Having family in San Diego, our family trips often consisted of time with family in San Diego. When our youngest was 3, we decided it was time to take a family trip somewhere that WASN’T San Diego. I realize how silly that sounds, San Diego is an amazing place! Having met and married there, it will always be dear to us! But it’s not really a family vacation when there are so many friends and family to visit. We had never seen Mt. Rushmore and chose this as our spot for a weekend trip in 2006.

It was such a great trip! The kids all enjoyed it, the drive wasn’t too bad, about six hours from Denver. We stopped along the way and saw the Custer County Courthouse, the Mammoth Site, and rode the 1880 train in the Black Hills. I think the train was the highlight for our son Jarod. Being the only boy, he was excited it was a train ride, and not another doll museum.

And if you’re all the way up there, you’ve GOT to visit Bear Country U.S.A. Now that was crazy fun! We had a nice, big, comfy Suburban to drive through in, I can’t imagine going through with a tiny car! It was awesome to be so close to the animals!