"We Hate Road-trips!" said None of Us, Ever.

It truly amazes me that a few days ago I was cruising across state lines by the hour, and right now I am ordinarily sitting here in Fort Collins drinking an iced chai. Yesterday Aj, Danielle, & I decided to tackle Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota in less than 24 hours. And it was fantastic.

We left the apartment around 6:30am and jumped on the interstate. The Wyoming state line is becoming quite familiar to us now! But Nebraska, on the other hand, was new for 2/3 of us. . .

Yes, a car full of guys might have pulled over and asked if we were okay moments after this picture was taken. And yes, we were okay, we just love state signs! But shout-out to them for being so sweet as to check on us, since we truly were in the middle of nowhere. 

As we drove on through Nebraska, we came across something that could have very easily passed as the highlight of the day: Carhenge. Yes - Alliance, NE has their own version of the Stonehenge, and it is impressive. So here are a few snapshots of us being absolutely ridiculous in the middle of the best roadside attraction ever. . . 

Naturally after visiting Carhenge, we really couldn't imagine the day getting any more amazing, but we drove on -- straight across the border into South Dakota. Now on a side-note, I would like to inform you that the directions we were given were a sea of tiny little two lane highways, intertwined between different pieces of Native American land & National Parks. It was just us and the road for mile after mile by the time we reached Kyle, SD, home of the Badlands. 

      

Now like I said, I would really like to request a name change - this place was the farthest thing from bad, it was gorgeous. It wasn't only the look of it all that made it beautiful, but the feeling it gave to anyone who entered. The Badlands are the embodiment of freedom. Somehow a place you've never set foot on before in your life can hug you with its warm winds, sing to you with the strings of a million tiny grass blades, and make you feel like you belong. There is no other way to describe it, you simply must go & experience it for yourself someday. 

At this point in our day we realized that somehow, everything just kept getting better & better - so we figured our next stop, Mount Rushmore, was going to be phenomenal. And it was.

First of all, Black Hills National Park, where Mount Rushmore was carved, is absolutely beautiful. The variety of trees & rolling hills astounded all of us. The sky, as with all of the fly-over states I've been to, was equally as amazing; it seemed to stretch farther than the eye could possibly see. It was changing so quickly that we could literally watch the clouds float by, I felt like we were so small in the grand scheme of things. 

  

Then, we drove around a bend and saw it for the first time - it truly is astounding. I've decided Mount Rushmore is something everyone needs to experience, it is truly breathtaking how detailed and life-like the stone is. As we all stared at it, we couldn't take our eyes away, because it almost didn't seem real. It's one of those things you learn about when you're young, see in all the textbooks, and never really imagine how it must be to actually see it in real life. But wow, is it stunning when you do!   

I'm telling ya, rush to Mount Rushmore. It is beyond worth it & you won't regret it! We enjoyed walking around the park, seeing the mountain from all different angles, and learning more about how it was carved. You know how the word "amazing" is frequently misused? Well in this case, amazing doesn't even cut it. It was more than amazing. 

Our entire day was amazing; driving down all these roads we had never even heard of before, adventuring through new states, seeing all different kinds of people. On our way back to Colorado, we stopped in Hill City, SD for some local dinner. The town was so picturesque and quaint, we even saw the sheriff stop & get some ice cream as we parked our car outside of this restaurant. . . 

It was so yummy (of course we all got buffalo burgers) and the food really hit the spot after the long day of driving! I love going to local places during road-trips, it helps you really get a taste of the town. After our lovely dining experience, we were on the road again *cue the song*. . .

       

All in all, it was truly a perfect day. I will never grow tired of adventure via wheels-to-the-road, it is far too exciting yet relaxing at the same time. And the fact that we were in four different states all in one day? Makes it just that much better. Slowly but surely checking off this never-ending bucket list I've got! I could travel the world with these two companions of mine for the rest of my life & be completely content. 

Where should we go next? Any ideas? 

xoxo, lauren