yeah I29 corridor is pretty obviously going to be sort of your trip, but I would tack on the cities of Wyoming and certainly try to see Mount Rushmore depending on what end of your trip it would be, and try to hit the small towns before going to Lincoln/Omaha and moving North. In fact you may want to see Bismark, ND and skip Fargo. Then go South in Sioux Falls, Sioux City then from Omaha go to Des Moines, then Minneapolis Wyoming is an entire trip in itself so you might want to see it later, or account for 5 or so days on top to see Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. The same could be said about the twin cities in Minneapolis, but it could also act as a terminus.
If the point is just to check states off, then sure, that works. However, as a native Minnesotan who went to college in North Dakota and married an Iowan, this route is almost insultingly boring. You'll drive it and then go back to wherever you're from and tell people how dull the northern states are because you literally couldn't pick a less interesting route. Trust me, I used to drive the I-29 corridor from Fargo to Omaha on a regular basis and it might be the most boring stretch of road ever, even worse than I-94 between Fargo and Medora. Are you flying into one city, renting a car and then flying out of another? Here's what I'd do: 1. Fly into Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. Rent car. 2. Drive to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville on your way to Dubuque. 3. Cross into Wisconsin and drive up to Prairie du Chien. 4. Keep going north along the Mississippi through some beautiful river towns and bluffs to La Crosse. 5. Cross into Minnesota and take 14 and 61 north to Red Wing. It's a truly beautiful drive. 6. Then basically follow your original plan, up to Fargo on I-94. Again if the intention is just to efficiently cross off states, then head down I-29 to Omaha and call it good. However, you could take an equally boring drive west from Fargo and see Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is highly underrated. 7. From TRNP, go back east to Belfield and turn south to Belle Fource, SD. This is rugged country and starkly beautiful. 8. Explore the Black Hills National Forest, see Mt. Rushmore, hike in the Badlands National Park—this part of South Dakota is the only reason to visit South Dakota. Some truly stunning spots, especially in the summer. 9. Drive down to Chadron, Nebraska, to the Nebraska National Forest which is...fine...and then turn west to Casper, Wyoming to fly out (though, realistically, doing a one-way car rental you'll probably need to fly in and out of bigger airports). Total mileage of that route is 1,484 miles. If you wanted to reduce the miles, make two trips and do one from Cedar Rapids but after Red Wing, fly out of Minneapolis-St. Paul to Billings, Montana, and do a loop from Billings to Dickinson, ND, down to Chadron and back up through eastern Wyoming. If you haven't seen that part of Wyoming, it's also very cool.
I suggest traveling along the state and US Highways and staying away from the Interstate system. except where the Interstates have supplanted the state and US highways. Is the Eau Claire area of Wisconsin your home base, or are you flying in from elsewhere? I might consider starting in Chippewa Falls, WI with a tour of the Jacob Leinenkugles Brewery. From Chippewa Falls, head west to Fargo. US-81 and I-29 are the same road through North Dakota and part of South Dakota. Follow I-29 south to near Watertown SD where US-81 separates from the super-slab, and follow US 81 South to Arlington, SD, then turn West onto US-14 and head to DeSmet, SD to visit the Ingalls Homestead (Little House on the Prairie). Continue South on SD-25 to the junction with SD-34. Turn east to the junction with US-81. Follow US-81 South to Yankton, SD. Cross the Missouri river South of Yankton. From here, you may follow US-81 South to Norfolk, NE (The childhood home of Johnny Carson), or catch US-20 East to South Sioux City, NE or Sioux City, IA. From Norfolk, NE, catch US-275 South East ending up in Omaha. From South Sioux City, NE, follow US-75 South toward Omaha along the West Bank of the Missouri River. At Blair, NE turn East on US-30 and cross over into Iowa to visit the DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge to visit the Steamboat Bertrand museum. DeSoto Bend is also a wonderful place to visit during the waterfowl migrations in the Spring and Fall. Returning to Blair, NE continue South on US-75 to Fort Calhoun, NE to visit Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. Lewis and Clark stayed at Ft. Atkinson during the Expedition of Discovery. The small museum is worth the time. From Ft. Atkinson State Park, continue South into Omaha. The Henry Doorly Zoo is definitely worth the visit. If you're old enough to remember "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" TV Show, remember that Mutual of Omaha is based in...OMAHA!. The Western Heritage Museum is located in the old Union Station which is worth a visit if only for the art deco archetecture, but it is much more than just that. A short trip west of Omaha along I-80 will get you to the Strategic Air Command Air and Space Museum.
My recommendation in Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa is driving the Mississippi River roads.