Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Cowboy Trail / Smith Falls
Cycling a short stretch of the Cowboy Trail from Valentine offered prairie views and a dramatic railroad bridge over the Niobrara River. Later, a stop at Smith Falls State Park brought Nebraska’s tallest waterfall, quiet trails, and a glimpse into the Krzyzanowski family’s history of preserving this landmark.
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies deep in Nebraska’s Sandhills, far from towns and paved highways. Visitors who brave the rough roads discover a landscape of quiet lakes, prairie dunes, and birdlife. It’s one of the most remote refuges in the lower 48, where solitude and sweeping skies define the experience.
Carhenge, Courthouse & Jail Rocks
From Bayard’s free camping and historic Courthouse & Jail Rocks to the oddball wonder of Carhenge and the ghostly ruins of Antioch, this stretch of western Nebraska packs history, humor, and unexpected roadside stops into one memorable drive.
Scotts Bluff & Chimney Rock
Scotts Bluff and Chimney Rock were key landmarks on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. From sheer cliffside hikes to stories of fur traders, emigrants, and frontier art, these sites bring the hardships and hopes of westward expansion into focus.
Fort Robinson & Toadstool Geologic Park
I started the day with a deep clean of the van before heading to Fort Robinson in Crawford, Nebraska. The museum and film walked me through the fort’s long history—from Crazy Horse’s death to Buffalo Soldiers, cavalry horses, and even German POWs in World War II. Later, I drove north to Toadstool Geologic Park, where a rough road and a hike on the Bison Trail led me through Nebraska’s strange badlands and geologic puzzles.
Mammoth Dig, Hot Springs SD
I spent the day in Hot Springs, SD, starting with the Mammoth Site’s incredible dig, then partially walked the Freedom Trail, tried farm-to-table ice cream and a burger at Two Cows Creamery, and drove into a stormy night on my way south.
Wind Cave National Park
From washing the van in Custer and grabbing a burrito at Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, to learning the history of Wind Cave National Park and camping in the Black Hills, this day was a mix of chores, discovery, and quiet time under the stars.
Jewel Cave
My Black Hills day began with a Jewel Cave tour, where a ranger guided us deep into the underground world of crystals, geology, and history. From there I headed to Custer State Park, caught Kevin Costner’s Spirit of Tatanka film, and went for a bike ride past deer, pronghorn, buffalo, and a plaque about South Dakota’s first poet laureate, Charles “Badger” Clark.
Crazy Horse Monument and Buffalo
A morning at the Crazy Horse Memorial offered history, art, and the powerful story of Crazy Horse and the Ziolkowski family. In the afternoon, I drove Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop, where I found myself in the middle of a massive bison herd, surrounded by cars and animals moving as they pleased across the plains.
Badlands National Park
From Cold War history at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site to the rugged beauty of Badlands National Park, my day was packed with contrasts. I wandered the chaos of Wall Drug, stood above the Delta-09 missile silo, and hiked the Badlands at golden hour. History, kitsch, and landscapes all came together in one unforgettable loop.
Chase Lake and Frontier Village
My trip to Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge didn’t go as planned—the main access road is closed until further notice due to unsafe conditions. I made it within a few hundred yards of the refuge only to find the road underwater, so no bird photos this time. Instead, I turned south to Jamestown, where Frontier Village and the World’s Largest Buffalo turned out to be a quirky mix of prairie history, roadside attractions, and a concrete beast that’s been watching over travelers for more than 60 years.
Knife River Indian Villages
Two reset days in Dickinson gave me time to regroup before heading north to Knife River Indian Villages. Walking among the mounds where Hidatsa earthlodges once stood, I could almost picture the families who lived here, farming, trading, and gathering along the rivers. The history was rich, the reconstructed lodge gave it shape, and the trails made it real. My day wrapped up with a not-so-smooth attempt to book a campsite at Lake Sakakawea.
Enchanted Highway
Driving the backroads to Regent, North Dakota, I found myself on the Enchanted Highway, a 30-mile stretch lined with massive scrap-metal sculptures dreamed up by Gary Greff. From geese soaring across a steel sunburst to a 100-foot dragon squaring off with Sir Albert the knight, each piece rises unexpectedly out of farmland. What started in the late 1980s as one man’s fight to keep his hometown alive has turned into a quirky success story that still draws thousands of visitors each year.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit)
The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park turned into a day of detours, surprises, and reflections. From road construction delays and an unexpected film about the James Webb Space Telescope, to prairie dogs stealing the show on the scenic drive, the trip was less about perfect views and more about the experience of being there—even when the loop ended with a forced turnaround.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit)
The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park surprised me with its rugged beauty, quiet roads, and some unexpected geology lessons. Driving the 14-mile scenic road brought me to wide river overlooks, bison herds, and one of my favorite features of the park—the Cannonball Concretions. These perfectly round rock formations are still partly a mystery, but standing among them felt like walking through nature’s own sculpture garden. At moments, during the golden hour, the display of colors on the sides of the mountains was spectacularly breathtaking.
International Peace Garden
From foggy Dion Lake to the sweeping symmetry of the International Peace Garden, the day unfolded as a journey across landscapes and ideas. I walked the length of the Formal Garden, lingered at the Promise of Peace sculpture, stood before steel from 9/11, and paused inside the Peace Chapel as a butterfly landed on Viktor Frankl’s words. Every detail—whether the floral flags of two nations or the water flowing along the border—was a reminder that peace, like the garden itself, must be tended constantly.
Pembina Gorge,ND
Rain followed me north from Fargo into the Pembina Gorge. Along the way I found a cathedral rising out of the prairie in Warsaw, the historic Gingras Trading Post on a dirt road outside Walhalla, and the vintage Walla Theater. My hike never happened, but between foggy overlooks, quiet river valleys, and a stranger in a red truck, the day unfolded into its own story.
Drive To Alexandria, MN
A day that was supposed to be filled with hiking and small-town stops along the Otter Trail Scenic Byway turned into a rain-soaked journey of quiet lakes, odd encounters, and booming thunderstorms. From the peaceful headwaters of the Mississippi to a suspicious stare-down at a country church, the road south to Alexandria was anything but ordinary.
Northwest Angle to the Headwaters of the Mississippi
From the quiet sunrise over a mist-covered lake to the winding roads lined with sunflowers, the journey south from the Northwest Angle to Itasca State Park blended small-town charm with sweeping rural scenery. Stops included a visit to the northernmost post office in the lower 48, the quirky border check-in at Jim’s Corner, and photo-worthy relics of farmsteads past. At Itasca, Minnesota’s oldest state park, the 20-mile bike loop revealed a mix of towering pines, shimmering lakes, marshes alive with dragonflies, and rolling hardwood forests. The day ended at the headwaters of the Mississippi, where a modest stream slips quietly from Lake Itasca, beginning its long journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
Visit Angle Inlet
Reaching Angle Inlet—the only spot in the contiguous U.S. you have to enter through Canada to visit—meant a long day of driving, a Canadian border inspection, and a dirt-road finale. I stayed at Prothero’s Post Resort on the shores of Lake of the Woods, where a sudden storm gave way to golden evening light. Between helping drenched fishermen dock their boat and swapping political views with another guest, I experienced the quirky charm and rugged beauty of this remote outpost at the far edge of the map.