One last road trip before the winter weather hits

[Chet]

Ok, I'm planning a trip - by car - from Milwaukee to Rapid City South Dakota, with the intent of seeing the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse momuments with mine own eyes. Realizing that there's nothing but steers and queers in South Dakota, anyone know of any good side trips or diversions along the way?

 

[Mastiff]

You bet!

Custer State Park - Go play with the bison.

Deadwood, S.D. - You can do fun things like visit the Old No. 10 Saloon where Wild Bill was shot. (But the real #10 is down the street at a photo place)

Elk Haven Lodge - If it's still there, and the same people still run it, you'll have some fun. It's on the way to Custer State Park...

Sturgis - To say you've been there, even when the biker run isn't happening. There are still fun places to visit.

Ghost Towns - There are several around, but the folks at Elk Haven can direct you to one right up over the hill from them. Pretty neat stuff...

Badlands - Stop and get out. It is a real interesting thing to see... then imagine crossing them in a wagon.

These are all right around Rapid, though... Not "on the way". From just the other side of Minneapolis to Rapid, there is about ZILCH to see and do. Drive with your eyes closed.

 

[Tom R]

trip

I'm thinking about going to see the Shanksville site. I won't trust the old car much further.

 

[Mastiff]

Re: trip

I'm thinking about going to see the Shanksville site. I won't trust the old car much further.

My girl went to Shanksville High School... I'm sure she could tell you where to eat and such.

 

[PlannerGirl]

IM thinking of going up to Philly and then on to Falling water for the leaves

D

 

[kms]

There is another FL Wright house near Fallingwater called Kentuck Knob. Check w/Western PA Conservancy for better info. There is also a little single family FLW home in Greensburg, but you can only drive by and look.

Shanksville is kind of rural. Somerset, Johnstown or Greensburg have places to eat and sleep if you need them, Fireboss.

 

[nerudite]

You bet!

Deadwood, S.D. - You can do fun things like visit the Old No. 10 Saloon where Wild Bill was shot. (But the real #10 is down the street at a photo place).

This is a cool town... when I was driving cross-country I needed to get my car repaired here. I started walked around town for a few hours (knowing nothing about the history... hey, I was 16!), and I was amazed at this place. There is a cemetery there on Mt. Morian that is really awesome... James Butler Hickok, Potato Creek Johnny, Martha "Calamity Jane" Canary are all buried there. I stumbled across so many cool things to see... I wish I could have stayed longer.

 

[Jeff]

IM thinking of going up to Philly

D

An excellent choice!! Non-stop action, more excitement than NYC

 

[Tranplanner]

An excellent choice!! Non-stop action, more excitement than NYC

And that's just Mike's avatar!

 

[pandersen]

Last Road Trip For The Year

O.K. here goes nothing.

From the replies so far, it would appear that I am the individual with the greatest number of miles under my belt this year.

In June of this year I flew from Winnipeg to Ontario and then drove from there all the way up to Inuvik, Yukon.

Tomorrow evening, I'll be driving back to Ontario from western Manitoba (across North Dakota and down through Michigan's UP). Once I'm back in Ontario, I'll be flying from Toronto to Amsterdam and then driving up through Germany to Denmark (to see family). From this point, I'll be driving back to Amsterdam , flying back to Toronto and then driving back to Manitoba up through Northern Ontario (I love it up on the north shore of Lake Superior.

Oh yeah, later in December, I'll also be flying home to Ontario for Christmas.

All in all, I will have travelled more this year than at any point in my life. It's nice to get out and see abit of the world.

 

[Mastiff]

Hmmm... I bet I at least take the #2 spot.

Late last year - Flew to Oregon from Missouri and back.
January - Drove from Mo to OR, via Nebraska (yuck)
February - Flew from Oregon to MO and back (Grrr... ex-wife should be shot)
May - Flew to MO from Oregon, then drove the family back via the southern route. (Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Etc.)
Since - Numerous week-end trips in the Northwest.

 

[PlannerGirl]

I wanna go to Amsterdam!

 

[Cardinal]

Inuvik! I've wanted to do that one. Tell me more.

As for my travels this year:
Jan - flew from Milwaukee to LA, drove to Death Valley, Sequoia, Monterrey and back to LA.
May - drove to southern Utah and back
June - drove to Ontario, north shore of Lake Superior
July - Michigan's upper penninsula, south shore of Lake Superior
August - Door County, WI, north shore of Lake Michigan
September - flew to San Francisco, drove over most of northern California, just got back!

One week of vacation remaining. Where should I go?

As for South Dakota, the Badlands are worth a day, but plan to spend more time in the Black Hills. I was there this time a couple years ago. The leaves were changing and it was stunning. Devil's Tower is not far away in Wyoming. Still further west, the Wind River Range is nice, but there will be a lot of hunters going after the elk. The best donut I have ever eaten is in Thermopolis, Wyoming, where there is also a nice historic hot springs hotel. On the subject of food, if you have never eaten Buffalo, try it. Same for the elk.

Oh, have we all forgotten Wall Drug?

 

[pandersen]

Inuvik! I've wanted to do that one. Tell me more.

Oh, have we all forgotten Wall Drug?

Mike:
The trip north was grand, I went in June so the bugs were not out yet and neither were many campers. Dawson City was interesting and had a lot of historic sights - Pierre Burton's home.

If I were to head that way again, I would go as far north as Dawson city, but wouldn't go up the dempster highway (gravel road/path) again. There is only one gas station between Dawson City and Inuvik at the 1/2 way point and fuel up there costs 1.00/litre (Cdn). Highway # 5 from Dawson, YT to Chicken, Alaska affords the traveller spectuacular views and is well worth your time.

On the way south, I htravelled down through Northern BC and passed through Banff and Jasper too.

If Irecall correctly, I did 10,000kms in just over 2 weeks.


As for your coments on the Dakotas, I've been to Wall Drug and hit the "Corn Palace and a couple of antique car museums out that way - once is enough. Saw those sights when I drove west from Ontario out to BC in 1986 during Expo '86.

 

[Chet]

Thanks for all the tips!

My land rover took a sh*t last week and no one can find the parts. I spant 9 days tracking down one friggin brake caliper (dealer price was 300% of what I eventually found it for) so I'm dealyed at least a week or so 'till all parts arrive. And next time I'm buying American.

 

[Cardinal]

A Land Rover? Never buy a British car. Or American, for that matter. We have not made a really great car in decades. I am enjoying my Subaru - the SUV/car compromise.

 

[Chet]

A Land Rover? Never buy a British car. Or American, for that matter. We have not made a really great car in decades. I am enjoying my Subaru - the SUV/car compromise.

Agreed. My other cars are a '98 Subaru Outback Sport and a '70 Ford F-250 Custom pick-up. The Subaru has horrible front seats - not comfy for long drives - and the pick up is a Sunday driver.

 

[Bucky alum]

I have probably got you all beat from travel this year as I work for an airline. I've been to Zurich, houston, New Orleans, Hawaill (for a wedding) and Milan for a weekend, not to mention the few times i've flown home to say hi to the folks. I am planning a trip in two weeks for a long weekend in Amsterdam and a trip to Paris in December.

However, I have a question. How many weeks of vacation do you have and how many days off for holidays etc.

I get 1 week until I have been here for 5 years, Then 2 weeks. I can buy a second week, they deduct 2% of my paycheck over the year so you barely notice. I also get Christmas Day, New Years, labor day, memorial day, and Thanksgiving and two more that i cant think off of. What about you?

 

[Chet]

We get 2 weeks before 5 years, then an additional week. We also get one floating (personal) holiday in addition to the holiday schedule.

Management level folks usually negotiate better vacation schedules (usually in the form of schedule + X days per year)

 

[Chet]

Oh, we also get 1/2 day for Good Friday, but its called "SPRING HOLIDAY" so we don't get sued by the ACLU.

We get the day after Thanksgiving and New Years Eve too!

 

[Tranplanner]

After one year, we get three weeks vacation. I can't remember when it goes up to four weeks - probably after 10 years or something.

We get New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Simcoe Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day (if it falls on a weekday), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day off. We also get two personal float days.

I used up my vacation this year with the wedding and honeymoon. Next year we're hoping to go to England, and I'd also like to get back into doing some road trips, which I haven't been able to do for a couple of years now.

 

[Bucky alum]

Ah, I have to basically use my vacation days to get off on christmas eve and the day after thanksgiving for all of that. Geez those benefits sound really nice and i work in management.

The hardest part about working for an airline is the cheap flights are only useful when noone else is flying. i end up by tickets for thanksgiving and christmas like everyone else.

I have not had a full week of vacation off since I started working for the airlines in the last 3 years...

 

[Cardinal]

Contractual management (i.e. city manager, police chief and me) negotiate their vacation. I started with three weeks and after six years I have... three weeks. I'll need to work on that one.

We get the usual holidays: New Years Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas and the day before or after.

Management also get flex time. Although I usually work far more than 40 hours a week, I will often use "flex time" to add a travel day to vacations.

 

[Chet]

Our flex time for salaried / management is not official, and can change with the graces of the administration. We aren't suppossed to use it for more than 4 hours at a crack, and don't keep a "bank" of time.

 

[Bucky alum]

My flex time is dissapear when the boss does or I can convince her that i need to catch the 3:00 flight to Milwaukee instead of 6:00. I wish I could bank it. For about 3 weeks in August-Sep I was putting in over 90 hours a week on the budget.

 

[nerudite]

My favorite benefits package was with the City of Vancouver, WA. Four days paid vacation every year, two weeks sick leave, and 10 or so paid holidays. We also had a banked time type of system. Of the four weeks vacation, you had the option of cashing two weeks every year. Sometimes when funds were low, I'd cash in a week or two in order to finance the other two... pretty sweet deal.

My current system is similar to Tranplanner's, except we get the paid holidays, even if they fall on a weekend.

We also work a flex schedule. 40 hours one week, 32 hours the next week... every other Friday off with a mandatory RDO (Regular Day Off). Edmonton is ever better... they only work about 7 hours a day with every other Friday off.

 

[Cardinal]

Yeah, we don't bank it or track it. But given the hours I work, I'm going to use it.