The best part of this trip was getting to see so many friends during our travels. We were lucky enough to spend an entire weekend in Jackson, where our good friends Emily and Ryan live. Emily is my best friend from college and James and Ryan went to college together. It’s so fun when worlds collide! We were so busy having fun that I didn’t take many pictures.

James and I stayed at a great little cabin at the KOA Snake River. It had a small kitchenette, grill, fire pit and room to sleep up to five people. The cabin was super comfortable and clean and it seemed like a great place for families to post up. There’s a path leading down to the Snake River, where they offer rafting tours. The KOA was about 15 minutes from town, so you do have to drive a bit to get to Jackson or the Tetons.

Our first day in Jackson started with a few beers at Snake River Brewery before we popped into a couple of other restaurants for drinks. Jackson knows how to do happy hour, so take advantage of it while visiting! We eventually headed out to the cabin for more beers and catching up. There are few people who make us laugh harder than Ryan and Emily, which makes our reunions especially fun.

I promise we didn’t plan it this way, but we conveniently rolled into town for Old West Brew Fest, which is where we spent most of our second day in town. It was so much fun getting to sample beers that we can’t get back home. We became big fans of Melvin after Emily and Ryan brought us some during a visit, and we finally got to try their famous 2×4 double IPA. It did not disappoint! I also loved Roadhouse’s Aloha IPA. We got to meet our friends’ great co-workers and had so much fun getting to know them. After filling our bellies up with beer, we hung out at Ryan and Emily’s house for a few hours. They served us an awesome meal featuring sausage from Sweet Cheeks Meats, which you have to try if you’re doing any grilling.

Our last day in Jackson was my favorite, because we headed out to Grand Teton National Park to kayak and canoe on String Lake. Pictures don’t do the beauty of the park justice. Getting to see the mountains while making our way across the crystal waters was amazing. We lucked out with the perfect weather and had a blast paddling around. James and I have been talking about investing in our own kayaks for a couple of years and I think this trip convinced us to finally do so. There’s something so therapeutic about being on the water.

Emily and Ryan are always the best hosts and we had a blast getting to see the place they call home. Our reunions are usually much shorter, so it was amazing to have three days together. Saying goodbye is always hard, but we can’t wait to make a return trip!

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We arrived in Custer too late on our first night to take in any of the sights. It was also almost too late to grab a bite to eat, too. Most restaurants close at 8 on the weekends and many aren’t open at all, so plan ahead if you need a later meal. We had luck at The Custer Wolf and The Buglin’ Bull.

We woke up early Sunday morning so we could hit all of the highlights in the area. Our day started with a visit to Mt. Rushmore. Although the national memorial is steeped in controversy, it’s worth a visit. I suggest reading up on the history of the memorial and the American Indian tribes in the area before you visit, because you won’t find any information about them at the memorial. It’s an important part of our history to acknowledge and learn from. Get to Mt. Rushmore early to beat the crowds. We walked along the Presidential Trail to see the mountain from multiple angles, browsed through the museum and watched the video about how Mt. Rushmore was carved into its current form. After about an hour, we decided to head to our next stop: Wind Cave National Park.

Wind Cave was absolutely amazing. I hadn’t been inside a cave since I was a kid and I forgot how magical it feels. We bought tickets for a guided tour of the cave, which took just over an hour. It’s not recommended for anyone who’s claustrophobic, and I can understand why. There were several places where we had to crouch down or walk sideways because the cave got so tight. The tour starts by descending 100+ stairs. From the bottom of the stairs through the rest of the tour, you’re walking through the cave’s natural tunnels, just with a paved floor. Wind Cave is the sixth largest cave in the world, with 147 miles of tunnels. And, there’s likely more to be discovered. As we made our way through the cave, our guide told us about its history and some of the research being done at the site. If you’re in the Black Hills, don’t miss Wind Cave. It was one of the highlights of our day. It seems especially great for kids, but keep in mind there’s a lot of stairs to walk up and down and you’re not allowed to touch the cave. I was extremely impressed by the mother who carried her baby during the entire tour because baby carriers aren’t allowed.

We were really hungry by the time we got out of the cave, so we stopped back in Custer for a late lunch, followed by pie. Guys, you HAVE to stop by the Purple Pie Place if you’re in town. We got slices of bumbleberry and strawberry rhubarb pie and they were both delicious. You can’t beat homemade pie!

With our bellies full, we drove to Crazy Horse, which has such an interesting history. The project receives no federal funding and is instead made possible through visitor fees and donations. The late sculptor, Korczak, spent the first five years chiseling away at the mountain himself, walking up hundreds of stairs several times everyday. Now his children help supervise the project, which has a much larger crew these days. They’re focusing on shaping Crazy Horse’s hand and the horse’s head. It’s amazing to see how much progress has been made just since 1998, which is when Crazy Horse’s head was unveiled. We walked through the museum and took in the memorial from the deck out back. You can pay extra to take a bus that gets you a mile closer, but we opted not to.

As storm clouds started to roll in, we decided to drive toward Custer State Park, which my friend Zach recommended. We drove the scenic Needles Highway, stopping to take in some of the views. I had to close my eyes at some points because the switchbacks made me so nervous! But it was so worth it because it was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve been on. We then made our way to the Wildlife Loop, where we passed antelope, donkeys and lots of bison.

We also walked around gorgeous Sylvan Lake, where you can rent kayaks and canoes. Next time we come to South Dakota, I want to camp at Custer State Park. It was my favorite stop of the day.

After a full day, we scarfed down dinner and went to bed pretty early. We stayed at the Bavarian Inn, which was a great little hotel. I’m very picky about hotels because I’m a clean freak, and this one held up. Our room was simple but comfortable and the friendly staff was attentive and helpful. I think this would be a great place to stay with kids because there is both an indoor and outdoor pool, as well as a breakfast pancake bar with any topping you could imagine. I have a feeling that’s what made James choose the hotel! I would highly recommend the Bavarian Inn if you’re looking for a place in Custer. The lodges and cabins at Custer State Park also looked great.

Now we’ve got about seven hours in the car until we reach our next destination. Thank goodness for podcasts!

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The drive from Illinois was supposed to be 14 hours, but we ended up taking an unexpected detour that made our trip a bit longer, but so much better.

We decided to stop at Badlands National Park along the way because neither of us had been before. Much of our road trip is centered around visiting as many National Parks as possible, so we figured this was the perfect way to breakup the drive and officially kick off our vacation.

We purchased an annual National Parks pass at the gate for $80. It’s good for one year and gets you into any National Park, which is a real bargain if you visit more than one in a year. And, the money goes back to helping preserve the parks.

We were absolutely blown away by the Badlands. The combination of stunning rock formations and lush prairie made us turn off at several scenic outlooks. And, after being in the car driving through nonstop rain for hours, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and go for a couple of shorter hikes along the way.

I’ve only really spent time in Colorado when I’ve visited the west before, so the Badlands gave me a totally different perspective of the landscape. We stood there in awe of nature’s ability to shape the land into such unique formations.

As we weaved our way through the park we came across mountain rams, bison and hundreds of prairie dogs. We only spent about 1.5 hours at the Badlands because we still had a couple of hours on the road before reaching our final destination. We barely scratched the surface of what the park had to offer. But, I’m so glad we stopped. Road trips are just as much about the detours as the destinations.

I’m excited to spend more time exploring the region and catching up with the many friends who’ve migrated this way over the years. We’ll be spending time in South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado over the next two weeks, so if you have any recommendations for great hikes, detours or eats, send them my way!

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