Road Trips This Summer

Hello Folks!

This summer my fiancée and I will be taking 2 road trips, one to Wisconsin the weekend after the 4th of July for 3 days, and to the Black Hills in South Dakota for our honeymoon at the end of August for 5-6 days.

We will be driving through Nebraska and Iowa on our way to WI for a family reunion in the Eau Claire area. Its my fiancées extended family whom I've met none of them. Dunno what they are going to think of her 2A lovin', pistol packin' soon-to-be-husband lol. I'm close to her immediate family here in CO and they are gun owners and accepting of carry rights. We are camping Friday night, then family reunion Saturday at some local park (I don't have the name of it with me), staying at another campground that night, then heading back home Sunday morning. I'm going to do my best to stay away from Illinois while we are on the road!

For the Black Hills, we are staying at various places in cabins and tent camping. Planning on staying 2 nights at Custer State Park. Visiting places such as Deadwood, Keystone, ride the 1880 Train to Hill City for lunch, train back to Keystone, visit various National Parks and National Monuments (i know not to carry inside the buildings!), the usual tourist traps, lots of hiking in the National Forest. Hope to catch the Wild Bill shooting reenactment!

I've done a little bit of research on open carrying in those states and have posted in the WI and SD sub forums about how OC is accepted there and the do's and don'ts and if anything is different than here in CO. Well, the sub forums in those states can be a bit slow in responding. For South Dakota, I found that carrying in an establishment that gets a large chunk of its revenues from alcohol sales is prohibited, but that OC is legal statewide and seems it's pretty similar to OC in Colorado. For NE and IA, we are only stopping for fuel, food, and to use the facilities before hitting the road again. Sounds to me that Nebraska is OC friendly and Iowa is questionable with permitted OC. I've been looking for a reliable iPhone app that lists gun laws by state. I have a CO CHP and the states we are visiting have reciprocity.

I know this thread is a bit off topic for the Colorado sub forum, but I would like to see if any of my OCDO Colorado friends have OC'ed in these states before and if so, how it went. I'm still doing my research and checking laws, and I thought I'd chime in and see what you guys had to say.


Blessings,

Keens

Howdy Pard!
I've OC'd in Nebraska and nobody gave me a second glance. We've stayed overnight and done business around Hastings with no trouble at all.
Nebraska is fine, with the possible exception of Omaha. I've heard Omaha is their version of Denver.

Illinois.... you are wise to avoid altogether. Don't stray into the Land of Lincoln if you can work around it. Completely, totally, entirely antiConstitution.
They don't even uphold their own state Constitution, let alone the Constitution of the United States. The ISP (Illinois State Police) advocate using a rat-tail comb for self defense. A comb? Really????

We have kinfolk in Iowa but haven't been there since I started OC'ing. We likely will in September.
But I don't have experience with that state yet. However, I suspect OC would not be a problem.
So much of the state is rural to begin with, and cities few and far between, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody to get upset about it.

I know I haven't added much fodder for the neurons, but hope some of this helps.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

M-Taliesin said:

Howdy Pard!
I've OC'd in Nebraska and nobody gave me a second glance. We've stayed overnight and done business around Hastings with no trouble at all.
Nebraska is fine, with the possible exception of Omaha. I've heard Omaha is their version of Denver.

Illinois.... you are wise to avoid altogether. Don't stray into the Land of Lincoln if you can work around it. Completely, totally, entirely antiConstitution.
They don't even uphold their own state Constitution, let alone the Constitution of the United States. The ISP (Illinois State Police) advocate using a rat-tail comb for self defense. A comb? Really????

We have kinfolk in Iowa but haven't been there since I started OC'ing. We likely will in September.
But I don't have experience with that state yet. However, I suspect OC would not be a problem.
So much of the state is rural to begin with, and cities few and far between, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody to get upset about it.

I know I haven't added much fodder for the neurons, but hope some of this helps.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Click to expand...

Hello, M!

Thanks for responding! I have been doing all the research I can on OC as well as transport laws in these states, and it's getting a bit overwhelming. Been looking for an iPhone app that makes it easier and lists all the laws for each state. Looks like I'm fine to OC in Nebraska except for Omaha. I will just have to CC in Omaha if we do stop there for fuel and to use the facilities. My fiancee is thinking of taking a different route to WI. Omaha to St. Paul, MN (which is directly west of Eau Claire, WI). Minnesota does not have reciprocity with my CO CHP :banghead: so I will have to look into OC there and car transport laws. If we go through IA, I'm not going to fuss about it as OC is legal there and I've been there before years ago and its too rural and nobody is going to make a fuss about it.

Blessings,

Keens

Keens said:

Its my fiancées extended family whom I've met none of them. Dunno what they are going to think of her 2A lovin', pistol packin' soon-to-be-husband lol. I'm close to her immediate family here in CO and they are gun owners and accepting of carry rights.

Click to expand...

I think they'll probably think, "Ok, more of the same." People tend to migrate towards others similar to them, despite the old (and statistically wrong) addage that "opposites attract."

I think you'll either fit right in, or will at least be understood and accepted.

since9 said:

I think they'll probably think, "Ok, more of the same." People tend to migrate towards others similar to them, despite the old (and statistically wrong) addage that "opposites attract."

I think you'll either fit right in, or will at least be understood and accepted.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, Since9. I was talking with her folks over the weekend and they said they are all firearm owners and avid hunters. They go hunting every year and they OC a sidearm on their hips during hunting trips. They did say that they do not carry on a daily basis like those of us on this forum do. I will just have to see, I'm thinking of CC'ing since I haven't met her WI family and if things go well and OC gets mentioned and they get curious, then I may tuck my shirt in and OC. We'll see.

On a side note, I'm thinking of having a M&G out there sometime this weekend if the schedule will allow. The folks over on the WI sub forum are very friendly! They have been very helpful in regards to my questions about how OC goes over there, so I asked the fine folks over there if they'd be interested in a M&G!

Blessings,

Keens