Day four – the cats seem less terrified and more on the verge of mutiny. We’ll have to watch that. The day started with cool weather and good bagels and coffee, and ended in heat. In between we passed through some of the most lonely, stark landscape imaginable.
Highlights:
- Great bagel and coffee from Einstein Bagels and Caribou Coffee. Nice to relax before the trip.
- Drove past Sturgis on I-90 and commented on all of the biker stuff. Glad we missed the big rally earlier this month.
- Left the interstate and drove across the rolling prairies on Highway 212, a two-lane highway that got us up close and personal with the Great Plains.
- Marveled at the stark beauty and isolation of the landscape. Thought about Laura’s parents, especially her mom, who grew up in landscape just like this.
- Hated that the smoke from Canadian forest fires has floated down this way, obscuring the otherwise limitless views.
- Eventually rejoined I-90 for the remainder of the trip, having driven over 200 miles on smaller roads.
- Played musical cars with drivers as different ones of us got tired.
- Drove pretty much straight from Rapid City to Bozeman.
States crossed:
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
- Montana
Mileage – 458.6
Hello. We are looking to make this drive first week of October. Can you tell me little more about that drive from Rapid City to Bozeman via Highway 212 back onto I-90 etc? Are there many mountain grades along the way or is it a pretty easy drive? I think there is one mountain grade just before Bozeman, is that right? How bad? Appreciate any insight on this stretch. Thanks!
John, I don’t remember there being many mountain grades along that stretch, at least, not very steep ones. I do remember that it was very remote.