Ever since memories of my youth living in California and driving betwixt Sacramento and Santa Rosa I have had a passion for traversing the great open roads of this country. While in many cases a road trip can be considered a more affordable vacation option for growing families it does make many things easier. Packing 7 kids wardrobes plus 2 adults is much easier when you have the confines of a 12 passenger van (or adequate vehicle that matches your family size) and not the normally allotted bags that you lug to the airport.

Over the last ~14 years of marriage we have not truly done any vacations with just our family. We have done plenty of noteworthy trips with family (VA, NC, NH, DC, AL to name a few) but we have never planned and set out on our own, a daunting task with a large family. Since late last year I have been slowly planning a trip in Western South Dakota and across the great expanse of Wyoming.

After traveling through the backwoods of Yellowstone in 2020 and 2021 during the peak of Covid I knew I wanted to return but this time to see the Tetons and show my kids real mountains for the first time. I had core memories from nearly 30 years ago of visiting the Badlands and Mount Rushmore, so, naturally, that had to be added in as well. Re-encapsulating that memory from yesteryear into a new one surrounded by my wife and children was something I’ll hold dear for the rest of my life.

I will admit, since the advent of the smart phone and GPS technology, global road travel is demonstrably easier than my dad pouring over maps like Gandalf looking over scrolls in Minas Tirith.

I did use the website roadtrippers.com for help with sites along the way and used VRBO for booking the four homes instead of Airbnb. Both were helpful tools but at the end of it all google maps and the download feature are what I ended up using while enroute.

Our first day was 14 hours on the road across the great state of Missouri up North through St. Joe and a straight shot along the not so exciting highway 29. Once we hit Sioux Falls it was time for the long ~6 hour drive across the great expanse of South Dakota. The hardest part of the drive was the last 3 hours where the winds were really pushing against our large van. Picked up some Old Chicago Pizza on our way to our home for three nights in the small town of Hermosa, SD. In the daylight we could see the smooth rock face of Rushmore from our porch. The kids enjoyed the 22 acres, late nights, and the lovely horse Bentley that was on property.

Our first “real” day was spent at Mount Rushmore in the hallowed Black Hills and a drive through Needles Highway within Custer State Park. (Top 10 most dangerous roads in America) We completed the Presidential Trail at Rushmore and then took the precarious route through Needles to a “Hole-in-the Wall” picnic spot for a much needed respite. Bre also had the keen idea to get National Parks passports for the kids where they can start collecting stamps across all National Parks we visit.

Day “2” we headed about an hour East of Hermosa to the Badlands National Parks through the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and boy were we in for a surprise, vast expanses of rock formations that made us feel like we were part of the Lion King. This little escape didn’t feel like America and while tucked off the highway instead of rising up into the sky it actually dropped below our view.

Day “3” we left Hermosa and drove ~7 hours West to Dubois, WY where we stayed for 4 days. The drive on highway 26 from Casper–>Shoshoni was acres upon acres of massive cattle ranches that literally reached the horizon in many cases. We landed at our ranch escape at 7 in the evening after an eventful stop for groceries in Dubois and a speed trap where I received a ticket past the 45mph sign for going 45 in a 30. Not a great end to Memorial day but the view from our ranch more than made up for it.

Day “4” was the highlight of the trip, the pièce de résistance, the meatball on the spaghetti, and left us in wonder at every turn. Just a short 1 hour drive West from Dubois over the Togwotee Pass at 9,567 feet and across the Continental Divide we approached the breathtaking views of the Grand Tetons towering over us at 13k feet. We of course took the atypical photos at the old T.A. Moulton Barn and then approached closer for a picnic at the feet of these monstrosities. Every day of the trip gave us something new to be thankful for and the beauty of our Earth that God entrusted to us.

Day “5” was a 12 hour blast through the Southern and Eastern portions of Yellowstone. We drove around Jackson Lake and saw the Tetons in the clear morning then traversed through the Southern entrance past waterfalls and acres of trees and waterways to go view the ever dependable Old Faithful. We also had the privilege of seeing a geyser dubbed “Beehive 2” go off just next to her about 10 minutes before and it shot up even higher into the sky. The kids loved it and the wife did as well. The “natural” fireworks really set the stage for the rest of what Yellowstone had to offer. We picnicked nearby and then drove the long road around Yellowstone Lake where we followed the Grand Loop road and went up to the Upper and Lower falls of the Yellowstone River for a nice “nightcap” on our lovely trip through one of America’s most famous parks.

Day “6” was an R&R day at the ranch, fishing the Wind River, driving ATVs, picnic in the mountains and a chess lesson or two on our lovely wrap around porch. Day “7” we took the more scenic trip to Cody back around the Tetons and through Yellowstone’s Southern and then finally Eastern entrance. The Eastern route North of the Lake had some top notch views looking back at Yellowstone and even had the Tetons deep in the background. After taking our necessary family photo overlooking a gorge, we passed a few rams walking the road and headed towards Cody, WY for our 3rd stop of the trip. We were a couple weeks short of their nightly rodeos but were able to walk through a neat old 1800’s town for the kids to get their piece of cowboy americana.

Day “8”, our last day of planned activities, was a 5 hour drive back East across Wyoming to see Devil’s Tower, Deadwood, and anticipated Mass at St. Joseph’s in Spearfish. While the drive was long we hit an almost 2 hour stretch from Shell, WY through the mountains to Dayton, WY that were absolutely breathtaking. Before Shell, there was also a neat airplane graveyard and museum in the small town of Greybull. We arrived at Devil’s Tower around 1230 and man what a great end of the trip. The 800 foot marvel, 1,000 feet in diameter rose from the ground like an ancient Egyptian monolith. We drove to its base and walked the 1.6 mile trail around it, we gazed at its features and watched as seasoned climbers rappelled from the heights. The views back into the valley were also phenomenal. A must visit to our nations first National Monument. Deadwood was neat but not really a family town. We hopped in grabbed chow at Mustang Sally’s and then headed through the rain to Mass before the long trek home.

Along the whole trip we took some in-motion shots on a Go-Pro 12 to really capture the majesty of our great nation. You can see it below in the 15minute video. Hopefully it inspires you to take a road trip this year, long or short, to view the great expanse of that which we should be so proud. Along our storied 250 year history through our faults and through our greatest hits we have expanded our once 13 colonies into 50 wonderful states across 2.4 billion acres. We hope you are able to enjoy just a sliver of it as we have.

~MC