Things to do along the way?

We are thinking of taking our family vacation to Mt. Rushmore this summer. I am looking for thind to do and see between Nortwestern Illinois and Mt. Rushmore. I would welcome any ideas from seasoned travelers.

Things to do along the way?

This summer will be our 4th trip to that area from Northern Illinois (Crystal Lake). Here are some of our favorite things along the way:

1. Palisades State Park sdgfp.info/Parks/…Palisades.htm

Great place for a picnic and for the kids to do a little rock climbing. This is a little detour off 90 before you get into Sioux Falls, where we generally stop for the first night.

2. The Corn Palace in Mitchell. No great shakes but worth a see at least once in your life.

http://www.cornpalace.org/

3. The rest stop as you%26#39;re coming into Chamberlain. Seriously. Beautiful view of the Missouri River and the landscape really changes there. They also have a neat Lewis and Clark display inside. sddot.com/geninfo_projects_chambrestarea.asp

4. The prairie dog village just outside the Badlands. Buy a bag of peanuts and feed the critters. First time my kids were there my daughter was not quite 2 and kept calling them ';fairy'; dogs.

5. Badlands National Park. Awesome. We%26#39;ve stayed twice in the park at Cedar Park Lodge and this summer will be our 2nd stay in Wall. We like to take our time driving thru during the day, and also to hit the park at dusk and dawn.

http://www.nps.gov/badl/

6. Wall Drug. You%26#39;ll have passed approximately 17692 signs for it by the time you get there so you may as well stop and see what all the fuss is. We have a contest everytime we drive out that way and bet on how many miles it will be until we see the first billboard. http://www.walldrug.com/

7. Custer State Park. At the very least, drive the Needles Highway and the Wildlife Loop. If you can, spend a few days there. There is lodging in the park-we%26#39;ll be staying at Legion Lake Lodge again this summer. www.sdgfp.info/parks/Regions/Custer/Index.htm

I%26#39;m working under the assumption you%26#39;ll be coming in on 90. Once you get past the Dells, the driving is easy. The area around LaCrosse, WI is beautiful. Not a huge fan of southern MN, although I am partial to the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, MN. MN also has some pretty rest stops where we usually have a picnic for lunch.

Sounds like you%26#39;re definitely going to Mt. Rushmore. We%26#39;ve been there twice during daylight and once for the night lighting and recommend either. Have never been to Crazy Horse-just seen it from the road but it%26#39;s a cool project. There are also some caves in the area, but again, have not done that.

Also, the first time we took this trip was without kids. The 2nd trip the girls were 1 1/2 and 3 1/2, the 3rd trip they were 8 and 10, and this year they%26#39;ll be 12 and 14. So, I think any of these activities would probably appeal to any age group.

Hope this helps! It%26#39;s a great trip! People who have never been to SD don%26#39;t know what they%26#39;re missing-it%26#39;s probably my favorite state.

Things to do along the way?

Whoops, it%26#39;s Cedar Pass Lodge, not Cedar Park Lodge in the Badlands.

Thank you so much for all of the great ideas and for taking the time to reply. Ironically, my children are also 12 and 14. Our time is limited by my husband%26#39;s amount of vacation time but we plan on about a week from Sterling, Il. to Mt Rushmore and back. It might be fun to stop every other attraction on the way there and get the rest on the way back. Thank you again for all of the great information.

A week should be about right. Give yourself some time in the Badlands, at least half a day%26#39;s worth, and a couple of days around Mt. Rushmore/Custer State Park, and most of the other things I mentioned are quick stops, just enough to break up the car ride.

Closer to Mt. Rushmore, around the Rapid City area, are some more touristy attractions, similar to what you%26#39;d find in the Dells if you%26#39;ve been there, but perhaps more low key. We%26#39;ve always just enjoyed the scenery and the animals but there are enough diverse offerings to please just about anyone.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll find these forums helpful-I always have!

As Library chick said, definitely hit the Badlands either coming or going---well worth it.

Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devil%26#39;s Tower are some of the must sees of the area. Your kids might enjoy the Cosmos Mystery Area (I have not experienced it, but it sounds like some hokey fun). There are also mamy privately owned caves in the area, but the ones operated by nps (Wind %26amp; Jewel) are best. Crazy Horse is something to explore once; its history is fascinating, and the native American exhibits are well done. Custer SP has so many areas of beauty. Some spend a couple of days exploring here. You also have horseback riding, the alpine slide in Keystone, and mini golf. I think your family will have a wonderful time!

If you haven%26#39;t done so already, be sure to get a South Dakota travel guide--travelsd.com.

Enjoy your trip, and stop back if you have more questions.

Yes, definitely order the SD travel guide-that will give you lots of ideas. We%26#39;re revamping the travel section at the library where I work and I%26#39;m ordering travel guides from every state to make available for our patrons because I think they%26#39;re such a valuable resource for the preliminary planning stages of any trip.

We did a ';mini'; last minute trip this past Labor Day. Left KC Thursday and drove back on Monday. There was so much to see and do that we are going back again this summer. We are retracing our route and adding to it. Our 14 yr old dd is a beach nut and every year we go to the beach. So last July we did the Virgin Islands and she loved it, however, we then did the impromptu trip to South Dakota and she was blown away. This was her favorite trip and she can%26#39;t wait for us to head back out again next summer.

We did ';Bear Country';, ';Reptile Gardens';, The ';1890 train from Keystone to Hill City and back';, ';Alpine Slide'; and of course ';Wall Drug';. You can%26#39;t go through that area without checking out Wall Drug! We based in Keystone which is right at the b ottom of Mt Rushmore and she loved the ';tourist trap'; feel and the old fashioned boardwalk with the saloon and shops.

I know you%26#39;ll have a great time, the area is beautiful.

Thank you so much for your response. I am so pleasantly surprised at how helpful many people have been. I am truly looking forward to vacation this year!

Thank you so much for your response. I am so pleasantly surprised at how helpful many people have been. I am truly looking forward to vacation this year!

My daughter is also 14 and my son is 12. I have daughters 22 and 19 also and family vacations are very different with 2 children instead of 4.

Can I ask where you stayed and if you were happy with your accomodations? I was looking at the Keystone Express and found it to be more pricey than I have budgeted. I read horrible reviews on the super 8.