I think I would take this route:

What roads are interesting? What sights to see?

2 is North Cascade National park...worth visiting?
3 is Glacier Park with Road to the Sun
4 is Painted Rock Park in MI
5 is overnight stay visiting some family
6 is home

Really need some help filling out the long gaps between 2 and 4....ideas?

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Spend some time in the UP of MI. Pictured rocks lakeshore, Tahquamenon Falls, I really like camping in Copper Harbor. Bayfield WI is super cool town.

Also, if you like to bike, take the ferry over and ride around Mackinac Island.

What time of the year? It can really make a difference when traveling across MN, ND, MT, etc.

Rick Ollah is right on your path...

Drop into SD and hit Sturgis and Mt. Rushmore.

In two weeks

Side trips will be half days trips at most. Can only devote a full week to the trip and it's looking like 3400 miles.

I would love to drive back roads all the way but know that would take more time than I have. So, it will be a mix of interstate and back roads.

Michigan's UP is definitely on the list...always wanted to visit

You can take a ferry ride from either side of the bridge and visit Mackinac Island for the day. That would be a pedestrian ferry, no automobiles allowed on the island.

If you can, dip a little further south ( corner of Wy. S.D. ) and go to Rushmore and the Black Hills. Beautiful scenery and nice roads

Lexington,Kentucky area I found to be very nice. Cool roads certain areas.
Don't forget the bourbon distilleries if you like. Woodford reserve was a nice tour
if it coincides with your route.
The "Kentucky Horse Park" is very cool even if you're not into
horses. Louisville is cool also.

Lived in that area for a few years when younger and have lots of family there. Nothing new there for me

Hope you have a really cool drive.

Going to the Sun is beyond your wildest imagination.
Don't miss Mini Glacier on the east side of Glacier Park.

Wow! That's one meandering road trip. It looks like you're planning on the north cascades route thru washington. Spectacular!

you must drive chuckanut drive in honor of Nord while you are up in the Bellingham area.

it really is a spectacular drive with views of the Puget sound and the san juan islands, and if it's mid week drop into Anacortes and see Nate [aircooled tech guy] and his squarsche before they leave for the salt flats.

in eastern Washington check out the Bonneville dam, Spokane is a pretty cool place for a renovated downtown, good food and old motels and hotels that are renovated.

Beartooth Pass out of Red Lodge Montana- 'nuff said...

2nd on Beartooth Pass....spectacular.

You go right through Duluth MN. on that route. I actually drove most of that route a month ago.

You should book a room on Canal Park by the aerial lift bridge. There are several hotels there. Maybe stay at our house if you want.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Revi..._Minnesota.html

I'll pm you my cell phone.

We could drive up the scenic shore of lake superior on the MN side about 1/2 hour and have a great lunch or dinner. If you have the time there are a interesting places to tour.

Remember, RRC, I'll be gone from Sept 8, to the 16th.

A week is not a long time for that trip. I just did 4800 miles in like 5 days and had no time to do anything but drive.

If I were in Indy I would go to the Indy 500 Museum and see the turbine car collection that is on display through Feb 2015, according to Vintage Car Magazine. The STP cars and the others were some of my favorites from the days when INDY cars were actually interesting.

Your northern route looks great. I hope to do the same in the future, so I am reading the recommendations with interest. Good luck and enjoy it.

Going to see Mt Rushmore would be better than just driving straight across ND.
As long as you're in northern MN you could go to the headwaters of the Mississippi and actaully step across the river. Bemidji is nice. There's a giant statue of Paul Bunyan and of Babe the Blue Ox next to the lake.

If you never saw the track in person, take the tour.

And the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Museum is right off of I69, 2.5 hours before you get to Indy.

ACD Museum

that should be a fun drive! especially considering what you will be driving

That stretch across ND is pretty boring but northern MN, Wisc, and MI are beautiful in the fall. Definitely stop in Duluth, see rick and drive the North shore of the lake there. Also Macinak Island is a good idea too. I think you are a bit early for the leaf color change but wont be too cold either. If i had more leave time i would volunteer to "copilot" with you !.

Have a safe trip, see you at Octeenerfest, you can fill us all in on the trip then!

Phil

I think he meant the Grand Coulee Dam in eastern wa.

Bonneville dam is closer to pdx between wa. and or.

it pretty impressive.

r

I'd take the western shore of Mich lower pun. to see harbor springs, petrosky, Sleeping Bear sand dunes. they're all in the northern part

x3 for Beartooth Pass.

Going to the Sun Road thru Glacier NP is a must see....be sure to get PIE at the Park Cafe in St. Mary, MT on the other side. Then, head southeast towards Red Lodge, MT, go over Beartooth Pass and down into Cody, WY. Cross over the Bighorn Mountains and into Sheridan, WY then on to the Black Hills and Sturgis. You can head notheast after that to get you to your stop in MI. You will have gotten some excellent driving and scenery instead of a long, monotonous drive across eastern Montana and North Dakota.

Top of Beartooth Pass

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On the way down Beartooth towards Cody

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Yes, you must see Beartooth pass and Going to the sun!! Pictures don't do these places justice.

What? You don't like my pictures? How about this one from an off-road campsite on the way to Cody.

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Seriously, you will remember this stretch of road forever. Hwy 212 is the Beartooth, on the other side, WY296 is the Chief Joseph Hwy...an absolute blast in a 914. If you're not driving a 914 you'll constantly be saying, "I wish I had my 914."

You'll be gone during my trip through...otherwise I would take you up on that!

I'm allowing 8 or 9 days...I'm trying to visit the absolute "must see's" I agree that even with 9 days I'm still looking at averaging 350-400 miles/day

SOT, but I won't have my car for RRC- I'll be on the bike with a week to burn after we're done. I'm heading north, hopefully up to Glacier as I've never been and doing Beartooth also before heading to the BoZone to see friends and Jellystone on my way home. The East is beautiful and green- the west takes your breath away... in spots.

yea that's what I meant!

The tunnel of tree's along M-119 from Cross Village then on to Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Bay View, Charlevoix & on to Traverse City Sleeping Bear Dunes along US-131. That's the route in reverse from Traverse City PCA's Parade in 2013.
The problem it will slow you down with this route.
Tom