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Old 09-12-2018, 06:40 PM   #1
TheGriz
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NE Pennsylvania to Mt. Rushmore

Hi folks,

We are thinking about a trip from our home in the Poconos in northeast PA (near I-80) to Mt. Rushmore. I'm thinking towing a 33' TT (ballcup to bumper) would be a nightmare through or anywhere near Chicago, and to a lesser degree around Cleveland. Any insight on this route...in whole and/or near the aforementioned cities, or alternate route suggestions???

What are the 'must sees' around Mt. Rushmore and along the route?

What is too late in the season regarding risks of snow and freezing weather?

Thanks,
Mike
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Old 09-12-2018, 08:40 PM   #2
labman
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Personally, I go thru Indianapolis and over to Champaigne Il then up thru Rockford onto I90 to avoid hauling thru Chicago when coming from or going to Louisville from Minnesota. My $.02
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Old 09-13-2018, 01:15 AM   #3
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Mike, you can ignore any grief towing around Cleveland. You won't really come close enough to have any problems unless you just happen to cruise by on Friday at 4:00.
We have towed through and around Chicago a number of different ways. None seem to work very well. Labman's two cents is probably as good as any.
Once you gain access to I-90 out of Minnesota you will be limited to very little in the way of scenery/hot spots along the way. Mitchell, SD corn palace, Wall Drug/Badlands NP, SD and then your final destination; Rapid City.
Rapid City area is a great place to visit. You can probably safely camp up towards the end of October, but not into November without freezing precautions.
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Old 09-13-2018, 03:19 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notanlines View Post
... Once you gain access to I-90 out of Minnesota you will be limited to very little in the way of scenery/hot spots along the way. Mitchell, SD corn palace, Wall Drug/Badlands NP, SD and then your final destination; Rapid City.
Rapid City area is a great place to visit. ...
And in the Black Hills there are two National Park caves, the Custer State Park (where views of Mount Rushmore are spectacular), and several cute little towns (where the DW enjoyed shopping; the food was great at the Hill City Cafe). There's also the Crazy Horse monument. We could see it (on a clear day! it mostly snowed - mid-May) from our campground (Heritage Village Campgroud). At the Wall Drug area there is a Minuteman Missile silo and National Historic Site. You need to make reservations at least 24 hours in advance to tour it.

While sort of out of your way, the Warther Museum in Dover, OH is worth the detour. Warther (of knife fame) was an eccentric who carved (mostly) scale model trains out of ebony and ivory. And as you're down that way, the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton is certainly worth the stop. We hit these on the way back from the Black Hills while headed to Maine.

Safe travels.
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Old 09-13-2018, 06:44 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by SummitPond View Post
...scale model trains out of ebony and ivory...
"Ebony and Ivory"...not my favorite song. But Paul and Stevie had an exceptional message in the lyrics that would benefit us all today. Excuse me for the diversion!

Back on topic. Lot's of good suggestions here already guys. Keep them coming please. And notanlines appreciate the feedback on undue concern about Cleveland! Trip is very much in the early planning stages right now, and even considering other destinations. I'm retired but the DW is still working. So trips need to be of shorter duration...2 weeks max.

I'm trying to get her to retire. But WHOA, we both have concerns about "24/7 togetherness"!!!

Regards,
Mike
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Old 09-13-2018, 07:01 AM   #6
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[QUOTE=TheGriz;307184!

I'm trying to get her to retire. But WHOA, we both have concerns about "24/7 togetherness"!!!

Regards,
Mike[/QUOTE]

Retirement, Wifes Definition: Twice as much husband, half as much money.
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Old 09-13-2018, 12:24 PM   #7
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We did this trip and Custer State park can take a full day. Would recommend going thru the needles (without the camper) and the meadows with buffalo. Crazy Horse monument is in that area as well. We also went thru Deadwood because I loved the HBO series and history in general. Happy trails!

Edit -forgot the weather question. We went out to Colorado on that trip in November. Every one said we were crazy but I guess we got lucky. There was some snow in the Black Hills but none on the road. Went up Pikes Peak and it was closed the last 2 miles due to driving snow. Begane our return trip after two weeks in Divide and took a southern route home to avoid the I 70 thru Kansas (in my opinion the most boring road in the US). So check ahead, if you check NWS you can find average temps and precip for anywhere.
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Old 09-22-2018, 05:20 AM   #8
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Some times we just have to buck up and grit our teeth and go through cities that we normally want to avoid. Is it worth a diversion out of our way to avoid some temporary grief and how much are we willing to go out of our way is the question I suppose.

Cleveland is no big deal really. Chicago area can be totally unpredictable. Looking at the route I would go straight through on 80/90 then stay on 80 all the way to Omaha and pick up 29 north to 90. Really, once past Chicago its pretty wide open from there.

Along the Missouri River is the Lewis and Clark trail with some interesting stops to be had. We try to get off the E-way and go secondary roads as much as we can and find it more interesting that way.
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Old 09-22-2018, 10:34 AM   #9
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Needless to say a good GPS is a definite requirement.
Went from Ind. to BC back in '13 and stopped at Rapid city for a week. 4th time there and as already pointed out see the suggested sites. We also stopped at iconic Sturgis. Not a real tough drive if you have your route and time (non rush hour) planned out.
We got seasoned for this trip with a 35' 5er through the GTA (population 6.5 million) in ON. on the 400 & 401. Up to 16 lanes each way at times.
So I90 was a breeze. You should not have a problem driving through that area.
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Old 09-23-2018, 04:06 PM   #10
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I do as ken56 suggested. There have been many times when I've gone through Chicago no less that 60-65 mph pulling a 38 ft open car trailer. Get in a middle lane and stay there, that way you won't be bothered by entering traffic nor hold up the faster traffic. If I have a choice I prefer to hit it early morning or late at night and never on a holiday. Here's an interesting stop on I-90 overlooking the Missouri. Chamberlain SD Rest Area
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Old 09-26-2018, 12:43 PM   #11
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If you're there, take the loop around Indianapolis. My GPS had me in the wrong lane and turning the wrong direction for it. I drove the interstate through town. Very rough road.
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Old 09-30-2018, 10:49 AM   #12
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Just took I80 from Sacramento to Youngstown. No big city traffic. Just the normal rough roads and construction.
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Old 09-30-2018, 01:03 PM   #13
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I would take I-80 passed Chicago. It is ~30 miles of what could be heavy traffic but the alternate through Indianapolis is no better.

We usually camp in Custer SP near the Game Lodge because we like to see wild buffalo grazing on the other side of a fence from the campground.

While in the Black Hills, take the Iron Mountain road from Custer SP to Mt Rushmore. It has several narrow tunnels that frame Mt Rushmore as you go through them. You can take the Needles Highway back to Custer SP.

If you have the time, camp near Sioux Falls SD and take a walk along the waterfalls. Devils Tower in Wyoming is a nice day trip from the Black Hills.
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Old 09-30-2018, 02:13 PM   #14
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Black Hills

The American Buffalo Resort is a pretty good place to camp - centrally located between attractions just south of Rapid City. Just south of the camp ground is Rockerville (old mining town) great place to eat called the Gas Light. Also check out the Fire House in Rapid City, a super dinning experience. Mt Rushmore was moving and done't miss the night program (honor to vets). There is also a wonderful air museum just outside the gate to Ellsworth Air Force Base (E of Rapid). Of course you can't miss Wall Drug near the Bad Lands on I-90. The weather is a little unpredictable so plan accordingly.

Enjoy the trip!
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Old 09-30-2018, 02:58 PM   #15
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Can't help you on the travels around Chicago as I live in southwest Minnesota. But we have been to the Black hills many times. You've gotten good advice so far on things to see. The only thing a haven't seen is a trip through Spearfish Canyon . Truly one of the most beautiful drives I've ever taken. I would also second an overnight in Sioux Falls and taking in Falls Park. As far as weather is concerned, the hills had 8" of snow a couple days ago. It's probably already gone. The weather patterns in the foothills this time of year can be anywhere between 80 & 30. Good travels.
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Old 09-30-2018, 03:27 PM   #16
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Instead of going through Chicago, you might consider heading north Toledo, go to the UP of Michigan. We made that trip this year, and the UP is beautiful. Stopped at The Henry Ford - Museum/Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI (so worth a 2 day stop), stayed at Straits State Park in the UP (visit Mackinac Island), then to Door County, WI (the peninsula near Green Bay). From there, you can travel almost straight west.
Avoid going to western SD the first two weeks in August. The Sturgis rally fills up campgrounds within 2 or 3 hours of Sturgis. We stayed at Devils Tower NM in eastern Wyoming August 6 to 8 last year, and even that was pretty full. The only reason we could stay there was because we had made a reservation months before. The KOA outside the park was packed. It's about 80 miles from Sturgis, SD.
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Old 09-30-2018, 04:09 PM   #17
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If you can do the loop around Chicago at 6:00a.m. or earlier, or 7:00pm or later you won't have a problem. I am in Chicago regularly and pull my 5th wheel as an office and that's the only time I do Chicago to Gary IN. If I have the time and don't have to be in Chicago at all, I opt to go through I74 through Bloomington IL. Real easy drive and no major crowds. If you are stopping in central IL to sleep you can't beat Gibson City, IL (just north of Bloomington) for small in-town camping. $10.00/night, paved site with water, electricity, and a dump station. Small town bargain. As far as Minnesota to Black Hills, you must go to Wind Cave Nat. Park. Right now the elk are rutting and the wildlife photography can't be beat. I go early morning and at dusk, and the elk, buffalo, rams are all out. We also love the swimming hole (free) in Hot Springs, and the Wild Horse Sanctuary. Pinnacle Scenic highway in the Black Hills has some amazing trails. Again, it's free and right now the Aspen leaves are at their peak.
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Old 09-30-2018, 04:56 PM   #18
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I don't know if you can do it with a rig that size, but I have taken the car ferry across Lake Michigan, from mid-Michigan ( I can't remember the town) to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I had a popup at the time, so..
We took the night ferry, and slept on it all night, and woke up on the other side.
It's a great way to Avoid the Chicago area.
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Old 09-30-2018, 05:46 PM   #19
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The Badger runs from Ludington to Manitowoc. It's also a lot of extra time plus expense in order to just avoid Chicago. 2018 rates are $5.95 per ft for rv's and $69 per passenger
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Old 10-01-2018, 02:02 AM   #20
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Hornet is correct in his ferry post. (I'm sure he needed me to back that up)
Total time, including loading and unloading is close to 5-6 hours. Total price for TV, RV, and husband and wife.....$450.00.
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