This country gets dumber every day

[P.C.]

Well Deadwood, Bismark, Missoula... Minniapolis and St Paul, some amazing skies in Sioux City.  Lots of places I liked a lot.  

[Sportsdude]

You like Missoula too!
I discovered this great little town in North Dakota this year called Wahpeton. Its located on the ND/Minn border.
I like Custer Park in the Badlands in SD.
Livingstone Montana
Laramie, WY
Salt Lake City
the road to Mountain Top Idaho

That's the places off the top of my head I enjoyed in the upper mountain west (excluding Colorado for the moment) /great plains region.
 

[P.C.]

West of the Cascades still my favourite.  I can actually see myself living in Oregon or Northern California.  So beautiful.  

[DDD]

I understand that Virginia has some real nice small towns