Travelling West to East - I90 or I80

I have prefered I-80/I-90 form Quad Cities to the Black Hills and beyond since '78, but I have traveled about every major road there is between them including I-70,I-25,US-2,I-94,US-50& US-385.

Well we just arrived at Thomson's RV Park in Rexburg (nice little park for an overnighter) and will be at Grizzly RV Park tomorrow and Wednesday.

So we are going to head North and pick up I-90 - the question is do we take 191 North to Bozeman. 89 looks to be a little wiggly on Google Maps.

paulj wrote:
On I90, the main stretch of rough pavement (of the tilted slab variety) is across southern Minnesota.

So I90 across SD, and I29 south would miss most of that.

Another choice is how to leave Yellowstone?
- north to I90
- east over Big Horns to I90
- south through Grand Teton to I80

Ditto.

Headed south on I-29 you can take I-680 (50 miles or so south of Sioux City) east to connect with I-80 across Iowa or as far as Des Moines where you could take I-35 south. Or continue east on I-80 and take in the Amana Colonies, then maybe follow the Mississippi River south for some nice scenery and interesting little towns.

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.

On I90, the main stretch of rough pavement (of the tilted slab variety) is across southern Minnesota.

So I90 across SD, and I29 south would miss most of that.

Another choice is how to leave Yellowstone?
- north to I90
- east over Big Horns to I90
- south through Grand Teton to I80

SD is definitely interesting to visit, with most of the most interesting things in the western half of the state. That also happens to be where the best pavement is too. :)

narcodog wrote:
When i travel from N GA to Yellowstone or in reverse I use I80 which I pick up in Rock Springs, WY then I drop down to I 70 across MO. Then south on 59 to 24 to Nashville. For me that is the shortest route to Yellowstone. I have been doing it for the last five years.

I think he meant I-70 to I-64 and then south on I-57 to I-24. That is a good route, light traffic except around Paducah, and of course Nashville itself.

Thanks all - I am thinking that SD might be an interesting place to visit as we haven't been there before but just how bad is that road surface? Is it worse than CA?

When i travel from N GA to Yellowstone or in reverse I use I80 which I pick up in Rock Springs, WY then I drop down to I 70 across MO. Then south on 59 to 24 to Nashville. For me that is the shortest route to Yellowstone. I have been doing it for the last five years.

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!