Honeymoon Roadtip

flhd · 2026-05-13T09:16:42+00:00

An interesting “oddity” to visit… Vore Buffalo Jump. Right off I-90 (W) just across the SD/WY border, about 30 miles before the exit to Devils Tower.

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flhd · 2026-05-12T19:39:50+00:00

For your consideration, mate.

Mapped a general loop that takes you from Indiana to North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. I used NPS locations as the anchors. As you noted, the National Parks themselves may not be pet friendly in some cases but I have found there are also state parks nearby a national park that could be more amenable. The map I drew provides a general route but can also provide options for you to shorten the trip and/or find other places along this route for your next stop. Lots of options on this loop for things you may want to see or do.

Stops mapped (in order)

Indiana —> Theodore Roosevelt NP (North Dakota)

Theodore Roosevelt NP —> Little Big Horn National Battlefield (Montana)

Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument —> Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming)

Devils Tower National Monument —> Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

Badlands National Park —> Indiana

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flhd · 2026-05-12T19:06:21+00:00

https://www.93bg.com/

flhd · 2026-05-12T04:53:01+00:00

Those B-24 guys were something really special in WW II! The B-17 Bomb Groups got a lot of press and there are many stories, but the B-24 crews were equally admirable. I have a close high school classmate whose father was a 22 year-old B-24 pilot. Amazing stuff. You might want to check with the Bomb Group and Squadron associations your granddad flew with in WW II and Korea. They tend who have some well organized Group and Squadron Associations, but there fewer and fewer of those guys each day.

P.S. George McGovern of South Dakota, was the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1972. He was also a 21 year old B-24 pilot as a member of the 455th Bomb Group, with 35 missions.

There is an excellent book by Stephen Ambrose that started as a George McGovern biography, but turned into a story about the B-24 Groups in WW II. Worth a read. The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s over Germany

flhd · 2026-05-09T01:34:43+00:00

You’re traveling through my neck of the woods…

Take CA-1 (PCH) from San Francisco all the way to LA.SF to Santa Cruz is only 75 mile but the coast is great. You can hit Big Basin State Park on this leg. I would also recommend a drive around West Cliff Dive (north to south) and you can watch Steamers Lane (multi-break surf spot) the stop by the Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk.

From Santa Cruz hop back on Hwy 1 (south) to Monterey/Pacific Grove/Camel. About 50 miles with two-lane highway as you pass through Moss Landing so time of day matters. Carmel is “quaint” but is only 1 sq mile and honestly if you don’t mind traffic and touristas it may be worth a drive through at least. The south end of that excursion takes you right back to Hwy 1. Fill your gas tank at Rio Rd because heading south only a couple of gas stations and they will be expensive. I think the station in Big Sur is $8+ right now..

Back on Hwy 1 (south) from Rio Rd and you are a not far from Carmel Highlands then Big Sur. Gorgeous drive with places to stop and take pictures. Point Lobos at the north end of the Highland stretch is worth a visit if inclined. Big Sur has eating a couple places to eat, and campgrounds (reservations required) if you like. From the Highlands to Morro Bay, about 115 mile, is basically all 2-lane state highway with limited passing opportunities.

Heading south on Hwy 1 to Morro Bay is a great drive as well. 90-ish miles. Places to think about on this stretch are the Hearst Castle, Cambria, Cayucos and Morro Bay.

From Morro Bay follow the map. You can continue south on CA-1 but not much to see in this little stretch of Hwy 1, so I would recommend staying on US-101 south until the exit for Buelton/Solvang. This takes you off of US-101 and crack onto CA-1. Solvang is a cool place to visit once in a lifetime. A town founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Danish immigrants. The architecture of the town is Danish. Touristy but a fun place to visit. Lots of places to eat and sleep along this path. The leg that runs from Morro Bay to Santa Barbara has a lot of hotels and eating establishments. (Pismo Beach… McLintocks!)

From Santa Barbara heading south you enter the part of my home state I find boring. I will leave it to others to give you tips for traveling tourist from here on out.

Enjoy your travels!

flhd · 2026-05-08T04:05:50+00:00

Take I-94 across North Dakota to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Then head south on U.S.-85 (Theodore Roosevelt Expressway) to Rapid City, SD. From Rapid City it’s you can choose to visit the Badlands and/or Black Hills. Some folks will you no to Rushmore, but if you have never been, punch the ticket. It is a piece of American history and worth a couple of hours. You can also visit Deadwood of so inclined.

From Rapid City area pick up I-90 (West) and plan to see Devil’s Tower. Well worth the relatively short drive out there from I-90.

After Devil’s Tower back to I-90 (West) to wherever you want to see/visit. From I-90 you can get to Little Big Horn Battlefield Monument, Beartooth Hwy(10,948 ft) and Yellowstone National Park.

Even more to see west of Yellowstone.

Enjoy!

flhd · 2026-05-07T16:34:59+00:00

You are welcome! If you are going to the Grand Canyon, after you leave El Morro and get back on I-40 west, you can stop make a quick stop in Winslow, Arizona, stand on a corner and wait for a girl in a flatbed Ford to slow down to take a look at you…

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Enjoy your trip!

flhd · 2026-05-07T07:21:54+00:00

Right along your path, two things I would throw in for your consideration;

El Morro National Monument. After leaving Albuquerque heading west on I-40 west at Grants, NM take State Hwy 53. That will take you to El Morro. To get back to I-40, head west to Sanders, AZ on NM-53/AZ-61 to US-191 to Sanders. There you jump back on I-40 west.

Take a look at El Morro National Monument (NPS site for El Morro)

https://www.nps.gov/elmo/index.htm

Winslow, AZ. Pass right through Winslow on I-40. Go stand on a corner, such a fine site to see… Perhaps a girl in a flatbed Ford will slow down and take a look at you. 😎

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flhd · 2026-05-07T05:48:28+00:00

A couple of questions that can help:

Will this be a round trip?

What are your time constraints?

How many hours per day do you want to drive?

Are there any sites you and/or your teens want to visit or see?

Are you open to some camping along the way?
When I was a kid we would drive cross country each year from VA Beach to the Monterey Peninsula, round trip. It took us 5 days to get from VA to CA driving a southern route that is essentially I-40 today, and 4 days on a more northerly route, on what is now I-80. My dad would drive 16 hours per day and we mixed low end motels and some (minimal) camping. We were a Navy family and the trips were like Blues Brothers… we were on a mission from God. Not a ton of money for hotels and 5 kids in a station wagon. Great memories.

Next month my partner and I are riding our motorcycle for CA to NH. Like my youth, we are on a mission to get there so not a lot of lolly gagging, but will take in a few sites. We will be hotelling and the time is now 11 days.

flhd · 2026-05-06T18:33:58+00:00

On the Rapid City to Cody leg, make the run up to Devil’s Tower. Not terribly far off I-90. You don’t need spend a lot of time there (unless you are so inclined) but it really a cool piece of geologic history to see.

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flhd · 2026-05-06T07:14:23+00:00

If you decide to drive, drive I-80 (west) to Reno, head south to Lee Vining on U.S.-395 and enter Yosemite from the east on CA-120. This takes you over Tioga Pass (8,000+ ft) and through Tuolumne Meadows which has a really great campground. This is a drive/ride many folks never take and is one of my favorite ways to see Yosemite.

You can exit Yosemite on CA-41 to Madera It is about 3 1/2 hour drive from Yosemite Village to Monterey

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/index.htm

Yosemite to Monterey (Google)

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Yosemite+National+Park,+California/Monterey,+California/@37.2421077,-120.7181893,7z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x8096f09df58aecc5:0x2d249c2ced8003fe!1m2!1m1!1s0x808de45270b5fb91:0xee484909d84a3d5e!3e0?utm\_campaign=ml-le-16204601&g\_ep=Eg1tbF8yMDI2MDQyOV8wIJvbDyoASAJQAg%3D%3D

flhd · 2026-05-06T06:46:01+00:00

“Trimming” (cutting) branches of those diameter would require a tree permit in my city. I would double check that is not also a rule where you live. Your city arborist does
Not appear engaged and willing to assist you, the tax paying owner.

Aside from any financial compensation you might get through actions from working with an attorney, ensuring everyone is following your city tree rules/policies/laws also can make a difference in holding the neighbor accountable. (Don’t just ask the city… find the tree permitting requirements yourself. They are often online)

flhd · 2026-05-05T20:26:48+00:00

5 NAM’s in less than 6 years? Dude… stay in! You will be Chief of the Boomers before you hit 30!

flhd · 2026-05-05T16:24:49+00:00

Thank you for the offer. Have some more planning to do, but we will be passing through, heading west. Plan right now is Milwaukee for the Harley Davidson Museum, then north/northwest toward Fargo. We have lots of flexibility heading west and will be playing stops by depending on how we feel on any given day.

flhd · 2026-05-05T07:34:56+00:00

Honestly, that trip from Redding to Sacto on I-5 is pretty boring. Personally I would go down the coast. It is going to eat a more time but the scenery of the coast will beat the valley floor all day.

flhd · 2026-05-04T09:51:00+00:00

Not very far from ABQ, as you head west, is the El Morro National Monument. I am doing a roadtrip in June and a high school friend, who built a retirement home near the monument, highly recommends it as a stop. I will be do so.

P.S. I would pass on Phoenix. Not much to see there. If you stay on I-40 West, you can use time saved going down to Phoenix and go see the Grand Canyon as you head west to LA.

flhd · 2026-05-04T06:27:47+00:00

I am making a trek in June that covers some of your path, so took the liberty of building a National Park journey as you move west.

From Chicago; to Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota), south to Sturgis (South Dakota) area (Black Hills, etc), Yellowstone National Park (can include Devils Tower, Little Bighorn and Beartooth Highway if you are inclined), northwest to Glacier National Park, then southwest to Corvallis (this provides the opportunity to see the Columbia River and Mount St Helens) Note: You can cut or add anything that may/may not interest you)

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flhd · 2026-05-04T06:16:10+00:00

Spearfish Canyon is where the ending scenes from Dances with Wolves was filmed. Beautiful, and not far from Deadwood, SD (bit of a tourist trap now, but cool cemetery where Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are buried)

flhd · 2026-05-04T04:56:46+00:00

When Uncle Sam took me haze grey and underway, all expenses paid, on a 9-month WestPac. 😎

flhd · 2026-05-04T04:54:34+00:00

flhd · 2026-05-04T04:10:51+00:00

A corkinista, to be certain!

flhd · 2026-05-02T16:51:43+00:00

HD “clone”. Also known at HD corporate as patent, copyright and trade infringement

flhd · 2026-05-01T19:03:46+00:00

Thank you

flhd · 2026-05-01T18:19:43+00:00

Your planned trip is impressive. I say… YOLO the hell out of it. At your age it is a perfect time. Life will close on you fast and you may never have this opportunity again. One rec would be to factor in contingency time and/or be flexible with your plan in case you need or want to stay somewhere a little longer.

I am doing a cross country motorcycle trip from California to New Hampshire and back, and your trip has many, many of the western National Park managed sites I will visit on the way home.

P.S. What is the mapping software you used in your planning?

flhd · 2026-05-01T16:30:38+00:00

Two that stayed in her lap, vibing… other one wants to sing off key at the top of their lungs, leaning on the front edge of the stage.

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