The Black Hills of Dakota

I’m snuggling Kai in a campsite near Mount Rushmore and I can hear Doris Day’s Calamity Jane singing “Take me back to the Black Hills, the Black Hills of Dakota!” It rained last night, but the glorious sun is shining and we’re surrounded by blue sky and lush greenery.  We’ve been awake since 5:30, but the kids have entertained themselves all morning in an enormous mud puddle waiting for the pool to open.

Our family is on our first major road trip across the country, traveling from Illinois to our original Washington home. I am notorious for hating car trips. Oh, and camping. Everyone knows I have a bladder the size of a pea, an aversion to being trapped in the car for prolonged periods, and think “camping” is staying in a bad motel. We can’t afford 4 plane tickets, though, so it’s 2 adults, 3 kids under 5, and a mini-van for us. We’re prepared with a plethora of snacks and new 5 dollar videos from Wally-world to play on our borrowed portable DVD players. It could be miserable or the adventure of a lifetime.

A three-week vacation with my husband is a treasure, so I decided to approach this trip with an open mind and to leave my worries in Illinois.

And you know what? No one is more surprised by me that it’s working! We left at 3:45 am yesterday and arrived at our destination at 7:45 pm local time.We stopped 4 times, 3 for gas and none because I had to pee! The kids were fantastic, considering, and the view along the way gorgeous. I even gave up plans to sleep in the van with baby and we slept in a tent – in the rain! – with the family. And I enjoyed myself.


We’re seeing the sites today, then headed to Idaho for a family reunion.  We’ll spend some time in Washington, then see more of the country on our trip home. It’s nothing I ever imagined doing, let alone liking. Wish us luck on our long drive this evening. For now, I’m going to soak up some sun, see some sites, and enjoy my family!