Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota
So pretty much just like everyone else in the world, Covid-19 really changed up our travel plans for the 2020-2021 year.. in huge ways. In 2020, my husband (Shane) and I planned to travel to Hawaii for a mom/dad only vacation, and we also planned to do our first full-out family vacation with Anna (1 at the time) to Cincinnati, Ohio for (you guessed it) a wedding. You might know how this story ends.. but maybe not. Instead of traveling, we decided to.. wait for it...
Have a baby!
Okay, the truth? We planned to start trying for baby #2 after our vacation to Hawaii. When that vacation felt more like sand slipping through our fingertips than in between our toes, we started trying. Although we still started trying around the same time as the ex-planned Hawaii trip, we did feel more validated in our plans to grow our family.
But like all good laid plans, God ultimately is in control. It took us a few long months to get pregnant, which I know may not seem long at all for others and I am absolutely aware of that. Fast forward and my cousin's wedding in Cincinnati was rescheduled to a date close to baby's due date. So here we are in 2021 having no vacations in the last year, no upcoming vacations planned, and pregnant.
Oh, did I tell you I became a stay-at-home-mom or did I leave that out?
One amazing thing that came out of Covid was that it made me realize just how important it was for me to care for my family. We were in the financial position that allowed me to stay home with the kids, and I'm thankful for that because I know not everyone can. But I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard.
Going from a constant flow of social interactions at work, networking and phone calls to a toddler being my boss was quite an adjustment for sure! The transition of work-from-home-with-a-toddler for a month was also tough. (I honestly have no idea how you all did it for so long.) We were quarantining ourselves as much as possible because of the pregnancy. So, staying home was really lonely at first for sure. If it wasn't for some really amazing stay-at-home-mom friends, I don't think I would have been able to stay home full time for long. I'm forever grateful to them. (You know who you are.)
Our whole family needed a vacay for our mental health.
Obviously, our kids' safety is absolutely #1 priority in all we do. No exception. At the same time, our family had been cooped up in the house for basically a year and underwent major work stresses of navigating the new and unknown, making some really hard decisions in the corporate world, and navigating the newness and challenges of staying home.
When deciding where to travel to, we knew it had to be remote yet safe, somewhere with outdoor (and operational) activities, and within driving distance. (If you aren't familiar with my blog yet, we live in South Dakota and the nearest PF Changs is 107 miles away.) Okay, we are on the same page now. The safe bet?
The Black Hills
The Black Hills National Forest is a small mountain range from South Dakota to Wyoming most commonly known for Mount Rushmore located in Keystone, South Dakota. It's pretty neat, and Keystone was less than 500 miles from where we live. So we did it!
Here's what was on the itinerary:
Hear me out! Available during the off-season, these Igloos are surprisingly warm for a lovely family picnic ranging from $25-35 to rent out. Reserve your igloo here. Grab a drink, the food special and enjoy the fresh air (or cozy up inside). This was by far our favorite part of the trip. We all needed a little R&R in our bubble. If you're not a beer fan, the sister company Prairie Berry Winery is right next door so you can grab yourself a glass of Red Ass Rhubarb Wine.
A caramel latte with almond milk came with me to Miner Brewing Co. from TurtleTown Coffee and it was such a cute shop with loads of speciality candy. A specialty meats store was next door where we picked up beef jerky. I really enjoyed the latte and chocolates from TurtleTown Coffee!
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Cozy little cabin off a main road a few miles from Mount Rushmore. Stellar hosts. Food and other attractions nearby. In the middle of nature. Here's a screenshot of an Instagram story to prove to you how gorgeous the natural light there is in this rental. The owners are next door. There is one bedroom and bunks in the entry, so I would recommend this for anyone with a smaller family. It doesn't have a stove or oven although it does have other small appliances to make up for that. Be prepared to do cold meat sandwiches, take out or be creative with cooking!
The main attraction! Or so we thought! It was cold and windy, the trails were closed for maintenance and it was so muddy. I've been here before when it was much nicer out and it was fab, fab, fab. We got our infamous picture in front of the faces and ran inside to the cafe to warm up. I would say that if you are a first timer, you'll definitely want to check this out during peak season to avoid construction and maintenance repairs.
Bear Country is great, but if you want a free wildlife attraction, definitely check this out! Open all year round, the Wildlife Loop is near Custer, SD.
Additional Activities
We love to hike and there are SO MANY trails you can do! If traveling during off season, you'll need to do some research to ensure the trail you'd like to hike is still open. A safe bet is to look for the trails marked easy. I use this app to find hiking trails. The Mammoth Site and Museum in Hot Springs was so interesting, and Anna really enjoyed her time there with the "elephants". The petting zoo & horse rides were closed when we were there, but we enjoyed seeing the farmers' horses. Helicopter and ATV rides are available for anyone looking for a bit of adventure. And if you are traveling West, definitely make a pitstop at Wall, SD where there is a little main street made for traveling tourists with activities for kids, ridable statues, shopping, and lots of sweet treats.
Some things you should know
Peak season is after Memorial Day and before Labor Day. If you are traveling any time before or after that, you may find more maintenance at site-seeing locations and trails and weird hours not listed on Google (if open at all.) Always call before arriving if you can. We went BEFORE peak season during Covid and still had a blast! There's plenty to do.
You should also know, you are traveling to a national forest. Expect and be prepared for natural wild fires. Keep an eye on signs all around you showing likelihood of fire, look for smoke, and keep this page bookmarked in your phone. Be prepared for spotty service in the mountains and isolated areas. Expect to pay entrance fees into the Badlands. More information here. There aren't fees into the Black Hills themselves.
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