Planning post: South Dakota

Years ago, one of my besties moved to Idaho for a year. She and some of our friends packed her up and drove her all the way out there, and then drove back without her. So now that I'm less than a month away from my next road trip, of course those friends were the ones to ask, "What are you going to do in South Dakota?"

Nick and I decided to go on a whim, basically. He drove there a few years back with a friend, by way of LA. Meaning they drove out to LA, had lunch with me, and then continued on to Mt. Rushmore, all in five days. This'll be another crazy road trip for him, because we're going to head out after work, drive as far as we can before stopping for the night, move on to Rushmore, and then drive back. It's a fourteen hour drive, and we're totally going to do it in a weekend. I get a lot of weird looks about that, but I figure the people who give them are just gonna have to get used to me.

We're still in the planning stages, and to be fair with a fourteen hour drive any plans we make could very well have to get scrapped, but people have been surprisingly forthcoming with recs on what to do. We're definitely going to see Mt. Rushmore because I never have, and also because there's enough walking that I should kick ass in the Weekend Warrior Fitbit challenge my friends are going to get hit with. Custer State Park was recced if we want to drive around and see buffalo, with the warning that they might charge your car. I want to avoid that part but I've gotten it into my head that I need to see some bison. I've heard mixed reviews about Bear Country USA, but they'll be closed when we're there anyway. I've heard that we have to see the badlands, and on the way don't forget to stop at Wall Drug and the Jolly Green Giant statue.

I want to do all of it. Whether we can remains to be seen. Good thing I still have three weeks to obsessively look at websites and try to plan in my head! If you've got any more recommendations, drop 'em here and I will thank you.