Moon River 2025: Planning our Midwest Trip

Twelves states are included in the United States’ “Midwest” and we will be traveling through seven of them this summer. In 2022 we kicked off “Moon River” by traveling from North Carolina to Maine, then in 2023 we traveled to Utah, Oregon and California. This year we are taking a short trip up the middle of the country, where we will stay a month in South Dakota (SD), and a month in Michigan (MI).

Why the Midwest?

Since our first two trips took us east and then west, we figured, let’s go north and hit states we’ve never visited. I must admit I’ve never had a strong desire to visit this area, but there are good things to see all across this great nation. And now, after all the research I’ve conducted, I’m very excited to go!

Getting Started

Once we determine the general area, I begin to look for major attractions that appeal to us. These may include:

• National parks
• Historic sites like battlefields, old towns and cities, and other places where historic events occurred
• Outdoor opportunities like camping and hiking
• Natural wonders like the Redwoods, Tetons, Grand Canyon, etc.

For this trip, we only have a couple of months to travel, so we decided that we were most interested in seeing Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes. As I took a closer look, I discovered there is much more to see than I realized, so I began to make a list.

Two Microsoft Word documents contain my notes and plans. One is a calendar that I use to keep my dates straight and to schedule stays and activities. I make a few notes on each day so I have a quick overview of what’s coming up. The other is what I call my planning document. It goes into detail about our stays and activities. Addresses, confirmation numbers, links to reservations, costs, etc. all go on this document.

I use Google maps to create and save a personal map. As I find places of interest, I add them to the map by assigning unique icons and colors. I can also add URLs or notes to the description of each location. This gives me a great overview, helps determine distance between points, and also allows me to zoom in on areas that have the most results. Unfortunately, you can not use it for driving directions. Major fail in my opinion.

Finding Accommodations

As the map reveals areas with the most important activities, I begin looking for a place to stay in that area. Then I go to Airbnb and see if we can afford to rent an entire unit for one month. Thirty-day stays has two big benefits, first it allows us four weekends to see as much as we can (Dale works on weekdays) and second, most of the time you get a great discount when you book for 30+ days. For example, our first stay we saved almost $1000.

Tip: Look for accommodations that have great cancellation policies. Many Airbnb rentals give you three days, but some allow you to cancel just a week or two out from your arrival.

Once I’ve made living arrangements, I can begin planning activities.

Planning Activities

I use Google search for all aspects of trip planning. I also use the National Parks website and app, state park websites, tourism sites (I request maps and brochures to be mailed to me and sign up for their emails), and occasionally travel review sites like Tripadvisor. I use Alltrails to find hiking trails. I use Google maps to find disc golf courses, coffee shops, grocery stores and churches. I check Shaka Guide and Voicemap for GPS-guided audio tours. I currently have two full-day tours for SD that we can’t wait to enjoy.

I also check for special events in the area. For example we are attending the Black Hills 106th Pro Rodeo, Mount Rushmore’s evening lighting ceremony, and possibly a theater performance of “Murder on the Orient Express” performed by college kids in Custer State Park.

We also take our camping gear so we can camp out. We will be camping for at least four nights in three different campgrounds on this trip.

Planning Routes

The biggest ball of string does not intrigue us. Neither does the Corn Palace. However, we will pull over for majestic scenic views and Chick-fil-A. We usually try to drive as quickly and enjoyably as we can to each destination because Dale has to be ready for work by Monday morning. This means Dale often finishes work on Friday in one state and starts work Monday several states away. However, on this trip we are taking a full seven days to drive from SD to MI along the upper peninsula. We will be tent camping, hiking, visiting lighthouses and historic sites, museums and Mackinac Island. We will even spend the night in Canada!

I use Google maps to plan our entire route. The tool itself is fairly easy to use, but it’s a challenge to figure in how much time we will need for our planned activities. I don’t worry about it too much though. I just want to be sure we make it to our reserved accommodations for the night.

Tip: Google maps defaults to the quickest route, but this may not be the most enjoyable or scenic route. You can drag your route to adjust this. Watch 16-second video to see this.

Other Tools

My iPhone calendar keeps the most important information at my fingertips. For example if we are staying at a hotel for the night, in addition to the check in/out times and address, I make notes like “includes breakfast, already paid for, or details in Marriott app”.

Microsoft To-Do is also handy for my lists. Right now I have a packing list, a few reminders, and a camping list.

Conclusion

Quite a bit of work goes into my method of trip planning. It can be a bit overwhelming, but I enjoy taking my time and getting excited about all the options. Sometimes I suffer some “burn out” so I step away from it for a while. I have tried a few trip planning tools but they didn’t meet my needs. Maybe I’ll revisit them in the future.

I expect that my next post about this trip will be after we hit the road, but if something interesting comes to mind before then, I’ll add it.