Destination: Sioux Falls, SD (5.5 hours, 385 miles)
Today was an interesting day because we weren’t exactly sure what the plan was until after we woke up. Jaclyn and I both had ideas but didn’t really research what makes sense or what we’re most interested in. So, we pulled out a literal map (yep, they still make them) and figured out the plan.
We started the day with a short hike around Sylvan Lake, which was a pretty impressive hike for how short it is. The hike included scrambling up and down rocks, multiple waterfalls and a beautiful lake with unique rock features around it. There was a rock cave/crevice that we all went into which ended up with another waterfall inside. Brooke thought that was super cool. We also added to our wildlife totals when we saw an Osprey flying over the lake.
After finishing the hike we drove Needles Highway which started literally right next to the lake. This was another mountain Highway with tons of windy curves and elevation change. Any other day I would’ve needed to really focus and might’ve felt a little more hesitant but I was a recent graduate (and survivor) of Beartooth Highway! Although Needles couldn’t match the sheer scale of Beartooth it did have two very small rock tunnels that were fun to drive through. We also couldn’t believe that we saw trucks pulling horse trailers trying to drive the highway with all the super tight areas and hairpin turns. I feel like they still might be stuck there at this moment 😆.
At the end of Needles Highway we turned off and headed to Mt. Rushmore. On the way we got stuck in a cow jam and we’re serenaded with moo’s as we waited for them to cross the road. As we approached Mt. Rushmore we were stunned at how built up the area is around Mt. Rushmore. It seemed like a fun place to walk around if you had a few days. Although, we can’t really imagine why you’d need to see Mt. Rushmore for more then an hour or two.
We stopped by Mt. Rushmore and took the requisite photos. We also played the guessing game of who the presidents were. I felt like we should know this but heard multiple other people doing the same. For those of you playing at home it’s Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. I told Brooke some of the reasons Washington and Roosevelt were up there but then I realized I probably couldn’t really tell her why Lincoln was up there without opening a huge can of worms. She also asked if Teddy Roosevelt is the same as her cousin Teddy and why does the carving have a mustache if cousin Teddy doesn’t?
We hung around for probably an hour and left just before the thunderstorms started. We’re not really sure why but Beckett loved just staring at the faces of Mount Rushmore non-stop. I think he was probably confused lol.
Unfortunately, visiting Mt. Rushmore marked the end of the fun stuff for the day (or so we thought!). We started making actual progress to Sioux Falls instead. The drive wasn’t too bad but was definitely wearing on us with about an hour left. Which is exactly when we started seeing the billboards for the Corn Palace! Who could turn something down named the Corn Palace?!?
So, we detoured off the Highway and to the Corn Palace. And, while the outside was cool (walls of corn), the inside was very underwhelming lol. There was a tour of all 75+ year old tourists really enjoying their tour and the corny jokes from the tour guide (who was equal in age). I guess we will have to put this on our list to do in 40 years.
After we left the Corn Palace Jaclyn drove for the first time in the trip! She felt confident in being able to drive the insanely straight interstate across the Great Plains! I looked over and she was bombing down the highway doing 90 (I had to remind her that we have a cargo box on top 😂). I also got to practice my contortionist skills with giving the kids all the different things they needed/wanted.
As we approached our hotel I DoorDashed some Chipotle which I then intercepted in the hotel parking lot (perfect timing!). We had a quick dinner, the kids continued their trend of not eating any food and we put the kids to bed. Being in Sioux Falls, SD meant that we had gotten through the long and boring part of SD. Which was also the part I was most stressed about while planning!
Tomorrow will be an easy day waking up slow and meandering to Maple Grove, MN to meet up with my family.
-Jay