Midwestern U.S. Drive-through Bucket List.

[Gheld]

I'm calling out to all my friendly U.S. Neighbors out there.

At the end of June a friend and I (a female friend, but it's platonic) are going on a road trip to Colorado from Canada and we will be passing through the U.S. Midwest to get there. (North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska to be specific). Most of our sight-seeing and what-not is planned for Colorado, but I figured it would be fun to compile a bucket-list for driving through the Midwest.

So I am appealing to my U.S. counterparts to help me come up with a bucket list that defines the experience of being a tourist driving through the U.S. Midwest.

All suggestions must be:
A. 100% Legal (no criminal or misdemeanor behavior.)
B. Relatively safe.
C. Keep us relatively close to our planned route. (We'll be close to the Minnesota border through the Dakotas, along the south of South Dakota and then through the heart of Nebraska. )
D. Be considered relatively innocuous behavior to local peoples.
E. The more stereotypical and photogenic the suggestion the better!
-------List so far-----
-See Mt. Rushmore
-Mitchell, SD, Corn Palace - Thanks DrGelk

[Ghostie]

Once you leave the Colorado mountains its possibly the most boring drive you could imagine, esp. Nebraska, all cornfields and highway - it's like the Twilight Zone of unending boredom. The Black Hills in South Dakota is about the only thing you might want to take a side trip to visit, Mt. Rushmore is about as stereotypical tourist as you can get.

Who tours the midwest? and lol on 'relatively innocuous behavior to the local peoples' what does that even mean? 'Relatively safe'? It's a drive through the midwest - watch out for those dangerous cows.....

[Gheld]

Once you leave the Colorado mountains its possibly the most boring drive you could imagine, esp. Nebraska, all cornfields and highway - it's like the Twilight Zone of unending boredom. The Black Hills in South Dakota is about the only thing you might want to take a side trip to visit, Mt. Rushmore is about as stereotypical tourist as you can get.

Who tours the midwest? and lol on 'relatively innocuous behavior to the local peoples' what does that even mean? 'Relatively safe'? It's a drive through the midwest - watch out for those dangerous cows.....

Well I imagine this forum is mostly populated by teenagers and early 20 somethings, who have a knack for weaving the most mundane of situations into something illegal, dangerous, and generally offensive, hence the guidelines. :P

EDIT: Also, I'm more concerned with Stereotypical than fun. The Destination is Colorado, but I know the drive through the Midwest isn't going to be exciting, so I figured it would make it more interesting to do stereotypical Midwestern US stuff on the way through.

[Ghostie]

If you were going thru Northern MN, the Boundary Waters bordering Canada is a gorgeous drive, may want to consider a detour if it doesn't take you too far out of the way.

[DrGelk]

Mitchell, SD has the Corn Palace. They do a different mural in corn every year, but it's a permanent structure built to the glory of corn.

The Boundary Waters is a beautiful place, and if you want to go canoeing and camping this is the place to do it. You can hear loons all over the place (not crazy people, the state bird).

[Togarox]

Omaha, Nebraska has a pretty nice zoo imo.

[llDemonll]

Yellowstone

Mt. Rainier or Mt. St. Helens

[Innej]

I'd say come to MN but honestly, the southern part of the state is pretty boring (ETA - misread, thought you were skirting along the southern part of the state, not the western side, but that side is still kinda boring, haha). There's some pretty cool stuff to see in the Twin Cities and up north though if you want to head farther north. Though I'm not excited by it, there's always the Mall of America. I used to work at it and my parents live like 15 min away, so I don't find it that exciting but some people do. Don't get me wrong, there are some pretty cool things there, but at the end of the day, it's a mall. The MN Zoo is pretty cool, I actually went to school there ;-)

If you want to go way north I'd definitely check out Duluth and Ely. Awesome places. Lake Superior is so pretty. There are tons of cool things to do in/near Duluth - Glensheen Mansion, Betty's Pies (they're famous!), Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, and TONS of nice trails and outdoorsy stuff. Ely is just gorgeous. Lots of state/national park areas so it's cool to see the somewhat "untouched" wilderness. If you feel like camping, Bear Head Lake State Park is awesome.

[Dragore]

Id say re route your trip go through montana - wyoming - colorado much better landscape then just plain open fields of borfest. OR which i highly recommend drive through Washington (stop in seattle) - Oregon (stop in Portland) - California (best state in the country, San Francisco, Monterey, making your way down south to eventually San Diego) - up to Nevada (VEGAS!) into Utah - Colorado. Thats what id do little bit longer (:P) but would totally be worth it.