Travelling West to East - I90 or I80

kknowlton wrote:
Since you don't have a deadline, I'd suggest taking I-90 east from Billings or Laurel MT, spend a day at Bighorn National Battlefield (very interesting ranger talks, plus a self-guided driving tour; 2 good CGs in the area), then to the Black Hills, if you haven't been there previously. If so, then take I-25 south to US 26, take that east through Scottsbluff (good CG in Gering NE; spend a day or two there), then on to Ogallala, where you join I-80. If you want to do both Black Hills and Scottsbluff, then just go south from the Hills and catch up with Scottsbluff that way. (Scottsbluff was a major landmark on the Oregon/Mormon Trail. If you take 26, you'll also go by Chimney Rock, another pioneer landmark.)

Lots of interesting pioneer sites in central Nebraska, not far from I-80. A few of them: Ft. Kearny State Historic Park and the big Conestoga-shaped overpass over I-80, which houses a museum & diorama display - both near Kearney; Stuhr Pioneer Village near Grand Island.

If you decide to stick 90, be aware of rough concrete road in MN and WI, and do NOT go through Chicago on 90 - take I-39 south (near Beloit WI)to I-80 east. Otherwise you'll be in the thick of the traffic!

I agree with this route. I-80 through WY is (in my opinion) an unpleasant stretch of road. Nothing to see, nothing to do, just a lot of high plains almost-desert. I-90 across Montana is much more scenic and pleasant.