Places of interest on a western trip.

[Quiroule]

We are planning a trip from Quebec to Seattle WA next summer.

We will be going via Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington and add Wyoming and South Dakota on the return part.

We plan to visit Portland, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Custer state park and would appreciate any info on places worth visiting along the way.

Thank-you

[DougW]

The badlands, Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse would be good adds. The Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody WY as well.

[Quiroule]

Thank-you

We will add those on our list.

[CHICKDOE]

don't know your route but it sounds as if you are going first to seattle using a northern route and then down to portland. try going back via the columbia river gorge.

we're all different. i'd like to see the custer's last stand battlefield. around rapid city there is also sturgis, deadwood, lead, and wall drug.

any who knows how many local attractions, historical markers, etc you will pass.

[jay2703]

Glacier National Park in Montana, but don't do the Going to the Sun Road with an RV/Trailer. This is a ways off I-90 but worth the trip. Lewis & Clark Caverns (Just off I-90), also in Montana. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Blackwell Island RV Park) is a great stopping point along I-90 on the way to Seattle. If you are visiting Portland, make sure to see the Oregon Coast, Cannon Beach, Seaside or Newport, any of them would be worth seeing on the Oregon Coast.

[Camaro77]

Apostle Islands in WI on Lake Superior should be nice if along your route.

[drelec]

If your in Custer SD, its only a short drive south to Hot Springs SD where there is an interesting museum called the Mammoth Site.

https://www.mammothsite.org/

[F.R.O.G.]

If you're going to be in the Madison, WI area (actually Dodgeville and Spring Green), consider The House on the Rock.

As for the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park, I believe the maximum vehicle size permitted is 22 feet long and 8 feet wide because of tunnels and hairpin turns. In a tow vehicle or toad, though, I highly recommend it. The Park Service also offers tours along the road in vintage (or reproduction) Ford touring cars.

[Mark Ulmer]

In North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is worth seeing. Medora ND is the logical place to camp for that. Medora also puts on a very popular musical show in the summer.

[Mark Ulmer]

In Minnesota, Itasca State Park is definitely worth a look. It's where the Mississippi River begins. The river is so narrow at that point you can actually walk across it. It's a ways off the Interstate though.

[Vince and Charlette]

CowBoy Stampede in Cody WY. Mt Rushmore (a must see), Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park. DO NOT tow a vehicle up that road. When I had a 5ver, I smacked mirrors with a pickup coming in the other direction. That was just a few minutes after a Park Ranger told me to pull in my extended mirrors. I did that and still got the mirror whacked. Thousand foot drop-offs at edge of some parts of the road with few or no guardrails! Plenty of campgrounds at outskirts of the Park.

[Sbosserman]

Ditto on seeing the Crazy Horse" monument, it is so massive and impressive. And the native Americans there at the viewing center was unforgettable. After you've seen Mt Rushmore, then see Crazy Horse, it is the most impressive. By the way, if you see "Lakota" native Americans at the viewing center or at any businesses nearby, please do NOT refer to them as "Sioux"!! I made that mistake and will never forget after a young Lakota restaurant waitress explained the story to me as to how the name "Sioux" originated (you can look it up on-line), then I felt very ashamed. She was very nice and said to me: " It's OK, you didn't know."

[ssjkdavi]

I agree with a lot of the suggestions here.

I would also add:
Washington -Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens
Portland - Powell's book store. Pedal Bike Tours, and Washington Park (Japanese Garden and Rose Test Garden) with views of city and Mt Hood

It sounds like an epic road trip. Have a fun time.

[dwebster]

When you are at Custer, if you are interested in dinosaurs, there is an active dig near Hot Springs that is very interesting.
In North Dakota Roosevelt national park is great and don’t miss the Pitchfork Fondue at Medora.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Mark Ulmer

In North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is worth seeing.

We are doing a trip next year out there. That park is on our list too.

[F.R.O.G.]

Also in North Dakota, for a touch of whimsy, check out the sculptures along the Enchanted Highway, extending from Exit 27 on I-94 south to the town of Regent.

[markb422]

Are you going north of Lake Superior or through the UP of Michigan? If you go through the UP, the locks at Sault Ste Marie, and Pictured Rocks National Park.

[Adrian Gordon]

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

don't know your route but it sounds as if you are going first to seattle using a northern route and then down to portland. try going back via the columbia river gorge.

we're all different. i'd like to see the custer's last stand battlefield. around rapid city there is also sturgis, deadwood, lead, and wall drug.

any who knows how many local attractions, historical markers, etc you will pass.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield (Custer's Last Stand) is a great stop. Unless you want to gamble, I'd probably skip Deadwood, Wall Drug in Wall, SD, is an incredible study in how much hype can be put into so little. 250 miles of signs every mile or two for a cluster of souvenir shops and a mediocre restaurant. Still, the donuts make the stop almost worthwhile. The Badlands are incredible and while you're there may as well do a stop at Minuteman National Monument, an old, cold war missile site. A couple of days in the Black Hills is also pleasant.

[Jakieboy]

Agree with nearly all the suggestions above. Last year my wife and another couple launched a grand tour of nearly every National Park west of Denver, CO. We are based in SoCal. I would add the following comments:
1. If you can score a campsite at Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton NP then you can make easy day trips to Yellowstone, the town of Jackson, and other attractions.
2. We love the West Glacier KOA just outside the west entrance to the park. On your way to Glacier you might want to visit the town of Great Falls, MT. Best interpretive center for the Lewis and Clark Expedition ever.
3. We stayed at Mountain High RV park in the north eastern corner of WY with easy day access to Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis, Deadwood, Custer Park and Crazy Horse Monument.
4. In Portland make a day trip up the Columbia River to Bonneville Dam and tour the facility. Fascinating how they manage the salmon migrations. Easy day drive to Mount Hood, too.
5. Oregon Coast abounds with great RV parks and sites to see. Astoria has the best Maritime Museum ever.
5. Seattle - don't miss a tour of the Boeing Airplane Museum. It might take you two days to see everything.
6. Buy a copy of the Good Sam Road Atlas and the RV Travel & Savings Guide. Tons of information in both on ways to plan your trip, sites to see, and the best places to stay.

[Tundra 2014]

We did Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Custer State Park this fall-54 days.
I would recommend the Tour Bus- Road to the Sun in Glacier. This is in a restored 1930 open air, convertible red buses. These were built for the nation park service, only 50 left and Glacier has 30. You can relax and enjoy the view, very narrow road in parts. The road is normally open by early Jun. In South Dakota, Custer State Park. You can see a lot w/in 70 miles of the park. Mount Rushmore, Badlands, the roads themselves w/ "Pig Tail" roads, wood bridges and tunnels. Especially if you have kids and like to see wildlife, this is an area you can spent a week exploring. We stayed @ Blue Bell campground there, electricity only, great campsites and almost central to park. Look @ route into park, some of the tunnels are too small to get TT through. Also Little Bighorn and &th. Range camp area. Grand Teton was also one of our favorites, only kicker is many of the campsites in the park are no reservations. We stayed @ reserved site and called the park rangers and ask when the other campsites were filling and moved once there-Bay Bridge in Grand Teton. If you are planning to stay in any of the Nation Parks in the area, make reservations now for the summer. Yellowstone has very few sites that can take a combination length of over 45'. Fishing Bridge Campsite will take larger units, but was closed for 19' and will still be closed 20'.