Badlands/Mt. Rushmore

Thinking about short spring trip starting there by air, renting car to explore region, and then stopping in Chicago for a few days on the way home. How many days in Badlands and any place to stay there that you suggest. Any places to see by car between Badlands and Chicago? Thanks for any suggestions. After a million driving trips through Europe, wife and I decided to see a little more of US.

Worth a detour from I-90 to drive along the Mississippi on Highway 61 for a bit.
Madison, WI, has some good restaurants. Stretch your legs by walking alongside one of the lakes.

A day at most in the Badlands. Plan to spend more time in the Black Hills. Much more to see and do.

Agree about one day in the Badlands. Take a guided tour. And, as Michael noted, there is more to the Black Hills than Mount Rushmore.

You will be taking I-90 east. Unless you are totally into kitsch, you can avoid the lure of the billboards to visit Wall Drug and the Mitchell Corn Palace, both in South Dakota. Crossing into Minnesota, Blue Mounds State Park, north of Luverne, is an interesting visit (www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/blue_mounds/index.html).

Flying in the face of what I just wrote about kitsch, a visit to the SPAM museum in Austin, Minnesota, is worth the stop (www.spam.com/spam-101/the-spam-museum). Heading east from Austin (after visiting the SPAM museum), take Minnesota Highway 16 east (exit 193) to Spring Valley. There is a fun little winery there called Four Daughters (www.fourdaughtersvineyard.com). The product is okay, and the people are wonderful. Continue east on 16 until you reach Preston, then head south on US 52. 52 will lead you to Harmony, which is an Amish settlement. You can take a tour from a guide (www.amish-tours.com) who will ride along with you in your car and bring you to various Amish points of significance. Continue on 52 south of Harmony, and then take Minnesota Highway 44 to Spring Grove, and stop at Spring Grove Soda, an artisinal soda producer (www.springgrovesoda.com). Continue east on 44 to La Crescent (stopping to buy apples, if you are there during late summer/autumn), and catch US 61.

Take 61 south for a little bit until you reach Wisconsin Highway 35. Take that south along the river (gorgeous views) to Prairie du Chien. Take US 18 across the river and then US 52 south to Guttenberg (lovely river town). Continue on 52 to Dubuque. Take US 20 back across the river to Galena, Illinois, known for its beauty and its bed and breakfasts. Then you can take 20 east to Rockford, catch I-90 again, and continue to Chicago.