Leaving the Black Hills

Today, Saydie and I wrap up our National Parks & Monuments tour, and we head down to Merriam Kansas, to connect up with Jen for a few days before heading back to Texas to get Saydie for her first year at Texas A&M University. This has been a great trip and as I look at the milage counter we are close to 4700 miles covered thus far. We depart Keystone, South Dakota and travel into Rapid City, and then jump on I-90 east across South Dakota. I-90 is the longest one in the interstate highway system network covering 3,020 miles (4,861 km). This coast-to-coast highway connects Boston on the east with Seattle on the west. It crosses the continental divide at Homestake Pass just east of Butte in the state of Montana. The I-90 covers major cities such as Boston, Albany, Buffalo,Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle. It also connects other cities such as Springfield, Syracuse, Erie, Rockford, Madison, Wisconsin, Billings, and Spokane. There are several sites that you must visit en route I-90. The Wall Drug is a pleasurable stop you might want to consider. You can relish the coffee, free ice water, and good donuts. Commuters can exit from I-90 (exits 110 and 131) and check out the Badlands National Park. Other parks to check out are Buffalo Gap National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Every year, millions of people pull off I-90 (exit 332) to witness the all-time ultimate roadside attraction, the Corn Palace. You should not give this one a miss, a halt at least for a picture is a must. At a bend on the Missouri River, Framboise Island has several hiking trails and rich wildlife. Devils Tower is certainly awe-inspiring, even more than what you find in the movies. You first see it from miles away as a huge monolith poking over the rolling hills of eastern Wyoming. As you get closer, you can make out the tubes of rock that give it the appearance of a monstrous pipe organ. If you are a history lover, there are quite a few places you can relish along your journey. Visit Delta-09 Missile Silo, Akta Lakota Museum, and Cultural Center, Lewis and Clark Information Center, South Dakota Cultural and Heritage Center. There are plenty of lodging options along Interstate highway that you can consider for your stops. Saydie and I will definitely making a stop to see Corn Palace, and we visited Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap National Park yesterday.