Off of North Dakota Hwy 5, Lake Metigoshe State Park which is on the border with Canada about 10 miles north of Bottineau, ND. A very nice campgound in the woods (hard to find in ND at times) and up in some hills called the Turtle Mts. All very pretty, nice lake with bike/hiking trail, boating, fishing. There is a It is not far from the International Peace Garden on the U.S. and Canadian border.
http://www.peacegarden.com/Lake MetigosheThere is also Turtle River State Park located 22 miles west of Grand Forks on Highway 2.
ClickyJust off US 83 in North Dakota,
The North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center between Bismarck & Minot at Washburn. Not sure about overnighting, but neat to visit, nice place to take a break. Pretty vista.
Not far from Washburn, the
Knife River Indian Villages Nat'l Historic Site was very interesting.
Not related to the L&C Expedition, the
Scandinavian Heritage Center and Park in Minot was neat to see.
Between Minot & Bismarck,
Lake Sakakawea State Park with links to other sites. Also in the area,
Cross Ranch State Park.
Also on the west edge of ND by Williston, Fort Union Trading Post Historic Site (no camping) is neat to see, my son said.
On the western side of North Dakota 27 miles east of the Montana state line, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is very worthwhile to see. The South Unit entrance is in Medora, ND. Medora is accessible via Interstate 94 Exits 24 and 27 in North Dakota. Interstate should not be torn up.
The gas & oil boom in ND has many tank trucks on some of the highways, even at the start of the boom in the upper NW corner. We were last there in 2009. T. Roosevelt is a really nice place to see Bison, at times even in the campground. We visited both units that year. North unit is more into the oil boom area. Road was good back then, but after getting more into the boom area, lot of truck traffic. Maybe worse now?
The colorful Little Missouri River Badlands provides the scenic backdrop to the park & home to a variety of prairie plants and animals including bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, elk, mule deer and wild feral horses.
Clicky.
The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is located 7 miles east of Medora on I-94 at Exit 32.
The ND Badlands are in TRNP as mentioned. Very neat shapes & colors. Not been to the SD Badlands, can't compare them.
If by the Twin Cities in Minnesota:
ClickyNeat Places Near By:
Historic Fort Snelling - St. Paul
Como Park - St. Paul the zoo & a 1914 Cafesjian's Carousel
The locks at St Anthony Falls - Minneapolis
Locks Harriet Island Regional Park - St Paul
Stop at a
Cabela's in Roger or
Owatonna, Minnesota. Just to see the Animal displays & Aquariums. There's a small one at
East Grand Forks as well. Not as impressive as the others.
When we would visit. MN had no sale tax on clothing & shoes.
If by Duluth, MN, the drive north along Lake Superior to Canada is really neat, lot of sites to stop & see. Such as Split Rock Lighthouse & Grand Portage National Monument. The port area by the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth is neat place to walk.
If by Bismarck or Mandan, ND, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is interesting.
FortLincoln.ComIn Montana: We drove by
Pompey's Pillar not knowing what it was in 2009, about 25 miles east of Billings (I-94), on our way to Yellowstone. "It bears the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which appears on the trail today as it did 200 years ago. On the face of the 150-foot butte, Captain William Clark carved his name on July 25, 1806, during his return to the United States through the beautiful Yellowstone Valley." Might be worth a stop, if time allows.
Yellowstone &
Wyoming Area.
Not sure you plan on taking in the Tetons or not. We stayed at Colter Bay Campground, the one without hook-ups in mid-June 2010, it was a nice place for such a large campground and close to showers. Our daughter & her hubby needed them, not having showers in their A-Liner. I have heard good things about Gros Ventre Campground...get more animals walking by or close by, etc. Nice views.
If there again, I believe I'd try Gros Ventre.
The Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian ArtsMuseum by the Colter Bay Campground is really a neat one.
Likewise, If you make it to Cody, try to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center with Five Museums Under One Roof.
http://www.bbhc.org/These 4 were really great:
Buffalo Bill Museum
Whitney Gallery of Western Art
Plains Indian Museum
Cody Firearms Museum
The Cody Chamber of Commerce has a nice Visitor Center (full of information) & with a really nice art gallery.
http://codychamber.org/visitorcenter.htmlThese may have same info already given, but maybe something new as well:
North Dakota AttractionsThe Scandinavian Heritage Center and Park in Minot was neat to see. As well as the Hjemkomst Center in the Fargo area, a neat "Viking Museum" in Moorehead, MN. Hjemkomst Center with a Stave Church and a Viking Ship made in America.
http://www.hjemkomstcenter.com/ Duluth, MN vs Black Hills Twin Cities, MN Duluth & Lake Superior & Clear Lake, Iowa :h I'm assuming you do not want to do the I-70 in Colorado due to the climb & tunnel up to the Denver area (I've never done this part of 70, but from what I've heard/read it is very doable). Another option would be to use I-40 to skirt around the Continental Divide in CO by going AZ & NM.
At ABQ, take I-25 N to Denver, then I-76 E to I-80 & on to Michigan. East of Denver, NO mountains.
Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- Albuquerque - Santa Fe - PlusSanta Fe is a neat area to see:
Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't -A Trip Report last summer.
More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded.
This might work in North Platte, Nebraska: the
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and
Camping; never stopped there, but driven by on US 83; nice looking campground by the river.
:S Oophs! I see 2Gypsies has already suggested this below. The I-80 would be cool. Either by going N from Denver via I-25 or angling up to I-80 via I-76 from Denver.
More on
Santa Fe an older post. Hope the links still work.
A possible detour: Between Clayton & Raton is the Capulin Volcano Nat'l Mon't.
A Neat Place. ------
But no CampingNot far S of Springer, just off I-25 is
Fort Union Nat'l Mon't. At Las Vegas (older place than the one in NV)
Storrie Lake State Park, but we have used the Walmart there to do a few overnights.
NM State Pks. are a bargain, $10 without electric $4 more for electric. No entry fee on top of camping fee (no day use if camping) like CO & TX state parks. Most have free showers as well, but not all.
In Santa Fe, We had good Asian at
Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe last summer. Someone at the AAA office recommended
Tortilla Flats in Santa Fe; it prove to be very good as well.
Normally, we would eat on the Plaza, from Cart Vendors, such as Roque's Carnitas.
Cart Cuisine, but they were not there that week-end. Due to the 'Santa Fe Indian Market', "a 91-year-old Native art market", we didn't find the normal street food venders on the Plaza.
I-25 N (Just East of Santa Fe) , in the Glorieta Pass & Pecos Area:
Civil War Battlefield and
Pecos Nat'l Historic Park, the remains of an Indian pueblo.
Off I-25 between Santa Fe & Las Vegas, NM, you might enjoyed an overnight at
Villanueva State Park. It is off the 25 a bit.
Colorado Springs Area, a lot of things to see & do there.
:CDesertHawk- Las Cruces, NM USA
*2015 Lance 1985~Casita de Campo~23' 4" Tongue to Bumper, Dinette Slide
160 watt Solar Panel/GoPower! Solar Controller
*2009 White Ford F-150 Reg. Cab
Long Bed with A.R.E. Molded Fiberglass Topper
*Previously~ 2005 16' Scamp
