Length: 11 days
Cities: 6 (Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Billings, Missoula, Spokane)
Sights: 4 (Badlands NP, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Ewan Garden of One Thousand Buddhas)
Though traveling with a means to an end, this trip across the northern part of the United States via I-90 was fabulous. Starting in my hometown, Rochester, NY, I made it to Centralia, WA in 11 days. Here’s the skinny:
In Cleveland, the highlight was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Driving and parking were relatively easy. Airbnbs were plentiful. Two of my favorite places to eat were Cleveland Vegan and Townhall, the latter being in a very trendy area that I can’t wait to explore more of one day. Just outside of downtown, there are plenty of similar young, fun neighborhoods with lots to eat, drink, and peruse.
Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 
The Exterior for “A Christmas Story” the move 
Cleveland Art Museum
Chicago was unsurprisingly expensive and the streets annoyingly congested. I felt like I was back in New York City. Hotels cost the same amount as airbnb’s so I chose a nice one in the heart of downtown that had a gym and just swallowed the expense to park my car in a garage while I walked or used Lyft to get around. In all fairness, Chicago has a ton to offer. Millennium Park was just plain fun. And the art museum is to die for– one full day from open to close is barely enough! I would return to Chicago just to spend a few more hours there. Also, to my delight, Hamilton was playing around the corner from my hotel. Instead of getting an early start on Minneapolis, I delayed my travels by a few hours and I was not disappointed. That’s a prime example of the advantage of being in a big city.
Art Institute of Chicago 
Who doesn’t love Monet?? 
The bean @ Millennium Park 
Millennium Park
Minneapolis was bittersweet. As with all big cities, Minneapolis has its share of poor and run down neighborhoods. I had the privilege to drive around and also catch the beauty of Minneapolis, one of my favorites being the Minnehaha Park and falls. Of course, I walked through the Mall of America just to see what that was all about, and hot damn, that’s a big mall. The Minneapolis Institute of Art also did not disappoint– great selection of artwork and well organized. Trio Plant-based and fig + farro are great spots for a vegan bite and a good drink.
Minnehaha Falls 
Minnehaha Falls 
Rollercoaster in Mall of America 
The entrance to Minneapolis Institute of Art
Badlands National Park is hands down one of the coolest parks I’ve been to. It doesn’t surpass Zion, but it’s close. The views are vast and expansive. The wildlife is plentiful. And the sunsets are just so breathtaking. And it was easy to get a campsite in the off-season. A truly once in a lifetime experience. Expect a bit of driving.
There was construction at Mount Rushmore, but that did not stop me from having a good time. It was just so cool to see this famous location in person. My favorite part, though, was driving around through the hills of the nearby state park where you could catch glimpses of Mount Rushmore through tunnels and at various heights. I hadn’t done a ton of research before going, so this was a genuine surprise. Of note, there are other national monuments in that nearby Custer State Park, but there is a separate $20 entrance fee, so, if you plan to visit, I recommend taking a few days to camp and cover the entire area. Also, Wind Cave National Park is near Mount Rushmore and the Badlands but I decided not to go because the caves were closed for construction during the off-season, which would defeat the purpose of the visit.
Last on the list before reaching Montana was Devil’s Tower. Its monumental stature can be noted from miles away driving toward it on the freeway. Being next to it in person is amazing. Like. Wtf. What is it doing there, this tower? Why aren’t there more of them? Tell me all of the history! More amazing was watching people scale the sides of it attempting to make it to the top and back before sundown. Some people get stuck, unable to figure out the next hand or foot-hold. #goals.
Montana is a huge freaking state, which is why I stopped in two cities while driving through it. The first was Billings. Though there isn’t much to that city, it’s not small. Everything that you need and more can be found in Billings. I chose to spend an extra day there to get some much-needed R&R after all the camping and driving I had done thus far. Part of that involved going to the Pictograph State Park, which was lovely, and I got lots of pictures of supposedly original cave art.
The artwork above is all along the back wall pictured here.
My next Montana stop was in Missoula. What a gem! I had no idea I’d fall in love with this town. Though not huge, it’s young and fun and has a lot going for it. The nerd that I am, my favorite part was the gym. At Peak Health & Wellness, I truly felt the spa experience. A variety of equipment, several workout spaces, a fully equipped, high-end locker room, and a sauna. I could have stayed in there all day. And everyone in Missoula was so kind. I enjoyed a glass of wine and small bites at the downtown wine bar Plonk Missoula and the next morning did some computer work while enjoying a cup of joe at Break Coffee. Parking was easy; the Missoula Art Museum is small but impactful. I just really liked it there.
Finally, the trek into Washington State. The drive between Montana and Washington is just beautiful. So vast. So green. Definitely enjoyable and went by quickly. On the way, just outside of Missoula, I stopped at the Ewan Garden of One Thousand Buddhas. What a sight to see! Spokane, for me, was similar to Minneapolis. I found an area downtown with the most amazing plant-based food and pastries almost of all time (Boots Bakery & Lounge— I definitely backslid on my sweets here), but I also found it to be a little rundown in certain areas. I had no expectation, but maybe I need to go back and spend more time there and really take in what it has to offer.
Of note, I would have stopped in both Yellowstone and Glacier National Park during my road trip and extended it by five or so days, but I got snowed out of both of them. Several weather reports said that there was difficulty seeing more than a few yards ahead while driving and the main attraction in Glacier, the Going-to-the-Sun road, was closed. So I skipped this time with hope that the future will offer another chance.