K
Kenny Lim
Guest
My wife and I are arriving from Zurich into Chicago early July this year and would like to experience a train journey in the US. How can we do Chicago to Rapid City (Mount Rushmore) and then Rapid City to San Francisco.
I also worked in the Canyon as a river guide in the 70's. If you end up going, make sure you visit the less touristy North Rim. Much cooler, lots of beautiful trees and you might even see a Kaibab squirrel.I do not think that Mt. Rushmore is underwhelming at all. However, I would concur with some of the advice given above about doing a road trip ( Perhaps drive one way and take the train in the other direction ) or visit the Parks mentioned that are convenient to reach by train. I used to work at Grand Canyon and if you go there, stay a couple of nights and savor it and don't rush through the place. You will find me as a volunteer some days at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument near Flagstaff. Please feel free to ask more questions.
Completely agree with this. Of course Rushmore by itself isn't "worth the trip" but the Black Hills/western SD area is a great gem and a great way to sample the beautyI agree with some of the others that Mt. Rushmore by itself is not very impressive. However, the Rapid City area and western South Dakota are worth visiting for the other attractions in the area. Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial (a much larger mountain carving still in progress), Custer State Park, and the old wild west town of Deadwood are all good places to visit near Rapid City.
I agree with you about the Black Hills/western SD area. I would only hesitate about the cost of a one-way rental. Allowing four or five days it would easily be in excess of $1000.Completely agree with this. Of course Rushmore by itself isn't "worth the trip" but the Black Hills/western SD area is a great gem and a great way to sample the beautyI agree with some of the others that Mt. Rushmore by itself is not very impressive. However, the Rapid City area and western South Dakota are worth visiting for the other attractions in the area. Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial (a much larger mountain carving still in progress), Custer State Park, and the old wild west town of Deadwood are all good places to visit near Rapid City.
and diversity of the American interior. Personally, I'd suggest flying to Chicago, doing a one-way car rental from Chicago to Denver via the Black Hills, then train to SFO. (Though if you're flying from ZRH, it's likely that taking a train through the mountains probably won't be the world's biggest novelty, but it's a nice trip nonetheless.)
Don't be so sure. I did a dummy booking for a one-way rental from O'Hare to Denver for one week in July. On Budget's website you can get a car forI agree with you about the Black Hills/western SD area. I would only hesitate about the cost of a one-way rental. Allowing four or five days it would easily be in excess of $1000.
Good point...although that $700 is probably an underpowered econobox.Don't be so sure. I did a dummy booking for a one-way rental from O'Hare to Denver for one week in July. On Budget's website you can get a car forI agree with you about the Black Hills/western SD area. I would only hesitate about the cost of a one-way rental. Allowing four or five days it would easily be in excess of $1000.
about $700 (inc. taxes and fees) if you specify that are from Switzerland. (Which I'm assuming the OP is, since they are flying from ZRH, but other
European countries yield similar rates)
That said, even if it did cost $1000, that would still be on par with the other options mentioned, which involve additional domestic flights or picking up
rental cars in out-of-the-way places along Amtrak routes. (Someone mentioned picking up a rental car in McCook, NE, where the westbound
Zephyr stops at 3:43 in the morning... :wacko: )
Delta doesn't fly CHI-RAP, unless you connect in MSP. United and American do fly thatRoger Thornhill took Northwest Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City -- a route now part of Delta Airlines.
I doubt that any airline flew nonstop from Chicago to Rapid City in the 1950s (when Hitchcock directed North by Northwest) -- perhaps someone has some airline timetables from that era?Delta doesn't fly CHI-RAP, unless you connect in MSP. United and American do fly thatRoger Thornhill took Northwest Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City -- a route now part of Delta Airlines.
route non-stop, though.
Ditto! Every time I watch it I want to hop on a LD Train, have a Gibson and order Trout in the Diner! So far Eva Marie Saint hasn't shown up but I'll keep Dreaming!Ahhh. Another aficianado of my all-time favorite movie, that I have seen enough times to almost know every line.....
It could have been a direct flight, with intermediate stops. Those were more common in those years. It's sort of odd, though to see a Northwest Orient flight to Rapid City. Wouldn't North Central be a more likely airline for the era?I doubt that any airline flew nonstop from Chicago to Rapid City in the 1950s (when Hitchcock directed North by Northwest) -- perhaps someone has some airline timetables from that era?Delta doesn't fly CHI-RAP, unless you connect in MSP. United and American do fly thatRoger Thornhill took Northwest Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City -- a route now part of Delta Airlines.
route non-stop, though.
The C&NW, probably. They had a named train (called various over the years) that went Chicago-Mankato-Rapid City.Related to this topic, I watched an interesting documentary on PBS last night about the construction of the Mt. Rushmore monument, which was completed in the early 40's. Mention was made of the fact that the builder traveled to Rapid City, SD by train during the 30's, and I was wondering which railroad(s) that might have been. Anyone know?
North Central Airlines did fly from Minneapolis to Rapid City, but with two intermediate stops in South Dakota. Northwest may have been a quicker routing from Chicago. Or perhaps they simply offered to cooperate with Hitchcock's movie production company (with some monetary compensation?) for the free publicity for their airline?It could have been a direct flight, with intermediate stops. Those were more common in those years. It's sort of odd, though to see a Northwest Orient flight to Rapid City. Wouldn't North Central be a more likely airline for the era?I doubt that any airline flew nonstop from Chicago to Rapid City in the 1950s (when Hitchcock directed North by Northwest) -- perhaps someone has some airline timetables from that era?Delta doesn't fly CHI-RAP, unless you connect in MSP. United and American do fly thatRoger Thornhill took Northwest Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City -- a route now part of Delta Airlines.
route non-stop, though.
The C&NW, probably. They had a named train (called various over the years) that went Chicago-Mankato-Rapid City.Related to this topic, I watched an interesting documentary on PBS last night about the construction of the Mt. Rushmore monument, which was completed in the early 40's. Mention was made of the fact that the builder traveled to Rapid City, SD by train during the 30's, and I was wondering which railroad(s) that might have been. Anyone know?
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