I am going on several road trips this summer. This has been a dream of mine for years! I'm so excited to be taking this journey and sharing it with others. My first road trip will be taking Highway 281 from the Texas/Mexico border (Brownsville, TX) to the North Dakota/Canada border (International Peace Garden).
U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles[2] (3,013 km) long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route.
I live within a stones-throw distance from Hwy 281, and in looking at the map, I found that it goes through the heartland or the Great Plains of America.
"From the airplane, the Great Plains look like a repeated pattern of rectangular fields and arrow-straight highways, prompting urban Americans to dub it 'fly-over country.' This predominantly rural and agricultural region which stretches clear across the center of the country, embodies the all-American ideals of independence and hard-working self-sufficiency." Eyewitness Travel - USA
When I lived in Colorado and California, I crossed this region several times by car traveling to Wisconsin. However on those trips I was limited on time (using vacation time) so I made few stops at the sites of the region. So I was excited to see what the region has to offer. I am using four travel books that I have accumulated over the years to plan my trip. Eyewitness Travel - USA; America's Historic Places; Off the Beaten Path; and of course Rand McNally Road Atlas. I don't want to miss a thing!
I am finding out that there is a lot to see along Hwy 281. I plan to stop every 100 miles and take photos to share on this blog and see some of the sites within 30 miles of the highway. Tentative plans are to leave Memorial Day and arrive in North Dakota about 7-8 days later. I will then go to my mother's in Wisconsin.
On June 7th, I will start my second road trip. My mom and two of my sisters and I will travel to Rapid City, South Dakota to see nephew, Tim and his family and tour the sites there. After we get back to Wisconsin (June 12), I will spend two weeks visiting family and friends there.
June 27th I will pick up my hubby, Paul, at MSP airport (Minneapolis/St Paul) airport and travel to spend the weekend with a sister in Wisconsin Rapids. June 30th will start my third road trip of the summer! We will travel to Upper Peninsula Michigan; western coast of lower Michigan to Muskegon (visit Texas friends); through Ohio to Niagara Falls, New York; Massachusetts (visit Paul's brother); New Hampshire (visit Texas friends); New York City (visit Paul's other brother); Pennsylvania; West Virginia and the homeward bound through Kentucky, Tennessee and ??? I have not figured out our route home yet!
I have found it quite interesting doing research for this first road trip. In looking at the map of South Dakota, I found "Prayer Rock" on the map near Ipswich. When I Googled it, I found another person's blog about their travels through the area. They referred to a Yellowstone Trail, which I was unaware. Thank goodness for Google, I discovered the Yellowstone trail that went from Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts to Puget Sound, Washington, going through my home state of Wisconsin. So I got side-tracked and read about the Yellowstone Trail for about an hour!
On my trip along Hwy 281, I will cross over other famous trails - Pony Express Route, Santa Fe Trail, and Oregon Trail. Just like travelers today, the people going on these trails had another destination in mind and though they trudged, rather than fly-over the Plains, they did not stop.
Did I say I'm excited about this trip? :) Here it is 4 am and I'm writing instead of sleeping. Join me as I write about my road trips. I will try to have visual and written descriptions of the sites that I visit on a daily basis....main reason for getting this laptop computer. With Google at my fingertips, I can expand my knowledge base, as well as yours. Any suggestions on must-see sites, leave a comment.
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