What's this all about?

Not so long ago, I told Sebastian that we must find a way to get the kids to all 50 states. It was a brillant and inspired moment of pure and utter genius. Sebastian had in some unknown moment of our early history (probably right about the time we first visited Galena, IL) infected me with this nasty, and incurable, thing called a travel bug. Now it itched madly and I was trying my darnedest to pass it along to the kids. So far, my parents had taken us all to Disneyland and sent us to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, MO, so I was pretty sure that they were already infected, but I wanted to be doubly sure.

Since, smacking Sebastian up side the head with this genius plan (which thankfully he was very much on board with) I have been able to revisit California with Matthew and we have been able to take him to Chicago for a long weekend. But we needed something to knock both Matthew's and Gabriella's socks off. Something to make them say oooohhh and ahhhh. Thinking back to my childhood, it was obvious. South Dakota! And to spice up what I already remembered about the wonderful state (not like Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and random moose in the road were not already exciting enough) we added the idea of camping across South Dakota.

As you read this, reservations have been made, plans have been set in motion, and we are anticipating a particularly memorable family experience. We will begin our journey from Des Moines to Mitchell, SD. Our intention is to wow the children with the Corn Palace and enjoy the KOA campgrounds. We will wake up early and leave Mitchell to drive the 3.25 hours to Interior, SD where we will camp at Badlands National Park.

We will head out of Badlands early in the morning to drive to Hill City, where we will stay in a TeePee at Crooked Creek Resort for three nights. While in Hill City, we will visit Mount Rushmore, ride the 1880 Train, see Crazy Horse Memorial and Wind Cave, and make a trek out to Devil's Tower. On our way back to Iowa, we will stop overnight in Sioux Falls to visit the Heartland Corn Maze and the Kirby Science Museum.

So plans are set and we are ready to go (and alas now have to wait). To keep the anticipaton high, and because I am anal, insane, and ambitious, I have begun to "instruct" the kids with the wonders of South Dakota. We are not going to just show up and go oohh and aahh. We are going to show up already knowing its state bird and fossil, understanding its plants and wildlife, and knowing the history of its most famous citizens and landmarks. I have begun pulling together a storehouse of books, activities, and ideas so South Dakota will seep from our very pours.

So sit back and enjoy the unfolding of our South Dakota Family Experience! Up next, everything the kids want to know about grasslands and prairie dogs.