Road trip part 4: SD and Badlands National Park

We had a day to explore some of the sites in and around Rapid City, SD. We knew we wanted to get to Mt. Rushmore, but otherwise didn’t really have any other plans. After breakfast at the hotel we headed straight for Mt. Rushmore. We took in a video about its creation, checked out their little museum featuring models of how it was designed and stories from some of the workers. Pretty incredible the work that was done for the danger level involved!

Since we were so close, we went to see the Crazy Horse monument. Again, we watched a short video about it. When looking at the monument we could hear the equipment working on it. Again, for the size, it’s incredible the dedication to keep working on its slow completion.

We then found a rest area for a picnic lunch and time for the kids to run and play. We decided to head to Bear Country USA next. It was kind of like a zoo that you could drive through, but without enclosures, allowing the animals to roam where they wish, including the road. We got up-close views of all the animals native to that area, including dozens of bears.

Our next stop was Storybook Island. It’s a giant park featuring statues and play structures based on classic children’s stories. I was positive there were pictures of my at this park when I was around the age of 4. Some pieces were certainly that old and older, while some were new additions. The kids had an absolute blast. Just goes to show that a free park can bring as much joy as an expensive excursion.

I swear there is a picture of my mom and I in this same boot from when I was little.

We ended the day with a delicious dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, right by our hotel, and a long-awaited swim in the hotel pool. Bouncing between the pool, hot-tub, and even sauna for Henry, they had so much fun. 

The final morning of our trip, we had 8 hours of driving ahead of us, but also wanted to take in a few more sites. We stopped in Wall, SD, simply because of all of the hype over it. I must admit, none of us found much of a thrill in it.

Badlands National Park was our more prized stop. Similar to Teddy Roosevelt National Park, it’s known for the badlands landscape. Given similar names by early explorers trying to travel by horse and wagon, it’s no wonder they called the land bad! While there we spotted prairie dogs, buffalo, and a few big horned sheep. Henry was fascinated by the fossils in the visitor’s center. We spent some time climbing around before making the rest of our journey home.