Both girls learned about Mount Rushmore in kindergarten, and both expressed interest in visiting the monument. When Grammie and Pa bought a new RV, the idea of traveling to South Dakota didn't seem so difficult. So, we planned a trip! We've talked about this for many, many months, and the anticipation of our 12 day adventure led to great excitement when the time finally came for us to hit the road!
First, we had to pack up the RV. To our surprise, everything fit nicely with plenty of extra room for souvenirs!
Our first day was a long travel day. It takes roughly 30 hours to get to Mount Rushmore so we knew we'd have some long stretches in the RV. To our surprise, the girls traveled extremely well with very few complaints at all. They love the RV! Our first stop was in Toledo, OH for dinner and fun at a Dave and Buster's followed by a night's rest in a nearby Walmart parking lot.
The next day we were on the road again for another long stretch of travel. We stopped at some outlets in Oakdale, WI for some light shopping to take a break from all of the driving.
 |
| Cake Pops for Breakfast - Yum! |
 |
| Enjoying treats from their spending money! |
Then, we found a KOA Journey campground to sleep, and get recharged. This was the first KOA experience any of us has had and it did not disappoint! The hosts were absolutely wonderful, breakfast was delicious, and the activities for the kiddos were just perfect for our short stop - the bouncy pillow was a welcomed surprise in the morning!
Then we were back on the road for more driving. We worked on this big puzzle with Grammie!
Along the way we stopped in Sioux City, SD to pick up a rental car, and then made our way to Kennibec, SD for an overnight visit at another KOA Journey.
We had dinner at a local restaurant a few miles down the highway, and had the chance to do some laundry and swimming in the morning before getting back on the highway.
Our next destination was just a few hours away - Rapid City, SD! First, we checked in to the hotel, then ventured out to find the Firehouse Brewing Company in downtown Rapid City. We saw firetruck after firetruck next to billboard's from the highway advertising this popular spot so we had to check it out! This establishment is a restaurant, brewery, winery, and gift shop all in one. It was a fun stop and our lunch-dinner was delicious!
Then it was back to the hotel to enjoy the indoor waterpark fun! Our family loves water parks and this was a fun way to spend the rest of the day followed by pizza and relaxing back at the hotel room before bedtime.
The highlight of our trip was next, or so we thought - visiting Mount Rushmore! The views driving through Keystone and walking through the National Monument were indescribable!
After visiting Mount Rushmore we ventured out to explore Custer State Park and Needles Highway. We were surprised by Mountain Goats high on the cliffs, excited by a Buffalo road block, and mesmerized by the roadway - full of small tunnels, twists, turns, and corkscrew configurations where the highway passed underneath itself. It was neat!
After we headed back to Rapid City to pick up the RV and head a short distance East to our final SD destination - the Badlands KOA. We drove into the Badlands National Park at Sunset and It.Was.Spectacular.
The magnificence of the land we would see over the nex two days was so unexpected, and when you ask the girls now what there favorite part of our trip was, they cannot decide between Mount Rushmore and the Badlands! We took hundreds of photos but here are just a few of our favorites:
While staying in the Badlands we also took some time to explore the visitor's center, complete the Junior Ranger program, walk around the famous Wall Drug shopping area (where a few of us were treated to some free ice water!), and see the Minuteman Missile Monument.
We made time for some campground fun too! Swimming, bike riding, visiting the playground, writing postcards, playing miniature golf, having smore's around the campfire, and playing SkipBo around the RV's dining table!
We left the Badlands early in the morning and had a long full day of traveling East - with a stop at Target and Applebee's for a break - and an overnight at a Walmart Parking lot.
The next day was another day mostly spent in the RV with a stop along the way to have lunch and play at an arcade. Our final stop was Aunt Sissa's and Uncle Dan's in Ohio.
When we arrived at the Hooley's we headed straight for Commercial Point UMC where the girls were finishing up a week of VBS. Stella and Claire were thrilled to join in the fun that Friday evening, as well as participate in their Worship Service Showcase Sunday morning. Other fun in Ohio was meeting their horses, trampoline, swimming pool, and board game fun at their house, and Grammie, Aunt Sissa and Mom drove into Columbus for the annual Avon Rep Fest featuring a Rascal Flatts concert!
Saturday evening Uncle Dan had to head to the airport for a work trip to India. After church on Sunday, the rest of us wrapped up our short visit with lunch at Golden Corral, complete with sweet treats before getting back in the RV to head home.
We stopped in Erie for a quick overnight where we had dinner, visited another arcade, and the girls even played a couple of games of mini bowling!
This was a wonderful vacation we all enjoyed and has given us lasting memories!
In closing, we have a few thank you's for those who helped make this a spectacular adventure:
- Grammie and Pa, who agreed to take their RV across nearly
4,000 miles with us! Their willingness to 'go with the flow'
made this trip fun as we figured out what the next day
would bring.
- Our neighbor Miss Katy, who graciously offered to take
care of Lily Kitty and maintain our swimming pool while
we were away. (She also helped Stell-Belle out with her
little planter from Girl Scouts!)
- Mommy's work family: Heather, Joe, Laurie, and Wendy - who despite a crazy busy time and some unexpected problems right before the trip began were supportive and encouraging of taking this trip and covering whatever came up during my time away.
-The Hooley family who hosted us on our way back and made us feel so welcomed at their VBS program.
 |
| Snuggling with Lily when we came home. We think she missed us! |
