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Virgin Islands for Mardi Gras

This year, as the parades came to an end, the family and I decided head out of town and make it to one of the country’s least visited national parks, Virgin Islands National Park. Other than the Alaska parks, Hawai’i park and American Samoa, it is one of the most difficult to reach.

In order to get there, you actually have to fly into St. Thomas and then take a 30 minute ferry across to St. John’s, where the park is actually located. A few things to keep in mind, if you are planning this trip.

First, the Virgin Islands, despite being an American territory, drive on the left side of the road, but with steering wheels also on the left (don’t tell Trump). Two, even though they are an American territory, the VIs very much have the feel of a third world country, so do not expect a whole lot of amenities. Third, there is a National Park there, but if you are going, expect it to really be more of a beach trip than a traditional NP vacation.

What We Did

Ocean Surfari Snorkeling: We booked a tour with this group, who picked us up from St. John’s at around 9:30 am. My only real complaint is that they made us arrive like 45 minutes early to fill out two minutes worth of waivers, so it was a lot of unnecessary down time.

Once we were on the boat, the trip was great. Our first stop was Christmas Cove, which had several great areas to snorkel. The highlights were a family of sea turtles, the youngest of whom would surface on a regular basis, and several large sting rays. We made a second stop and honeymoon beach, which was cool to see but not that great of a snorkel location.

The guides were great, the ride was fun and they served cocktails after the snorkeling was finished. Overall, it was a really great experience.

Virgin Islands National Park: Much of St. John’s is actually part of the NP, so it is hard to identify exactly when we went in and out. The Visitors Center is in Cruz Bay, and looks like it is going to be huge, but isn’t. They only have a small gift shop and aren’t open on weekends, so be prepared. I’ll touch more on what we did in the park as I go on, but in terms of NPs, this one isn’t all that grand and impressive, it more serves to protect the natural beauty of the island.

Tree Limin’ Zip Line: On our second full day in the Virgin Islands, we actually took the ferry back to St. Thomas, the more developed island and went on a zip line tour with a great local group. There were six zips, two ladders, and they let the whole family go. Clara, 4, was technically too young, but they looked the other way and allowed her and I to go tandem. The views were beautiful, and the zips were a lot of fun.

Dockside Dinghy: This was my favorite part of our trip. On Friday morning, we rented a small dinghy from the above company and cruised through the waters, both National and non-National Park. We stopped at Hurricane Hole to swim, cruised around a bird sanctuary island and sidled up to Lime Out for lunch. You have to be willing to drive the boat yourself, but that’s not all the complex. This is also one of the only ways to get to Lime Out, where the food was great.

Paradise Point Skyride: On our way to the airport, back on St. Thomas, we had a few hours to kill, so we took a gondola up to Paradise Point. This area has great views, a gift shop and a decent restaurant. It is not worth going out of your way for, but if you’ve got time to kill, it is a fun experience.

Beaches: One of the main reasons to go to St. John’s is to hang out on the beaches. We visited Honeymoon Beach from the water, but didn’t spend a ton of time there. We spent an afternoon at Trunk Bay Beach, which is really popular and beautiful. It has all sorts of amenities, and there is an underwater snorkeling trail (although it is no different than just snorkeling). This was my son’s favorite beach, as it has the biggest waves.

Later in the week, we hit Cinnamon Beach and Maho Beach. Both offer a lot of amenities, food, drinks, bathrooms, beach rentals, but neither had waves as big as Trunk Bay. Maho was a favorite of Clara and Eileen. My favorite was Salt Pond Beach, on the other side of the island. It offers no amenities and requires a short, but kind of strenuous walk, but it is beautiful and serene

All of these beaches have very limited parking, so you either have to take a shuttle, get there early, or simply wait for something to come available.

Hikes: There are several hiking trails and ruins throughout the NP. We hit a few, but again, this isn’t really a classic hiking area. We did the Francis Bay trail and the Peace Hill trail, both of which are short but have pretty views.

Our two favorite trails were the Cinnamon Bay trail and the Rams Head trail. Both are longer and more strenuous. For Cinnamon Bay, I recommend taking the left fork of the trail up to American Hill, which is a great ruin and beautiful view. There really is no reason to hike all of Cinnamon Bay, as you just dead end at another street, but American Hill is great.

Rams Head starts at the Salt Pond beach and is an arduous walk across windswept hills and rocky beaches. It is great to combine with spending time at Salt Pond beach but should not be done in beach shoes, as we quickly discovered.

Annaberg Plantation is probably the most intact set of ruins and is worth a visit, but the Catherineberg Sugar Mill ruins were by far our favorite. They can be accessed by driving a very treacherous road, but when you reach them, it’ll likely be just you, and there is a lot to see. If you’ve got time and want to see more of the interior of the island, you shouldn’t miss it.

Where We Stayed

We booked an AirBnB in the Fish Bay area, which is on the south side of St. Johns. It had quite a nice view but was pretty rustic. There is a Westin on the island that I believe is quite nice, but it is also quite expensive. There were several AirBnB options, but you really have to pick and choose. We were happy with where we stayed, but I am not sure I would recommend it to someone with particularly high standards.

Where We Ate

Windmill Bar: This location was one of our favorites, right at the apex of the island with a great view of the sunset. That said, the food was our least favorite. It was very bland and uninspired. I should note, we ate there on Ash Wednesday, so ordered slightly different than we otherwise might have, but we definitely didn’t give up salt for lent. I would still recommend going for the views, but the food wasn’t the best.

Sea and Sun: This restaurant is part of a resort on St. Thomas; we ate there the day that we went zip lining. The restaurant primarily offers outdoor seating, right on the water where tarpons and other fishes come right up to the doc. The food was solid, and the experience was great.

Lime Out: This is a floating taco stand on the Cruz Bay side of the island. There are a few ways to get there, but none of them are easy (or cheap). Several tours stop there, and there is a water taxi available, but it won’t take kids Clara’s age. We rented a dinghy and at the end of our boating excursions stopped for lunch. You basically tie off to one of several buoys and swim over. There are seats in the water at the bar and floating lily pads to sit on. It is really unique, but what’s great is that the food is terrific. We got several different tacos and all were great.

St. John’s Brewers: This brewery is located on the island in the Mongoose Junction area. It is hard to find parking, and the area is very touristy, but the brewery is great. They’ve got multiple beer options, and the food is exactly what you’d want in terms of bar food. This was my favorite place we ate, and was a good place to get updates on college basketball tournaments.

What I Wish I’d Known

I was a little unprepared for how difficult it would be to drive on St. John’s. They drive on the left side of the road, but the steering wheels are normal. The lanes are very narrow and once you’re off the main roads, very steep. It was a lot of fun, but not super easy.

I wish I’d known that reef-safe sunscreen is not at all strong enough for the fair Igoe skin. We all burned, despite regular applications, myself by far the worst.

I wish that I’d known I was in for mostly a beach trip. I love the beach, but to me, it can become monotonous. In terms of National Parks, this one would stay low on my list. We had a lot of fun, and I would go back if someone else wanted to, but I doubt I would plan a second trip.

Next up for us is Toronto, Niagara Falls and three state parks in upstate New York. We’ll keep you posted.

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A Gay Old Thanksgiving in Dallas

This post is a bit outside of our normal nature-based adventures, but for those interested in a more urban holiday, it might be of value. This year, we went with my wife’s family to the Gaylord in Grapevine, TX, which is north east of Dallas.

We did something similar in Austin, two years prior, at Kalahari, and having now done a ‘resort’-based holiday twice now, I believe that I have a better perspective. The general consensus was that the Gaylord experience was far superior. It is not as much of an amusement park atmosphere, but it felt much more like the holidays.

What We Did

Cowboys v. Giants: This is really the main reason we went. My son has become a huge Cowboys fan, despite their play on the field, and it felt like a bucket list moment to go to Jerry World on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys won, which improved the atmosphere, but the stadium is the real star. Having been to dozens of sporting events and venues across the country, I can say without doubt that AT&T is the most amazing stadium in which I have ever watched a game. It doesn’t have the character of a Wrigley or Green Bay, but it a remarkable achievement.

ICE!: The Gaylord puts together multiple Christmas activities for all ages. We went indoor sledding, ice skating met with Santa. The best thing we did, though, is an exhibit called ICE! where the creator makes elaborate ice sculptures and scenes from beloved Christmas stories. At the Gaylord in Grapevine, the theme was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and they did an awesome job. I do suggest that if you plan to partake, you dress warmly, including gloves. You will be provided with a parka, but it is just about 9 degrees, so layers definitely help.

Visit Oklahoma (and the Eiffel Tower): In order to spend time with some of my wife’s extended family, we also drove to Paris, TX. Paris is less than two hours from Dallas, and less than 20 minutes from Oklahoma. This was the second time that I have been to Oklahoma, and it was the same trip, right across the border, both times. I would love to spend more time in the Sooner State, as there appear to be some great things to do, but this checks the list for the kids. Paris also boasts its own Eiffel Tower, complete with cowboy hat. If you’re in the area, it is a can’t miss.

Thanksgiving is a great kick-off to the holiday season, and if I had the chance to spend it at the Gaylord again, I would. I recommend making dinner and breakfast reservations on nights when you know your plans in advance and bringing layers for the winter adventures, and it’ll be a great time.

Next up for the Traveling Igoes, a Christmas visit to St. Louis. It will likely not be accompanied by a blog post, but you never know. Moving into 2025, we’ve got a lot on the menu, including a trip to the Bahamas and to Michigan, but first, for Mardi Gras, we’ll be hitting up the elusive Virgin Islands National Park. Check back soon…

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Great Basin, Great Vacation

This year for Fall Break, we decided to head back to Nevada (our third time this year) to explore one of the country’s lesser visited National Parks, Great Basin. The park is over four hours from Vegas and three hours from Salt Lake. Flights being what they were, we flew into LAS, rented a car and headed north.

Aside from the travel arrangements, another reason we flew into Las Vegas was that Cathedral Gorge State Park is on the drive up. In the west, one must keep in mind that there are a plethora of state parks, some as impressive as their National Park neighbors.

What We Did

Cathedral Gorge State Park: we drove up Friday night and hit the park the next morning. We only spent about four hours there, which was enough, and it was a great four hours.

The Juniper Draw Loop is just over 3 miles and is one of the most popular trails in the park. If you plan to do the whole thing, I recommend going clockwise, as this saves all the best parts for the end.

If you are not wanting to do the whole hike, you can go clockwise and just go up to Miller Point, which is a steep climb offering great views of the park. You can also drive straight to the overlook, if you are not interested in the walk.

I also recommend, on this end of the loop, Cathedral Caves. While the ‘caves’ in Cathedral Gorge are actually slot canyons, they are really cool, and our kids loved climbing through them.

If you liked the Cathedral Caves, I strongly recommend the Moon Caves. This is a slightly different area with equally impressive slot canyons. There were a few areas that only my kids could fit into, which they found really exciting (and Alyson and I found really nerve wracking). Both Eileen and JR said this was their favorite part of our entire trip.

Great Basin National Park

Visitors Center: Great Basin has two VCs, Lehman and GB, and I recommend visiting both. The Lehman VC has an attached cafe with a much better gift shop attached.

Astronomy Program: Great Basin is a certified dark sky park, so people flock from all around to check out the star. We went to a ranger led program that was great. The skies were amazing, and one of the telescopes showed Saturn clear to the point that the rings were actually visible through the lens. It is a later night, and it was hard for our four year-old to sit through, but it was worth it.

Wheeler Scenic Drive: This drive up the mountain takes you past several great overlooks, including one of Nevada’s only glacier, and goes by most of the trails you will want to hike. It is also a good way to see all the changing leaves if you are there at the right time.

Alpine Lakes Loop: This 3-ish mile loop is at the termination of Wheel Drive and is one of the park’s most popular. We went counterclockwise, but I didn’t really see a lot of advantages to one way or the other. Frankly, I wasn’t as impressed with this hike as I had hoped. It goes by two alpine lakes, but at this time of year, my daughter suggested they were more like alpine ponds. It was a good trek but not particularly mind blowing.

If you don’t have young kids and/or are feeling like you need more, the Bristlecone Pine and Glacier Trails branch of the loop, but they add a lot of extra mileage.

Lehman Caves: This was my favorite part of our trip. We took a guided, 60 minute tour that revealed all sorts of great features in this living cave. I love a good cave, and this might be my favorite that we’ve toured in a National Park.

Strawberry Creek Road: To access this, you have to leave the park and drive north, then follow a dirt road back in. We were the only people for miles, which was pretty fantastic. At the end of the road, we did a 1-mile loop that goes along Strawberry Creek. This was a nice trail, but again, not all that amazing, except that we saw a family of deer, including a 10-point buck, which made it all worthwhile.

Where We Stayed

Swallow Cove B&B: There aren’t a lot of options to stay near Cathedral Gorge, which is why this place was such a pleasant surprise. We had a great room with plenty of space for five, and homemade breakfast in the morning. One of the best amenities was the key-less entry. We arrive late, so the host simply texted us the instructions. We had a completely contact-free check-in and check-out.

Hidden Canyon Retreat: This place is fantastic. There are also few lodging options for Great Basin, and this one is actually the further of the two. That said, it appeared to be the far better choice. The approach is a 6-mile dirt road, but once you’ve done it once, it is far less daunting. The room was great with a fully functioning kitchen. We bought supplies and cooked dinner both nights in our room. There’s a heated pool, a hot tub, several grills, a convenience store and several friendly animals (including a 5-point buck). Recently, our best experiences have been the ones where we really liked our lodging, and Hidden Canyon did not disappoint.

Where We Ate

Historic Silver Cafe: On the way out of Cathedral Gorge, we stopped at the Silver Cafe, the older cafe in Nevada. The food was decent, and they were showing college football, so it was a good experience. If there were other options, and it wasn’t historic, I am not sure we would’ve stopped, but there was nothing significant about which to complain.

Sugar, Salt & Malt: We ate here for lunch on Saturday, and it was solid. We all got sandwiches that hit the spot, and everyone was very friendly. The dinner menu looked interesting, but due to staffing issues, they were only open for lunch during our stay. There was also a note about the owners selling the establishment, but it was not clear whether that is a recent development or has already happened. Whether or not it is there when you go, I can’t say for sure. There are not a lot of options for food in Great Basin, so do your research and plan ahead.

Able Baker Brewing: This brewery is actually in Vegas, and is where we stopped for lunch on Monday before boarding a plane. I thought it was great, one of my favorite recent breweries. There were several food options that the whole family loved, and a plethora of beers. Whether or not you’re going to Great Basin, if you want a break from the Strip part of Vegas, this is cool spot.

Overall, Great Basin was a great trip, and Cathedral Gorge was a great addition. That said, I do not think I would put it in my top 10 National Parks. If you are looking for stunning scenery, breathtaking waterfalls and great trails with hidden wonders, this probably isn’t the park for you. That said, I do think that of Mammoth Cave, Wind Cave and Carlsbad Caverns, GBNP has my favorite cave system. If you are looking for seclusion, wide open spaces and a crystal clear night sky, then look no further.

Next up for the Traveling Igoes, we’re headed to Dallas for Thanksgiving to see Alyson’s family. We were able to get tickets to the Cowboys game, and I couldn’t be more excited. Whether you’re a Dallas fan or not, if you’re a football fa, Cowboys on Thanksgiving should be on your bucket list.

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Summertime in Tahoe

This July, we met my parents and three brother on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, in Stateline, for a week. We stayed in a VRBO on top of a mountain near the Heavenly Ski Resort. It was sold as a ski-in, ski-out, so it is primarily for winter use, but it made for a great summer home. It was basically two different three story units attached to one another, which worked well for our group of fourteen.

Lake Tahoe is quite expansive, so you have to plan what you do, what to see and where to eat based upon how much time you are willing to spend in the car. Getting up and down our mountain took a solid fifteen minutes, so that included, everything we did was at least half an hour away, so we really had to make the most of our time.

Hikes

Cascade Falls: I believe this was my favorite trail that we took on our trip. It is 1.3 miles out-and-back and does include some strenuous uphills and some scrambling. The effort is completely worth it. At the top, you find dozens of small cascades that you can play around in before they become a large waterfall. Not only do you get a great view of Lake Tahoe, but there is another, more secluded lake which is spectacular. Parking can be difficult, but going either early or later in the day can help.

Cave Rock: This is a short, popular hike with extremely limited parking. The initial approach is simple, but the end is a relatively vertical climb. This trail is most popular at sunset, so gets very crowded, but if you are willing to get there early, you can dangle your feet over the lake and watch the sun drop below the mountains.

Horsetail Falls: This is a great hike, but a good distance from where we were staying. It is hard time find exactly where this trail starts, but look for the Pyramid Peak parking lot. When you start up, I strongly suggest using AllTrails, because while the trail is marked, it is over a lot of stones, so it is not always clear where the pathway is. The best thing to do is follow the falls up, where you can find several small pools to swim in. Getting all the way to falls is difficult, and something we did not accomplish, but you get cool views of it all the way up.

Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake: This trail was by far the most difficult to park at. It is on the other side of the road from Emerald Bay, and there are multiple smaller lots, but we had to circle a lot to get a spot around 9:30 am. The hike up is two part, the first going along to Upper Eagle Falls, the second reaching an amazing mountain like. You should definitely go all the way. The trail was too difficult for my parents, but we made it with just a little difficulty.

Excurions

Clear Kayak Lake Tour: Tahoe Paddle Sports offers a really fun tour of Tahoe on the Nevada side. The clear kayaks are great and our guide was fantastic. It is not a super exhilarating, high-energy tour, but it was very relaxing and a nice way to see parts of the lake.

Rafting the American River: This was done through a friend of my brothers but is definitely something you should look into. It took us over an hour to reach the initial launch spot, but it was worth it. We basically did two tours. The older, more adventurous of us started at the top and took on some class 3+ rapids. We met the kids and grandparents halfway down, who joined us for a leisurely float for the rest of the day.

Boat Rental: Out of the Ski Run Marina, we rented two speed boats and a tube, each able to hold seven people. It was a lot of fun tossing the kids around on the tube and exploring the lake. It was also a good way to see Emerald Bay and get a close up look Fannette Island and the Tea House.

Beaches

Emerald Bay: Getting down to the Emerald Bay beach includes a solid 1 mile hike, once you’ve won the battle for parking. The hike is downhill, so super easy on the way down, not so much on the way up. The Vikingsholm House is at the bottom, so that is fun to see, and there are several vendors who rent things like kayaks and SUPs. If you’ve got the stamina for it, this trip is worth the walk.

Round Hill Pines: This is the beach where we spent a solid four or five hours. It doesn’t get nearly as crowded as some of the other options, but it just as impressive. The beach is gritty, but that is normal in the area, and there’s a restaurant and bar. We were also able to rent chairs, an umbrella and two jet skis for an hour.

Where We Ate

South of North Brewing Co: This brewery has decent food and decent beer and absolutely no parking. Our main reason for going was a Wednesday night trivia, which we won.

Artemis Lakefront Cafe: This Mediterranean restaurant is right on the water and kind of expensive. That said, the food was good, the view was great, and it was very convenient.

Riva Grill on the Lake: Riva is in the same Ski Run marina as Artemis. I prefer the former. Riva does have a great view, and the food was fine, but way over-priced with mediocre service.

Base Camp Pizza: This is a cool pizza place in the most popular part of town. It was good, but our favorite part was the large number of great appetizers they offered.

If you’ve never been to a ski town in the summer, you ought to consider it. We went to Breckinridge a few years ago and felt the same way. There is a lot to do and usually all sorts of great hikes. I usually try to offer advice at the end of our posts, things that I would do differently, but I really don’t have much to say. It wasn’t my favorite vacation ever, but it really was a lot of fun.

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Welcome to the Dakotas (both North and South)

This year, the bug struck again, and the Igoes set off in an RV across the great, wide North. If you’ve been following along, I broke our trip into a few different posts for the sake of readability but wanted to recap here and speak more to the trip itself than to the finer details.

We picked up our rig, a 24-foot Winnebago, in Rapid City, SD. If you are flying here, keep in mind that Uber XLs can be hard to get, so it was actually faster to get two separate Ubers. The owner the RV was not present when we arrived but left a key and texted several instructions. This actually does make things a bit more difficult. If you don’t RV all the time, you don’t know the basics of things like black valve then grey valve, how to prime the generator, etc. Our owner was quite helpful via phone call and text but getting a walk through is usually better.

The RV had one small slide out for the table bed, a nice bed in the back and the typical loft. We basically wedged Clara in her car seat next to the table, and she spent most nights with JR in the loft, the largest of the sleeping areas. I strongly recommend walking around the outside of the RV and walking through with your camera on so that you can document anything that existed prior to your trip, damage-wise. It was not an issue this time around, but our last trip involved a dispute that was resolved in our favor due to our foresight.

In terms of lodging, we try to stay at KOAs when possible; we have never had a bad experience. That said, there isn’t always one close by, so you have to do some digging. Be sure to read what exactly each site offers. For us, we need full hook-ups and a comfort center (which just means bathrooms and showers). We use the restroom in the RV when necessary but try to minimize it when possible.

This year, thankfully, I hit neither a gas station nor a Dairy Queen, so that’s a plus. The thing one must take into account with every turn of an RV is that the radius is far different than a regular car. You’ve got to give yourself a wide berth and have to be quite careful whilst changing lanes.

All told, if you are willing to take the plunge, I think you’ll love it. Driving an RV is great, and if your kids are the right ages (and constitutions), it makes memories that will last forever.

Our Itinerary

Day 1: We left the Rapid City airport, picked up the RV, drove through Wal-Mart and stayed the night at the Fall River Ranch RV resort, just south of Wind Cave NP.

Day 2: We got up early and spent a few hours at Wind Cave. The cave itself was closed, but I have been before, and it shouldn’t be missed. Above ground, there’s a nice hike called Rankin Ridge, which was definitely worth our time. From there, we went to Jewel Cave and took a short but fascinating tour. We drove back around to the other side of Custer State Park and went to the Cosmos Mystery Area. It’s cool, it’s kitschy, and it’s a good way to kill an hour. We finished the day with a Buffalo Jeep Safari out of the south end of Custer, which was pretty spectacular.

Day 3: We stayed that night at the Mount Rushmore KOA, got up early and went to Mount Rushmore. This is a place that should be visited by every American. Following that, we took a short drive to Crazy Horse Memorial, which while currently unfinished, is still really impressive. We hiked the Cathedral Spires trail that afternoon and spent the rest of the day at Rushmore Tramway Adventures. A note, if you’re driving an RV, you cannot make it through the Needles or Iron Mountain highways.

Day 4: We woke again at the Rushmore KOA and took the kids rock climbing with Sylvan Rock. This took a solid 4 hours, and afterwards, we tried to hike Hippie Hole, but it was inaccessible. Instead, we drove to Deadwood, watched a wild west show and had a nice dinner. We spent that evening at the Spearfish KOA.

Day 5: This was one of my favorite days. We drove into the Spearfish Canyon area and visited Bridal Veil Falls, Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls. All three are great and shouldn’t be missed. We hiked Devil’s Bathtub that afternoon. It’s a cool trail but was very crowded. From there, we drove to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. It’s pretty amazing, but there’s not much to do other than take a nice, long look. Following DT, we took our first long drive into North Dakota, to Theodore Roosevelt NP and stayed at the Boots Campground.

Day 6: We spent this whole day exploring TRNP. We started out with a 1 hour horse back ride from Medora Stables, which was a lovely introduction. We spent the majority of the rest of our time in the North Unit, in particular the Caprock Coulee trail. This park is incredible; it was definitely a high point for me. We changed campgrounds that night, due to a mistake on my end, and moved to the Red Trail Campground.

Day 7: This day included our second long drive, from TRNP down to the Badlands. It’s about a five hour drive, and while it’s scenic, there’s nowhere to stop in between. Our first stop was at Minuteman Missile NHS. It’s pretty cool, especially if you’re game for a Cold War history lesson. We spent the rest of this day in and out of the Badlands, including a hike along the Notch Trail and a sunset at Bigfoot Pass. We stayed that night at the Badlands KOA, which was more than adequate.

Day 8: Our last full day on the road, and we spent it all in the Badlands. We hiked the Saddle Pass, Medicine Root and Castle Trails, all very impressive and can be put together to make a nice loop. We also visited the White River Visitors Center at the far end of the park. Unless you’ve got literally nothing else to do, you can skip this stop. We at that night in Interior, SD, a town of 91, at a great little dive call the Wagon Wheel.

Day 9: We stayed that last night in the same KOA and headed back to Rapid City. On our way out, we stopped at Wall Drugs for breakfast, and the experience. If you’re in the area, you shouldn’t miss it.

This was a great trip, and while it might be a bit before we rent another rig, I cannot wait to do it again.

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Into the Badlands (RV Days 7 & 8)

After leaving North Dakota, we made the long trek south towards Badlands National Park. This was the longest drive of our journey, about five hours, and we legitimately tried to find something to do along the way. It turns out that between Theodore Roosevelt NP and Badlands NP, there isn’t anything to do. It is a very scenic drive, but we found nowhere to stop.

We spend about a day and a half in the Badlands area, which was definitely enough to see what we wanted to see. The park is expansive and has multiple units, and much of it is under the care of a Native American nation. The area is very visitor friendly, but it can take quite some time to get from one end to the other.

What We Did

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: If you are in the area for more than half a day, it is worth it to stop at this NPS site. It memorializes the nuclear arms race that occurred during the Cold War. There is a lot of interesting history here, and you can actually visit a decommissioned nuclear launch silo. Especially if you are an NPS passport book holder, this site is worth your time.

Notch Trail: This is one of the most popular trails in the park, and when you get there, you’ll know why. It is at the same parking lot as the Door and Window trails, and it can get crowded. Take the path to the right for the Notch Trail, and about 10 minutes in, you’ll find a rope ladder ascending the topography. It can get backed up, which is a good reason to go early. The trail itself is about 1.5 miles out-and-back, and terminates with an expansive panorama. If you have time for only one trail in the Badlands, this should be it.

Castle, Medicine Root and Saddle Pass Trails: In terms of additional hiking, there are several trails that crisscross the Badlands, and you’ve got the option to choose your adventure. The Castle Trail moves east-west across the park but is a long way in one direction. Instead of hiking the entire route, we started at the Saddle Pass Trail Head.

This is less than half a mile, but you go straight up into the heart of the Badlands. It is more of a climb than a hike, but it is a lot of fun. At the top, you come to one of the intersections of the Castle Trail and Medicine Root Trail. If you combine these, you get a really nice loop.

We went counterclockwise along Medicine Root, which offered beautiful, expansive views. The way back along the Castle Trail takes you by the classic stony architecture of the Badlands. Combined, these three tails create about a 4.5-mile lollipop. It was a great way to see the park.

Sunset: One of the top things to do in the Badlands is to watch the sunset. In this park, it is not so much watching the sun drop below the hills that draws the crowds but watching the way the shadows envelop the stony outcroppings. The Pinnacles is one of the most popular spots, but evidently, gets quite crowded. At the suggestion of another blogger, we stopped at the Bigfoot Pass Overlook. We had it almost completely to ourselves, and the views were spectacular.

White River Visitors Center: This is the VC located in the southwest unit of the park. The drive to get there is scenic but time consuming. When we arrived, we found a trailer with two rangers who seemed annoyed to see us. Unless you are looking for a way to kill a few hours, this is probably not worth your time.

Where We Stayed

Badlands/White River KOA: While KOAs are not always the right choice, for us, on this trip, they were. This KOA is only a few miles from the south entrance to the main part of the park. It was nothing special, but the kids played on the playground and swam both nights, and the proprietors were quite friendly.

Where We Ate

Wagon Wheel: Aside from the RV itself, we had a great meal in a local bar in Interior, SD. This city has a population of only 91 but still has a fun bar and grill. When you go, get the beer and get the pizza. Everything else is frozen, but they make the pizza on-site. It might not be the best you have ever eaten, but it certainly hits the spot.

Wall Drugs: This was originally a drug store in the 1800s but has developed almost into a Buc-ee’s style venue. We got breakfast here, and a pair of socks, but could have gotten almost anything we wanted. There’s ice cream, shopping, a fudgery and multiple restaurants, all under the Wall umbrella. The food was good but the experience was superb.

This was the last stop on our 8 day RV trip. We made our way back the Rapid City and jumped on a flight back home. This was my second visit to the Badlands, and I am still quite awed. If all you have is one day, that’s probably enough. Unless you’re doing back country camping, three days is probably too much.

There is so much to do in South Dakota that it can be overwhelming, but if you are there, be sure to prioritize the Badlands; you won’t be disappointed.

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Teddy Roosevelt National Park (RV – Day 6)

We left Wyoming, cruised up through Montana and made our way to Theodore Roosevelt NP. This is amongst the country’s least visited parks, and this is really a shame. TRNP is nothing short of spectacular and should be on the list for any outdoor enthusiast.

The park consists of three separate units, North, South and Elkhorn Ranch. We visited both the North and South, but skipped the ranch. The ranch is where Teddy Roosevelt sought solitude after his mother and his wife both died on the same Valentine’s Day. From what I have been led to understand, this is really only worth visiting if you are a huge TR buff, so we skipped it.

What We Did

Horseback Riding: We got up early and headed for the Medora Stables. This is a nice outfit just outside of the South. We did a one hour tour up and down the hills and into the wilderness. It was a nice trip with good guides and good horses and was a nice intro to the park.

Caprock Coulee Trail: From here, we set off for the North unit, about an hour away, which is the more impressive of the two sections. The Caprock Coulee trail is a 4.4 mile loop, and I recommend going clockwise. The sights are spectacular. The terrain is very similar to the Badlands except with a lot more greenery. There is not much to do other than hike, but it is a great place to find wide open spaces.

South Unit Scenic Loop Drive: This is a fun excursion with lots of good places to stop and take pictures, but much of it was closed due to construction. The Visitors Center is worth stopping and getting your book stamped, but frankly, the place to be is the North Unit.

Little Missouri Saloon: This restaurant in Medora was fantastic. I got a bison burger, and Alyson and the kids got a bison pepperoni pizza. Every time I eat bison, I wonder why I tried it again, as it is extremely gamy, but when in Rome…The beer was good, the atmosphere is great and the balcony offers great views.

Where We Stayed

Boots Campground: This RV park is about 3 miles from the south entrance to the park. It has full hook-ups but does not have shower/bathroom facilities. I did not realize this when we booked (which was my fault) so we only stayed the one night and moved elsewhere the next night.

Red Trial Campgrounds: This park didn’t have extensive amenities but offered all the basics, including a comfort center. The wifi was good, and it was a lot better fit for our family.

We stayed at TRNP for two nights and one full day. This is probably all the time you’ll need unless you really want to see Roosevelt’s house. There is not a ton to do here, and it is not very built out, but I loved it.

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Spearfish, Deadwood and Devil’s Tower (RV Days 4 and 5)

After we left the Custer State Park region of the Black Hills, we headed Northwest towards Spearfish Canyon. This area is still part of the Black Hills but distinct from Custer. It is also the close to Deadwood and only about an hour from Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. If you’ve got the time, all three of these areas need to be visited.

What We Did

Bridal Veil Falls: This water fall is pretty, and is right off the road one takes to reach the other two falls in the Spearfish area. I recommend checking this one out first. There’s a nice overlook, but that’s about all that it is.

Roughlock Falls: We did this second of the three falls. You’ll need to park behind the lodge in the area, and then there is a pretty easy 2-mile out-and-back that leads to a beautiful green, rolling set of waterfalls. If you don’t feel like hiking, you can actually drive up to a parking lot at the top of the falls, but the hike is definitely worth it.

Spearfish Falls: This was my favorite of the three falls, and I think my favorite thing we did. You leave from the same parking lot and access the trail from behind a restaurant (where you are forbidden to park). The hike is less than a mile round trip and leads to a spectacular waterfall where we stayed and relaxed for at least half an hour.

Devil’s Bathtub: This is a very unique trail in the Spearfish area. There’s little total elevation gain, but it is a lot of ups and downs. You end up crossing the creek probably a dozen times, so you’ll definitely get wet. If you’ve got sturdy water shoes, that’s the way to go. Several times, we thought we’d reached the end but just keep going; you’ll know when you get there. Aside from a few dozen other people, there’s an obvious natural water slide, that whilst bumpy, was fun. Personally, this trail was a little too…popular for me, but Eileen claims it was her favorite part of the trip.

Deadwood: This historic western town has been commercialized with shows and casinos but shouldn’t be missed. We made it in time to see an old west shootout take place on Main St. and got to visit Charlie Utter’s. Especially if you enjoyed the HBO show, you’ll love the visit. We ate at the Buffalo Bodega, which is also a casino, but it had a lovely courtyard. The food was as expected, but we had a nice time. If you’ve ever been to Tombstone, Deadwood feels very similar, and if you’re in the area, don’t miss out.

Devil’s Tower National Monument: This unique formation is incredible inspiring. The views are you approach are amazing, and the opportunities for great pictures abound. That said, there’s not actually a lot to do there. If you plan ahead, you can actually climb portions of the monument, but I do not believe it is for novices. We took the trail that circumnavigates the tower, and it is pretty cool, but if all you have is time to get a look, that’s about all you need. We arrived at around 2 pm, and the line to get in took about 30 minutes. On our way out, at around 4, there was almost no line, so plan accordingly.

Where We Stayed

Spearfish KOA: This is a solid KOA. It’s nothing over-the-top like the Mount Rushmore KOA, but it was a fun place to stay. It had a nice store, a nice pool and solid wifi.

The Spearfish area was probably my favorite part of the trip. If you are in the Black Hills, there’s no doubt that you need to spend time in Custer but don’t hesitate to take a day and head towards Wyoming. There’s a lot to see here, and you won’t be disappointed.

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The Black Hills and Custer State Park (RV Days 1, 2 and 3)

It’s been over two years since the family’s last RV trip, and we were do. The first Friday after all three of the kids (and Alyson) were off school, we zipped up to Rapid City, SD, picked up an RV through Outdoorsy and made for the hills. This trip was an eight day adventure, but for the purposes of the blog, I am going to break into a few distinct parts.

What We Did

Wind Cave NP: Wind Cave is a National Park on the southern end of the Black Hills in South Dakota. It is unique in that it features extensive box work patterns. I visited once as a teenager and was impressed. Unfortunately, this summer, the elevator is being replaced, so the cave itself was not accessible. The above ground acreage is extensive, and there is some cool stuff, including the Rankin Ridge Trail (which should be walked clockwise), but without the cave, there’s not actually that much reason to go. We knew ahead of time, but also knew we were going to South Dakota, and the chances of going back anytime soon seemed slim, so we went to get our books stamped. It would have been a lot better with a cave tour.

Jewel Cave NM: Jewel Cave, whilst only a National Monument, is consider by some the better of the two caves. It is much more alive with all sorts of different features. Tickets are required and can be obtained through recreation.gov. Be careful you buy the correct tickets. I mistakenly booked the Discovery Tour, which is only 20 minutes, only one room, and probably only for seniors. You want the Scenic Tour, which I also took in my teens, which is great. What we saw was still really cool but not as great as it could have been.

Cosmos Mystery Area: This experience is a bit of kitsch, a bit Gravity Falls, and is a fun way to spend about an hour. Some blogs we read prior stated this was the best thing they did in the Black Hills, which for us, it was not, but it was a unique way to spend an afternoon. The Mystery Area is a unique place, gravitationally speaking, in the Black Hills. Depending on where a person stands, he or she appears to grow or shrink. In one room, you have little choice by to stand at a 45 degree angle. In another, a ball rolls down one railing and right back up a parallel one. It is probably a hoax, but the kids enjoyed it, and it was less than $70 for all of us.

Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour: This tour takes you along the southern loop of Custer State Park with the goal of seeing the local wildlife. The jeeps are open air, and a bit bumpy at times, and can seat at least 9 comfortably. In terms of the geography of the park, Custer is similar to Yellowstone, if on a smaller scale, in that the southern half is very different from the northern. The lower portion is a bit flatter and much more grassy. Almost immediately, we found hundreds of hilarious ground hogs, a few dozen antelope (yes, antelope) and one coyote. Oh, and several hundred bison less than a few feet away. If the name of the tour bothers you, it has evidently become acceptable in areas where they actually exist to refer to bison as buffalo.

Crazy Horse Memorial: This is a really interesting site. You can buy advanced tickets to enter the grounds, then a $5 ride to the base of the monument or a $120 ride that will get you up to the chieftain’s face. We wanted to do the latter, but the timing wasn’t right, so we visited the base. I saw this monument about 25 years ago and progress, while moving forward, has been very slow. That said, if and when it’s finished, it will be amazing. If you’re able, I recommend the face tour, as we heard great things from some Texans we met at a bar. Keep in mind these tours go every hour on the hour. The base tours go far more frequently.

Mount Rushmore: If you’re going to the Black Hills, you can’t in good conscience miss this mountain. I’ve heard other say they found it underwhelming. I have now been twice and both times found it inspiring. There is a nice hike around the grounds that gets you different viewpoints, and a lot of history in the Visitors Center. This feels like a bucket list items for any American. It doesn’t take more than an hour or two, and it is worth every minute.

Cathedral Spires: This trail is in the heart of the Black Hills, and is a 1.6 mile out-and-back. Parking is limited, but since the trail is not that long, turnover is high. This was probably our favorite hike in the hills, with really stunning scenery throughout and a satisfying payoff at the end. It does include some scrambling, but nothing our 3 year old couldn’t handle.

The Needles/Iron Mountain Roads: One of the iconic things to do in Custer State Park is to drive the Needles and the Iron Mountain roads. The highways themselves are only a few miles, but they are windy and scenic, and crisscross the park, so the drive requires time and patience. The Needles offers several one-way tunnels that are exhilarating, and the Iron Mountains offers the same. I recommend going North to South on the Needles and the opposite for the Iron Mountains. A few of the latter tunnels open up to picturesque views of Mount Rushmore. We had to rent a car from our KOA for this. If you were thinking about trying in an RV, don’t; you’ll get stuck and ruin everyone’s week.

Rushmore Tramway Adventure: This was just a nice break from all the driving, hiking and photo-capturing for the kids. Alyson and the older two did a 5-line zip which they loved, while Clara and I rode the alpine sled and tube slide. There are a few other outfitters in Keystone that offer similar excursions; we find it to be a nice way to break up any potential monotony for the younglings.

Rock Climbing: Sylvan Rock Climbing took Jonathan and Eileen into the park to scale several of the spires. It took about 4 hours and was totally worth it. The guides were great, everything was perfectly safe and the scenery was special, even for those of us who weren’t actually climbing.

Where We Stayed

Fall River Ranch RV Resort: The first night, we stayed at an RV park in close proximity to Wind Cave. It was nothing special, but they had full hooks, a very nice restroom/shower complex and a wonderful owner. I would recommend it to anyone.

Mount Rushmore KOA: This place was bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. It’s now a Holiday run KOA, but is really more of a resort. It’s right in the heart of Custer State Park and has everything. There’s a restaurant, a bar, ice cream, rental vehicles available, a pancake breakfast and much, much more. If you are looking for solitude, this is not the place for you, but if you want a pool with a water slide, check it out.

This all took us about 60 hours, and then we moved northwest into the Spearfish area. It was a great start, and we were able to fill out days. The best decision we made was to rent a car for a day so that we could make our way through the entirety of the park.

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Guaranteed (Fun) Rate Field

As the school year came to a close in 2024, my wife and eldest daughter went on a service trip to Nicaragua, starting on Memorial Day weekend and lasting for 8 days. To keep the wander lust as bay, Clara, JR and I decided to take a short jaunt to Chicago and catch a White Sox home game.

If you are asking why in the world did we choose the White Sox, the answer is pretty straightforward. For one, it is a direct flight from NOLA to Chicago, which made traveling with a three year old a lot easier. Two, we had never been, and I would like to see a ball game in home stadium of every team. Counting the ChiSox, I am up to fourteen.

We were in Chicago for less than 24 hours total, but we had a great time. There’s so much to do there, that we could go back again and have a completely different experience.

What We Did

Stax Cafe: We arrived quite early, and the game didn’t start until 1:10 pm, so our first stop was at Stax for pancakes. There are at least two of these in Chicago, and I was very impressed. They have a very diverse menu for breakfast and for lunch, and have several options for kids. All three of us got pancakes, and while JR, who is a bit of a pancake snob, said they weren’t the best he’s ever had, they were definitely above average. We were all very satisfied.

Maggie Daley Park: This is a great public play area right off the water in downtown Chicago. It has a lot to offer, and while we didn’t have a ton of time, we managed to get in 18 holes of mini golf and about 45 minutes on the playgrounds. There’s a lot more to do in this area, and it has great options for kids. We probably could have spent the whole day there. The only drawback is that parking is kind of confusing and kind of expensive.

White Sox Game: If you were too suggest that the White Sox stadium has the worst name in baseball, I wouldn’t disagree. That said, the stadium itself is quite impressive. While it isn’t in the best part of the city, the area immediately surrounding the stadium is great. There is ample parking, and since the team is pretty mediocre at the moment, we were able to park less than five minutes away.

There is a large Kids’ Zone in the outfield, but we actually didn’t take advantage of it. JR said the pretzel was a 6 out of 10, which is much higher than Philadelphia, and Clara easily took care of a hot dog. My only complaint about the food is that they didn’t have any candy (as far as we could tell), which helps to get a three year old through 3 hours of ball.

My favorite things about the White Sox experience are the batters eye and City Connect jerseys. Centerfield is lovely copse of green trees and bushes that creates a much more esthetic batters’ eye than does a simple green wall. While they weren’t wearing their City Connect jersey’s that day, I think the White Sox’ is one of the best. I see little reason to ever go back the Guaranteed Rate, but I would definitely recommend it.

Lou Malnati’s: We closed the night with deep dish pizza and spaghetti at Lou Malnati’s. I am not expert in Chicago-style pizza; frankly, it’s not my favorite. That said, the food was good, the beer was cold and the people were friendly, so what could there be to complain about?

We had a great, brief experience in Chicago, and while the Sox field certainly doesn’t compare to Wrigley, it certainly isn’t at the bottom of the list of stadiums that we’ve visited. It probably doesn’t make the list of must-do things in Chicago, but for the MLB fans hoping to visit every stadium, Guaranteed Rate is more than just a box to check, it was a very pleasant experience. We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express (which was not very nice) near the airport and caught the early flight home.

Next up, we’ve got an RV trip through the Dakotas, so stay tuned to see if I hit another Dairy Queen.