traveling through the north

[nsh221]

i have no idea if this is the correct forum, or if i should go for midwest or northwest, but . . .

i am planning on moving soon - driving from chicago to portland, or in the first couple weeks of november.

i have done i-80 across the country too many times and it seems like 90 and 94 take pretty much the same time.

any thoughts on which is better? south dakota vs. north dakota? i would also appreciate any recommendations for places to stop by along the entire route (montana, idaho, washington). i am thinking about detouring from bozeman just to check out big sky. i know it won't be open, but i really want to see it and hope to get back there this winter or the next.

thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Stubs]

i have no idea if this is the correct forum, or if i should go for midwest or northwest, but . . .

i am planning on moving soon - driving from chicago to portland, or in the first couple weeks of november.

i have done i-80 across the country too many times and it seems like 90 and 94 take pretty much the same time.

any thoughts on which is better? south dakota vs. north dakota? i would also appreciate any recommendations for places to stop by along the entire route (montana, idaho, washington). i am thinking about detouring from bozeman just to check out big sky. i know it won't be open, but i really want to see it and hope to get back there this winter or the next.

thanks for any thoughts.

yamar68 seems to know some stuff that would help.

 

[yamar68]

i have no idea if this is the correct forum, or if i should go for midwest or northwest, but . . .

i am planning on moving soon - driving from chicago to portland, or in the first couple weeks of november.

i have done i-80 across the country too many times and it seems like 90 and 94 take pretty much the same time.

any thoughts on which is better? south dakota vs. north dakota? i would also appreciate any recommendations for places to stop by along the entire route (montana, idaho, washington). i am thinking about detouring from bozeman just to check out big sky. i know it won't be open, but i really want to see it and hope to get back there this winter or the next.

thanks for any thoughts.

You are wise to opt for 90 or 94. While they are both much more interesting than 80, I think it really depends what you're interested in doing / where you've been.

90 is great if you want to check out some famous touristy spots... Badlands, Rushmore, Wind Cave, Devil's Tower. But most of South Dakota is both crowded with the same sort of 18-wheeler traffic that you see on 80, and about as scenic as eastern Nebraska.

94, on the other hand, has much less traffic. It'll obviously take a little while to get up to ND but it's a super smooth drive. Lots of corn and soy fields but a few hours into that you'll start seeing endless sunflower fields (which won't be too exciting in November, but keep that in mind for whenever you decide to drive home... ideally in early August). The western half of ND is actually very beautiful. People don't realize that "the badlands" are not exclusive to South Dakota. It's something that you'll see much of along 94 and I actually prefer it since it's so overlooked/less crowded. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a must-stop along that route. The highway practically bisects the park, so there's no excuse not to visit. And there's a town on the south side which has a cool, authentic TR cowboy feel (I forget the name of it). Then you get to eastern Montana. That stretch between TRNP and Billings is probably the most desolate place in the continental US, aside from northern Nevada... which is something that I enjoy. It's cattle country. You'll go a full hour on the highway without seeing another car or man-made structure.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Safe travels, and I hope you enjoy Oregon!

EDIT: I should mention that, if you have time, you absolutely have to visit Glacier National Park. It is my absolute favorite place on this planet, even in November.

 

[nsh221]

rambling is good. i'll take everything.

you make a convincing argument for 94. and if google says the difference between the two is like thirty minutes over the course of twenty-one hundred miles i won't worry. i did live in wyoming for a stretch so some of those nearer 90 i have seen.

ultimately, this time around, i won't be 'doing' much. i'd like to stop at one location each day to check something out, but assuming weather is with me, i am most interested in logging my miles and getting all my **** to portland in one piece. i don't see glacier national happening this time round, but whitefish is on my list, along with big sky, so i at least have a winter trip there on the books.

thanks for all the info.