the best vacation EVER

So over the labor day weekend our little family packed up the mini-van (I should use the term "packed" lightly - it was more like cramming or stuffing to the brim) and headed westward. South Dakota was our destination, Interstate 90 was our route, and the trusty Ford Freestar was our chariot.

What's that you say? South Dakota is boring? South Dakota is a snooze? South Dakota is not a vacation destination? Well...let me tell you....you are one wrong puppy if this is your response. We had a BLAST!

The whole trip was very Griswold Family Vacation - we packed our own sandwiches, slept in a tent or cheap (CHEAP) motels, and spent as little money as possible. But let me tell you, it was so darn fun!

We saw a ton - the Corn Palace in Mitchell, Mount Rushmore, Rapid City, the Badlands, the Black Hills, Custer State Park...I could go on and on. There's a ton to do and we barely scraped the surface. We had a great time watching the landscape change from the bluffs of our hometown, to the cornfields of western Minnesota, to the rolling prairie, to the desert in the badlands, to the dramatic Black Hills. We saw tons of wildlife, did lots of cheesy family activities, and just enjoyed our little family. Mary was a dream and barely fussed at all (even though we spent almost 40 hours in our vehicle in a matter of 5 days).

Kurt and I kept getting excited and talking about future family car trips...seriously, it's the way to go.

Anyway, here's some fun pics from our trip. Enjoy!