Other spots to break up the drive across South Dakota are the Louis and Clark exhibit in Chamberlain, and in Mitchell, the world’s only Corn Palace for creative, if not regal, murals of colored corn.

In the eerie, cacti-filled Badlands, jagged moon-like formations mystify while animal encounters make each visit new. Stop at the White River Visitor Center near the Pine Ridge Reservation for the human history of the area.

Sturgis’ Motorcycle Museum and; Hall of Fame is open daily year-round; in August the town’s population swells to half a million enthusiasts for the week-long rally held each year since 1938 (except during World War II).

Nearby Spearfish Canyon provides peace and grace away from the hubbub.

We breezed into Wyoming (speed limit 75 mph), oil rigs pumping, cattle grazing, while the crimson earth turned frosty as we crossed over the snowy Big Horn Mountains near Buffalo. At its feet, coral Ten Sleep Canyon embraced us as we tunneled through this Indian land, once said to be ten sleeps (nights) by horseback from places now disputed.

Wyoming is cow country; around the turn of the last century it was cattle vs. sheep ranchers fighting to the death for the right to graze the land. The beef at Butch’s in tiny Kirby (population: 54) still draws locals from miles around. It was a privilege to pull up a chair, kick back and down a western burger.

Just around the bend lies Thermopolis, an ancient Hot Springs town, Thermo (meaning warm) and Opolis (city), thus City of Warm Waters. Our hotel, a Best Western on the National Historic Register, built in 1918 for travelers and remodeled with lodge pole pine furnishings, had a hot springs-fed hot tub and a pool in its courtyard. After many a mile on the road, this was a welcome sight, despite the slightly eggy smell (sulpher, not benedict). It’s located right in Hot Springs State Park – you can walk to two water parks, a bar across the street, or just meander along the river that runs thru it.

Nearby, find white water rafting, Petroglyphs, and the town’s premier attraction, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. For a smallish fee you can go on an actual fossil dig, no reservations needed.

The museum features a 108 foot Supersaurus plus many other impressive fossils and beasts.

Heading south we hugged the looming walls of the Wind River Canyon, an Indian owned masterpiece, through 2.8 billion year old tunnels, now offering fishing, float and white water trips.

Finally, 1,073 miles from home, we arrived at Moran Junction in the Grand Tetons. Prying our teens from the car, we took turns snapping group photos with two motorcyclists, who, turns out, originated from Massapequa, NY, where I lived as a teen. It all comes together on the road.

Blink and the weather changes out west.  Storm clouds rolled in.  Forced to forgo a boat trip around Jackson Lake, we joined our cousins at Colter Bay cabins, rain tapping on our loggy roof.

At Yellowstone, 30 degrees brought snow and 2 bison guiding their young calves across the river near Old Faithful. Timing, it seems, is everything.

West Thumb Geyser basin on Lake Yellowstone offers an easy boardwalk loop around steamy geysers and fumaroles.

Here anglers once caught and cooked their catch all in one swoop, dipping the line into a cooking hole, until second degree burns brought an end to the fun.

If you see just one canyon out here, make it the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs’ steep boardwalk leads to an eerie terrace, patterns frozen in time. Western ground squirrels pop out of holes all around the latticed cabins here.

A ranger at Little Bighorn National Battlefield took us back to the year 1876, our nation celebrating its centennial back east, while a showdown with Indian tribes loomed out west due to government attempts to corral all Native Americans onto reservations.

Storm clouds gathered above us in the murky sky, adding a sense of urgency at the battlefields of Reno, Benteen and Custer.

A tornado touched down in Billings hours after we’d lunched at Stella's, while baseball-sized hail was reported in Sheridan, our day’s destination. Racing south, a Burlington Northern brought up our starboard while coal colored clouds massed above.

Prairie dogs pop up along the road in. Deadwood, South Dakota is a mixture of gambling casinos and authentic Old West establishments.  At Saloon No. 10 you'll still find colorful locals passing the time and a few rounds, a few tables over from where Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back holding the "Dead Man's hand": two aces, two eights, and a nine.