I Found The Perfect Summer Vacation Destination
Looking for a great summer vacation destination? Badlands, South Dakota is packed full of fun for the whole family.
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I’m always on the look out for great places to take the whole family for fun-filled Summer vacations. I recently stumbled upon the Badlands of South Dakota and was blown away by all the amazing things to see and do. After I show you what I’ve discovered, you’ll want to check out this amazing vacation destination too!
I was surprised to learn, from our home in Colorado the Badlands are only about five hours away. That’s a totally doable drive for a Summer vacation with two children! One of the first things I would love to see is the most famous large-scale mountain sculpture in the state (located near Keystone in the Black Hills)….Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
The figures, by artist Gutzon Borglum, represent America’s most prominent U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Can you believe the four “great faces” of the presidents are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall?! I’m pretty sure seeing that would blow Sebastian’s mind!
Another fun place Chris and Britton would love to explore is the Black Hills National Forest.
We all love to hike, so an opportunity to explore some beautiful trails and amazing scenic byways is great fun for this family of four. Little fun fact: The name “Black Hills” comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa, which mean “hills that are black.” From a distance, these pine-covered hills, rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie, appear to be black.
Oh, and guess what?! We could see bears! Look at how cute they are…
From the comfort of our own vehicle, we can tour Bear Country USA —-were black bears, mountain lions, wolves, elk, & other North American wildlife are in their natural environment. And there’s a Babyland area where we can see younger, smaller animals like the cub pictured above. I don’t know who would love that more, the boys or Chris and I! 😉
And since the boys love animals, I think a visit to the Reptile Gardens might be fun. I mean, come on. Who doesn’t love a giant Aldabra tortoise?!
See, I told you there was a ton to see and do in the Black Hills! And I just listed a few things, there’s a ton more to see and explore HERE! I hope in a month or so we will be able to see all of it in person.
