RI to SD trip

I would take I-294 around Chicago and pick up I-90 north of town. As with any large city stay away from rush hours, Friday nights and Sunday nights.
Why drive so many miles each day? Make the journey part of the trip instead of just the end point.

I drove pretty close to the reverse of that route last year but it was CA to RI. WI to Rushmore is quite a haul plus you're passing a beauful stop in the badlands. Stop at the Badlands for the night. Spend half a day there and then go to Rushmore. Check out Custer State Park for wildlife if that interests you.

Windcave NP is also right there but GPS will mess you up and a map isn't much help either because you can't find the visitor center. Just call the visitor center for directions before you go. You need a half day but you have to book a tour since it's a cave.

I would take I-80 around the south side of Chicago (rather than 90, 94 or 294) and then I-39 north to reconnect with I-90. Fewer tolls that way (though you did say you have an EZ Pass - you might google for the site for Illinois' I-Pass and see if your pass will cover the tolls around Chicago; if so, your only dispute with 294 would be the traffic). Just FYI, I-90 in some sections, especially across Minnesota, can be quite rough (frost heaves between the concrete sections), and that can slow you down.

Sounds like a great trip! Hope it goes really well for you.

EZ pass should interoperate all the way through. Illinois is part of the consortium, even though they say "i" rather than "ez".

I've sometimes done marathon road trips (and enjoyed them), but what you're proposing sounds too ambitious for me in a motorhome. If nothing else, managing check-in and check-out times from the campgrounds that are somewhat reasonable and still getting eleven or twelve or so hours of driving (plus an hour or whatever for lunch and perhaps dinner) in seems quite difficult. I might be tempted to skip the campground and snooze at a Wal-Mart or similar. In particular, I'm not sure how you'll have enough time to see Niagara falls reasonably and cover the day's driving and get settled into the campsite at a somewhat reasonable hour. But that may just be me.

(Driving alone in a car, I find my driving ability and presumably safety takes a nosedive not too long after about ten hours on the road in a day. Obviously with another driver things are somewhat different, and people also differ in their fortitude.)

Thanks for all the answers! From RI to Niagara won't be that bad because we plan on leaving 3 or 4 am so we would likely get there around 1pm the drive from there to wi is the only worry, but hey, it's vacation so....whatever happens, happens ! We are both still working fulltime and we are meeting family for a reunion at Mt Rushmore on Saturday so that's the reason for the rush to get there. We have day trips planned for the badlands and the caves, and even devil's tower in.WY so I know we won't miss the too much once we are there. I hope the EZ pass works like it should. We definitely do not want to go anywhere near Chicago traffic and will be taking a detour around it.

People that think Chicago traffic is bad don't live in the east coast megapolis. Chicago at rush hour is about like Providence and less crazy that Boston or NYC.

What you are describing is pretty much a 2000Mile suicide run. All in a coach that you are not completely familiar with yet.

Three suggestions:
1 - Yet and learn to use a trip planning package. While some of this can be done online, unless you are carrying wire, you will be off the plan by the end of the second day (at best).
2 - Camp a night in your driveway and then take the coach someplace for at least one night so you are sure you know how everything works and where all the switches are.
3 - Drop the Falls for this trip. You can get there later and have more time and enjoy the excursion.

Matt

duplicate post

suprz wrote:
Thanks for all the answers! From RI to Niagara won't be that bad because we plan on leaving 3 or 4 am so we would likely get there around 1pm the drive from there to wi is the only worry, but hey, it's vacation so....whatever happens, happens ! We are both still working fulltime and we are meeting family for a reunion at Mt Rushmore on Saturday so that's the reason for the rush to get there. We have day trips planned for the badlands and the caves, and even devil's tower in.WY so I know we won't miss the too much once we are there. I hope the EZ pass works like it should. We definitely do not want to go anywhere near Chicago traffic and will be taking a detour around it.

Heads up, it is not an easy drive from Rushmore to Wind Cave. Tunnels, narrow roads, and no direct route. Just build a careful plan and best not to do it in an RV unless you find a long way around. But do go . . .

Definitely agree: Take 80 to 39 and then north. You'll hit two tolls, both under $1 with EZ Pass. There will be traffic on 80 through Northwest Indiana and south of Chicago, but there's no way to avoid some Chicago area traffic.