State Highway 20 from Watertown to Buffalo, South Dakota. This is a long stretch and is a two day experience. It provides a good taste of rural farmlands in Eastern South Dakota on to the Indian Reservations and typical ranching country once you cross the Missouri River.

North Dakota State Highways 6 south out of Mandan, 21 west to Mott, and then 8 to US 12 and on into Hettinger, will take you through the country that the Custer Expedition of 1874 travelled through on the way to the Black Hills.

This route meanders through the Sand Hills and provides an interesting look at the Western region of Nebraska, You find at least two intersing communities: Arthur, the smallest County Seat in the country, and tiny Whiteclay which sells over 4 mllion cans of beer a year. (Why? Look up Whiteclay in our “Tiny Towns site.)

Highway 35 from Genoa, Wisconsin to Desoto, left on Hwy 82, right on Hwy 27, right on Hwy 171, and then right on Hwy 35, back to Genoa will give travelers a good view of both the Mississippi River and the Driftless Area. Lots of turns and multiple roads and highways, but a very rewarding drive is the result.

Take highway 250 north out of Lanesboro, MN; turn right on 30, and then left on County Rd. 29. Stop at the Fremont Store, if still open. You can then continue north to Interstate 90 or State Highway 14. Lots of open road driving and lovely farmland.

Minnesota highway 75 from Breckenridge to Morehead. This is lieusuely route along the Minnesota side of the fertile Red River Valley.

US 281 extends from the Canadian Border to Texas. It’s traffic has been reduced by the Interstate Highway system. A good “lonely” strech is from Pickstown, South Dakota to Grand Island, Nebraska.

owa's Highway 9 across the top of the state provided a conduit for valuable agricultural goods in its early days. Its cargo hauling value has been diminished by Interstate 90 to the north; so it qualifies as one of our "lonely" choices.

Nebraska Highway 2 links Grand Island and Alliance. Not the "lonelist" of our choices with respect traffic, but does transverse some wonderful open country and connects a series of charming small towns.(Also, for you fans of famous crime scenes, this was Charlie Starkweather's route west across the state.) Pay attention to Ellsworth, the home of the historic, 500,000 acre Spade ranch, and please take a short drive north on Highway 27 to the Mari Sandoz site.

Although the very busy Chadron is right in the middle of this route, Nebraska 20 from Van Tassel, WY to Merriman, NE is sufficiently rural and liesurely to be one of our choices. Van Tassel, even though it is across the border, qualifies as one of our "Tiny Towns." It is the site of the very first American Legion Lodge. Also, the Bowring Ranch at Merriman has some unusual historical angles.

South Dakota 10 from Sisseton to Browns Valley, MN; continue on MN 28 to Glenwood. This route alows you to criss-cross the Hudson/Mississippi Continental Divide. When you throw your cold coffee out the car window, sometimes it will eventually end up in the Hudson Bay, sometimes in the Mississippi River