Black Hills Vacation – The Finale

This is the recap of the final day of our Black Hills vacation. I know it’s been a long-time coming. Sorry about that. I have some very exciting things I’m working on. Things I can’t WAIT to let you in on. But I can’t just yet. Thank you for your patience with me on the blog. Ok – who’s ready to wrap up this epic road trip?

On our last day of vacation, we didn’t just pack up and head home. How boring would THAT be?! Instead we had several more adventures planned on the way back to Sioux Falls, where we’d stay the night to break up the long trip home.

The first thing on our list was Crazy Horse. We’d passed by it so many times throughout the week, but never had the time or energy to stop. I just couldn’t leave the Black Hills without seeing this memorial. So it was our first stop on this last morning in Custer.

By far our favorite thing was the 20-minute movie, which detailed the story behind the Crazy Horse Memorial. 

We learned about Korczak Ziolkowski [core-chalk jewel-cuff-ski], the sculptor of Crazy Horse and his family. The kids and I were entertained, educated and inspired.

Following the film, we wandered through the museum areas. Native American art and artifacts were on display. It was mesmerizing to see the beautiful beadwork, leatherwork and ceremonial pieces. What a beautiful culture! I’m so glad this museum exists!

We went outside for more pictures of the in-progress mountain carving, chose our pieces of granite (free, but donations appreciated) to take how for our garden, and bought a hat pin and post cards at the gift shop.

We traveled East awhile and stopped next at Badlands National Park. We saw this on our way TO the Black Hills, but waited until our way back home to stop. Simply incredible. It’s like you’re standing on another planet! I can’t say it was 38 miles worth of incredible, but it was definitely worth the stop.

Maybe it’s because it was HOT, or maybe because we were getting eager to be home, but we only stayed a couple hours, which included time cooling off in the gift shop. It was there I found a souvenir for myself, along with another hatpin, another stamp in Gman’s National Parks Passport, and another walking stick charm.

We stopped at the Praire Dog Town just outside of Badlands National Park because friends had said how much the kids would love it. It was now almost 5 p.m. and I think the Prairie Dogs must have been full of peanuts, because there were barely any sightings. Those we DID see were not at all interested in peanuts. I’m glad I only bought one $1 bag! Do you know wh WAS hungry thought? mosquitos. We were eaten alive! So Praire Dog Town was a bust.

Back on the road. The sky looked dark behind us, so we wanted to high-tail it out of there so we wouldn’t have to drive in the rain. We stopped at Wall Drug again because we wanted another donut. DELICOUS donuts!! The cashier said she heard weather alert on the radio, but couldn’t make out where the bad weather was. We knew it was behind us, so we hit the road again, determined to outrun the storm.

It wasn’t until we got home that we learned that storm wasn’t just a rain storm. Apparently the Black Hills had ping pong ball sized HAIL! Oh my goodness, I’m so glad we weren’t there for that! I don’t even know what we would’ve done if we were caught in that.

We arrived in Sioux Falls in the evening and checked into the Ramkota Best Western.

It was so nice! And right next door to the stinky hotel we stayed at on the way TO the Black Hills. Same price. I wish I had known! This place was spacious and clean and offered a fantastic water park. It was too late to play when we checked in, so I promised the kids they’d have plenty of time to swim in the morning. As the kids showered, I headed to the parking lot to grab our swimsuits out of a bag. It was then I met Monte, a retired rancher from Nebraska. We visited about faith, grief and life for a good hour while leaned up against his gigantic pickup truck. (I checked on the kids just inside the door frequently). Again, this is my favorite part of traveling. Meeting new people, hearing their stories, remembering how very much the same we all are, really. We all hurt, we all love, we all yearn to be understood. It’s beautiful.

We slept in unintentionally, a week of vacation finally catching up with us I guess. This left just a couple hours of swim time before we had to check out of the hotel. Or room had a door to the hallway AND a door directly to the pool area! So fun! And the best part? The kids had the entire water park to themselves! Watching them have so much fun is my favorite thing to do. I wish there had been coffee in the pool area, because I really needed more, but other than that, it was perfect.

The kids changed clothes, we loaded up the van one last time, stopped for gas, and then it was homeward bound.

I’ve only ever vacationed at State Fairs as a kid. As an adult, I went on a honeymoon to the Rocky Mountains, and I’ve taken two cruises. Other than that, I’ve never been anywhere. I traveled for work, but that doesn’t really count as vacation. THIS was the family vacation I’d always imagined. It left my heart full, my wallet empty, and my wanderlust fully recharged. God willing, this won’t be our last family vacation.

I am so glad we did this. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to see a sliver of our beautiful country. I want to see more. I want to take in the majesty of God’s creations. Life is short (even when it feels long) – I want to LIVE IT! There are things to do, places to go, beauty to see! I’m determined to find a way to do it.

In the beginning of my grief, I remember feeling guilty for the moments when I caught myself enjoying life. How could I enjoy anything without my husband here with me? He should be here too! But over time, that has mostly washed away and has been replaced by a feeling of responsibility to live and love fiercely. I don’t think I’ll regret that.

Thanks for following along on our family vacation. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Bare with me over the next few weeks as I work on completing my big surprise for you, as I tackle two of my kids’ birthdays, and as I try to get the kids back into a school routine. I’ll be back real soon. You’re my tribe now – I miss you too much when I’m gone for too long. XOXO

Extra Grace,

Jodi