Do It Differently Personal Training

If you read our “Eve of Departure” post, you could probably guess that we got a late start on Saturday. After Ava’s soccer try-outs, more packing and sorting, and a few brief conversations with several neighbors, we were on the way! We made it to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota KOA with enough day-light to set up our tent, and to see the dozen or so empty Coors Light cans on the picnic table of our very friendly neighbor.

The pool was open, the bathrooms were clean, and our campsite was located directly across from the playground. The kids thought it was paradise! It was a good first night, even with the drunken neighbors (they just got sleepier as the night went on) and the other neighbors who pulled-in at midnight to set up camp…with their two playful dogs.

Turns out, campstove coffee is one of my favorite features of camping. The kids are still asleep and we sneak out of the tent early, fire up the Coleman stove, and have a quiet, grown-up breakfast with uninterrupted conversation.  Once the cubs rise and shine, we are fed, fueled, and ready to start a slow pack-up process. With the playground in our backyard, the kiddos were easily entertained as we re-configured the gear and made our way to see the actual “falls” of Sioux Falls. Totally worth the added stop. They were beautiful!

Traveling across South Dakota turned out to be more entertaining than we could have imagined. We actually thought we would explore Mt. Rushmore on day two of the trip, but after taking in many of the I-90W sites, we re-adjusted our plan. The Corn Palace (which our neighbor mentioned on departure day) is a building with exterior facades and interior murals made exclusively from corncobs. There are fields dedicated to the growing and harvesting of this corn and the murals are changed every year. Who knew? We also got pulled in to 1880 Town, which turned out to be a hidden gem and was completed with the kids actually taking the reins of a horse-drawn carriage.

Approx. 300 miles before you arrive, there are clever, colorful and quirky billboard advertisements for Wall Drug, a must-see (translation, tourist-trap) in Wall, South Dakota. Why not? Let’s do it! We had to stop after being lured in by numerous signs and throw some of our hard-earned cash into the local economy. The various shops stretch across the entire strip – probably 3 or 4 city blocks. And they have delicious homemade ice-cream.

With all of the highway billboards behind us, we drove through the Badlands, across the Prairie Pass, and made it into Keystone, SD for a cafeteria-hot-plate version of eggplant parmesan. The views were incredible and the changing landscape kept us all engaged. On our way to Horsethief Lake in the Black Hills National Forest, we did a drive-by of Mt. Rushmore from the car (so amazing!), and once again, made it in time to set up our tent before the sun went down. When the Camp Host tells you you have the best campsite on the lake, get excited! We had a bunch of space on each side of our site, our own beach, and a perfectly flat area for tent set-up. Thank goodness because we also had our first night of rain…that’s right…our second night in the tent, and the rain was accompanied by thunder and lightening! Ben and I didn’t actually say this to each other until the morning campstove coffee, but turns out we were both calculating our threshold for danger and what needed to happen before we grabbed the kids, dashed to the car, and got to a clearing…for Ben it was hail, and for me it was the sound of cracking tree trunks.

It’s number 24. If you ever book a campsite a Horsethief Lake, make sure it’s Number 24.