Sightseeing on a working road trip?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I shared this with her over lunch. She laughed but not taking you up on it.

Maybe next time😉

Well then, tell her that I think that is highly inconsiderate of her, because I think that you deserved a holiday too, but if she won't compromise, then I guess you will have to stay here and feed my cows, while I go with them on the road trip holiday.

[bobofthenorth]

Rushmore is impressive and its kind of a must see but for my money Crazy Horse is even more impressive. Same area, just a little further west. We've seen them both in the winter so I wouldn't stress about that. The bonus is you won't have to deal with crowds.

[15444]

Got your travel insurance topped up and knowledge of DOT regs (I assume your pulling a trailer with you)? Those would be the only things I would worry about. MN and WI love their DOT.

[Guest]

We’re leaving Edmonton on Friday and ending up in Wisconsin to bring home a forage wagon and check out some corn planters as well. Probably going through Montana, the Dakotas, and Minnesota as well on the way down. Then through Manitoba and Saskatchewan on home. I got Mt Rushmore on the list to see but not much else so far. Any cool things to see along the way would be greatly appreciated. The crew cab will be full with the Mrs and both kids😉

I’ve only driven to Billings MT and Yorkton before so this will be quite an adventure. Should be over 5500 km total. Only decided yesterday to do this......... we’ve always been last minute travellers.

TIA

If you're taking I90 from Billings through to Mt Rushmore you'll be going near Devil's Tower in north east Wyoming just east of Gillette. Quite interesting place was featured in movie Close Encounters

[dfarms11]

Mount Rushmore,
Devils tower,
Badlands in the Dakota's,
All good. Just have to drive past to enjoy if no time to stop.
You will most definitely want to stop in Albertville MN. Unbelievable outlet mall there. Plan to stop there for a few hours of shopping.

[sumdumguy]

How are you doing Woodland? We picked up a fertilizer spreader last fall in Indiana and I just thought of a couple of things we enjoyed having - a magnetic rotating amber beacon lamp and a camera mounted on the back so you could see if traffic was piling up behind you, then you could pull over and let them go. They are cheap down there in any automotive store.

[woodland]

Well then, tell her that I think that is highly inconsiderate of her, because I think that you deserved a holiday too, but if she won't compromise, then I guess you will have to stay here and feed my cows, while I go with them on the road trip holiday.

So would this be considered a “wife swap”?🤔

The kids have both had colds for most of the trip but seem better now. Just got into Portage La Prairie and it’s nice that home is within 1,300 km now. Drove that far already with the wagon on and a head or crosswind the whole way and mileage is brutal.

Truck and trailer turned white on the way down from going through MN with some ice on the interstate and they put straight rock salt out....... no mixing it with sand like up here.

[woodland]

Rushmore is impressive and its kind of a must see but for my money Crazy Horse is even more impressive. Same area, just a little further west. We've seen them both in the winter so I wouldn't stress about that. The bonus is you won't have to deal with crowds.

Crazy Horse is very cool. Thanks for the tip since I never heard of it before. Had the whole museum to ourselves. Rushmore we parked on the road and looked since nobody was around and we had to get to Wall Drug where there was only half a dozen locals having lunch. They said on a busy summer day they’ll get 20,000 people passing through..... I despise crowds even more than cold and snow so off season is fine with me 👍

[woodland]

Got your travel insurance topped up and knowledge of DOT regs (I assume your pulling a trailer with you)? Those would be the only things I would worry about. MN and WI love their DOT.

Only ran across two scales while I was empty and in SD the DOT said for personal or farm I was exempt and in MN I rolled across the scale and they had me stop for five minutes and then they let me go without talking to me even.

Crossed the border at Pembina and apparently importer numbers expire. CRA cancelled ours after 13 years even though we use it every couple years. Good thing it was during business hours so a phone call got it put back in place.

[woodland]

If you're taking I90 from Billings through to Mt Rushmore you'll be going near Devil's Tower in north east Wyoming just east of Gillette. Quite interesting place was featured in movie Close Encounters

Very cool to see and never heard of it before. Thanks for the tip. Have to watch the movie when we get back home too. Had to really move to get there before dark after my wife got us on an “other highway “ in eastern Montana which was 90 miles of frost broken pavement with gravel sections that were fairly smooth. Only passed five vehicles and most were guys with bale trucks out feeding cows. Not the place to have a break down.

[woodland]

How are you doing Woodland? We picked up a fertilizer spreader last fall in Indiana and I just thought of a couple of things we enjoyed having - a magnetic rotating amber beacon lamp and a camera mounted on the back so you could see if traffic was piling up behind you, then you could pull over and let them go. They are cheap down there in any automotive store.

I’m lucky that I’m just as wide as the trailer and the mirrors slide out so visibility is great.

Now as for a corn planter if we find one and drag it home later that could definitely come in handy. How wide was your spreader and what was involved with bringing that back?

[burnt]

That's a good-looking forage wagon. Must not have seen much use. But it's not hard to see why you'd notice the wind!

Will it need a good bath in the spring to get rid of the salt?

Thanks for the update - I was wondering how your trip was going. Sounds very interesting.

[shtferbrains]

How does that wagon work and what are your plans for it?

[woodland]

That's a good-looking forage wagon. Must not have seen much use. But it's not hard to see why you'd notice the wind!

Will it need a good bath in the spring to get rid of the salt?

Thanks for the update - I was wondering how your trip was going. Sounds very interesting.

Either we’ll wash it in town before going home or pull it in the shop and do it. The wagon is clean yet with the truck and trailer needing a wash.

Today went from Winnipeg to Saskatoon and got 5 mpg at 90-100 kph since the headwind was brutal. Mileage over doubled when I snuck beside a super b tanker that broke the crosswind for a ways. 😎

The kids have been great considering how long they’ve been cooped up each day. Have learned to ask each hotel if the pool/ slide is working as we booked one and they “forgot “ to mention it when my wife booked it. There was some sad faces that night.

[15444]

Only ran across two scales while I was empty and in SD the DOT said for personal or farm I was exempt and in MN I rolled across the scale and they had me stop for five minutes and then they let me go without talking to me even.

Crossed the border at Pembina and apparently importer numbers expire. CRA cancelled ours after 13 years even though we use it every couple years. Good thing it was during business hours so a phone call got it put back in place.

Sorry about that, forgot to mention about the importer number. Ticked me off when I had to replace mine at the border. Such a stupid policy to expire after a few years.

You really hit jackpot with DOT. Rule of thumb for the Yankees is the further east you go, the worse they get.