Midwest Timeshare?

[rapmarks]

Thanks for answering my next question!

Looks like I may have to add a day or two!

It is a beautiful area, lots of tacky attractions though. Be sure to eat at Ishnala .

 

[chapjim]

To update, I changed the reservation to Wyndham Glacier Canyon and made it for nine nights instead of five. I'm hoping to carve out three days and two nights -- a day to get to Rapid City, a day at Mt. Rushmore, and a day to get back to the Dells. Two nights in a Rapid City motel. Doable? Best to take a tour to Mt. Rushmore or DIY?

May take a day trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul to visit Mall of America.

 

[rapmarks]

Drive from dells to lead South Dakota is A terribly long drive. I woukd not recommend. Enough to see near mt Rushmore to make a separate trip.

 

[kozykritter]

When I visited Mt Rushmore years ago, we drove hours to get there, stood there looking at it from the viewing platform for about fifteen minutes taking photos and then got in the car and left. The awe of it doesn't last long and once you are past that, the general area is nothing spectacular. It felt much more interesting on TV or even on postcards than in person. Over the years friends have relayed the same experience so I'd suggest you don't build much time into actually viewing the mountain. You can't go climb around on it or anything, just view it.

 

[callwill]

When I visited Mt Rushmore years ago, we drove hours to get there, stood there looking at it from the viewing platform for about fifteen minutes taking photos and then got in the car and left. The awe of it doesn't last long and once you are past that, the general area is nothing spectacular. It felt much more interesting on TV or even on postcards than in person. Over the years friends have relayed the same experience so I'd suggest you don't build much time into actually viewing the mountain. You can't go climb around on it or anything, just view it.

We traveled across the US from WNY to Yellowstone(and back) toting our popup camper behind our Olds Vista Cruiser(one of the last years made) wagon. It was late august, just before the kids were due back in school (and they would miss the first day back). One of the planned stops was Mt Rushmore. We arrived late afternoon with enough time to grill some hot dogs in the parking lot. Turns out they had an evening event planned. It was overall a very wonderful experience. Music, a speaker; as it got dark, lighting effects. Nature chimed in. The stars were out. Saw a shooting star pass over. Then, near the end a storm was rolling in and there were flashes of lightning. As the event ended we rushed to the car and it started pouring just as we got to it. All in all it was great. Timing is everything. To us it was well worth it. It poured so hard that we decided to hotel it that night...who wants to set up a popup camper in the pouring rain!

 

[chapjim]

When I visited Mt Rushmore years ago, we drove hours to get there, stood there looking at it from the viewing platform for about fifteen minutes taking photos and then got in the car and left. The awe of it doesn't last long and once you are past that, the general area is nothing spectacular. It felt much more interesting on TV or even on postcards than in person. Over the years friends have relayed the same experience so I'd suggest you don't build much time into actually viewing the mountain. You can't go climb around on it or anything, just view it.

@kozykritter This has bothered me since you posted it -- the possibility of two ten hour drives to spend fifteen minutes looking at an unquestionable landmark was something I needed to get past. The plan still is to go to Rapid City for two nights. That day we go to Mt. Rushmore and if it turns out to be a fifteen minute (or even one or two hours) experience, we hop in the car and drive to Devil's Tower. Then back to Rapid City for the night and back to the Dells the next day.

I don't mind ten hour drives as long as the last five or six aren't after dark.

 

[rapmarks]

@kozykritter This has bothered me since you posted it -- the possibility of two ten hour drives to spend fifteen minutes looking at an unquestionable landmark was something I needed to get past. The plan still is to go to Rapid City for two nights. That day we go to Mt. Rushmore and if it turns out to be a fifteen minute (or even one or two hours) experience, we hop in the car and drive to Devil's Tower. Then back to Rapid City for the night and back to the Dells the next day.

I don't mind ten hour drives as long as the last five or six aren't after dark.

I have done the Mount Rushmore trip. on the way, you should do the Badlands. After you see mt Rushmore, you need to drive around the area. You will see the four presidents through tunnels and other places. You definitely want to go through Custer state park for the views and the buffaloes. We were approaching a stop sign when we heard a rumble. A couple hundred buffalo were thundering down the road. Several people were on motorcycles , sitting as still as could be. The van we were in was shaking.
You should really see deadwood, we had a rodeo parade the day we were there and take the Spearfish Canyon route to Devils Tower.

 

[rapmarks]

Be sure to send Me a private message when in the Dells. I know the adult things to see

instead of driving to mt rushmore, I would run up to see Door County, or Prairie du Chein In Wisconsin.
when are you coming?

 

[chapjim]

Be sure to send Me a private message when in the Dells. I know the adult things to see

instead of driving to mt rushmore, I would run up to see Door County, or Prairie du Chein In Wisconsin.
when are you coming?

Mid-June.

Not sure what "adult things" entails. Could be non-water park things or it could be the other kind of adult things. I'm too old for both!

 

[rapmarks]

Mid-June.

Not sure what "adult things" entails. Could be non-water park things or it could be the other kind of adult things. I'm too old for both!

Non waterpark things. Non zip line. And I guess I will not recommend Cruisin Chubbys strip club.

 

[northwoodsgal]

I forgot about French Lick, Indiana. If you are considering Wright-Patt, that might work out instead.

We were in French Lick two weeks ago for the eclipse. It's off the main 4-lane roads so if you're looking to make good time, this isn't it.

 

[chapjim]

We were in French Lick two weeks ago for the eclipse. It's off the main 4-lane roads so if you're looking to make good time, this isn't it.

I decided WPAFB was a little too far off the track and booked motels just off I-80 south of Toledo for one night both ways.

 

[jwalk03]

I would really plan more time in South Dakota. We spent 5 nights with my in-laws at Wyndham Glacier Canyon and then just my wife and kids and I drove to Rapid City, SD from there. We stayed 5 nights in Rapid City and honestly could have spent more time! So many things to see in that area!!

- Badlands National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
- Mt. Rushmore
- Minuteman Missile Historic Site
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Devil's Tower National Monument
- Custer State Park

All of these places are really cool and worth visiting. If you can get a tour at Minuteman Missile to go down in the underground silo its really a fun experience. The Ranger that gave our tour was a missile-man at the site in the 1970s so that made it even better.

Also don't skip Custer State Park since its a state park and not a national one- its every bit as scenic and unique as many of the national parks around the country. The drive through the needles is something else!

 

[chapjim]

We have nine nights at Glacier Canyon (June 12-21). I made hotel reservations in Rapid City for the nights of June 17 & 18. We'll pack light and leave most things at Glacier Canyon. I suspect that trying to do Mt. Rushmore, Custer SP, and Devil's Tower might be more than can be reasonably done in a day so probably skip Devil's Tower since it is kind of off by itself.

Last winter, I started planning a Summer 2025 trip to the Monterey Peninsula but got bogged down because no matter where I had planned stops, there were four or five things that shouldn't be passed up as long at we're this close. It would have taken us two weeks to get to Monterey! Having a similar problem here so I'm trying to pare things down to the "must see" places but there are too many places that one must see!

Wind Cave NP and Badlands NP: Would require at least one more night in Rapid City. Might do that.

 

[rapmarks]

We have nine nights at Glacier Canyon (June 12-21). I made hotel reservations in Rapid City for the nights of June 17 & 18. We'll pack light and leave most things at Glacier Canyon. I suspect that trying to do Mt. Rushmore, Custer SP, and Devil's Tower might be more than can be reasonably done in a day so probably skip Devil's Tower since it is kind of off by itself.

Last winter, I started planning a Summer 2025 trip to the Monterey Peninsula but got bogged down because no matter where I had planned stops, there were four or five things that shouldn't be passed up as long at we're this close. It would have taken us two weeks to get to Monterey! Having a similar problem here so I'm trying to pare things down to the "must see" places but there are too many places that one must see!

Wind Cave NP and Badlands NP: Would require at least one more night in Rapid City. Might do that.

You can actually just drive through badlands np, it will take and extra hour or two. You enter at one end right off 90 and get back on 90 on the other end.
yes, you could skip Devils Tower, also no loss skipping Wall Drugs or Corn Palace.
we did the drive from Lead to Dells in one day, making a stop in LaCross to visit friends and have dinner.

 

[rapmarks]

This is a big weekend in Wisconsin Dells and I advise not coming into the Dells for Automotion. Hundreds of thousands will come for the car show, and many will ride up and down the strip for hours apparently with no mufflers. Lots of drinking of course.
i picked up one grandson from school on the outskirts and the traffic and noise level was terrible. It is triple the driving time to get anywhere and the show hasn’t even started. I will not go anywhere near the Dells until Monday.

 

[rapmarks]

Icarus, tallest waterslide in America standing at 185 feet, just opened at mt, Olympus. It is right next to the 360 degree rotating water slide. Definitely take a ride past mt Olympus It is right across the street from the Ducks ride, which is worth taking