The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
I wouldn't say CSI The Experience is totally appropriate for a younger group but if your kids are in their early teens (and can handle the concept of a murder crime scene) this is a super cool activity that exercises your sleuthing skills and teaches you how investigators solve crimes. After a brief explanation of what we were going to see and do, we were given a paper and pencil and shown a crime scene which we … [Read more...]
What do you get when you cross an all American diner with a 80's Vegas nightclub? You get The Peppermill! Open 24 hours and always busy with crazy awesome decor. This place will satisfy even the hungriest of eaters with their enormous portions but a word of warning-be prepared to wait to be seated. They don't take reservations so just hang in there because the experience will be totally worth it. Once you've been … [Read more...]
I ask you, who doesn't love pinball? For me visiting the Pinball Hall of Fame was a terrific throwback jogging all kinds of memories of my free spirited youth. For my kids, it was an opportunity to discover simpler pleasures and the ancient origins of the games they now play on their phones. We happened on The Pinball Hall of Fame after doing some road trip research and I am beyond thrilled to share this find with … [Read more...]
So I am not sure what I was thinking taking my kids to Laughlin. I thought it would be a mini Vegas but with a more country down home vibe, like paddle wheeler boats you know, that sort of thing. Well, what can I say—it's not a real family-friendly place. I liken it to Vegas’ ugly stepsister. Lots of casinos and gambling, and not much in the way of family fun. Perhaps if the weather had been warmer and we’d … [Read more...]
South Dakota is one of those states that just surprises you because you cannot believe how much there is to do and discover. I really think people take the Dakotas for granted and they shouldn't. Besides Mt. Rushmore I counted 16 other things we did here that were fun, educational interesting-some even left us scratching our heads (like the Cosmos Mystery Area and the Corn Palace). I think the most profound thing we … [Read more...]
The Crazy Horse Memorial was an absolutely complete disappointment. This is the mother of all tourist traps. My suggestion is to keep your fanny pack zipped, and pass on this waste of time. It’s a “work in progress” that hasn’t progressed in the last 20 years. When we approached in the car and were told the price and saw the memorial carving, I turned my car around and left. There are far more interesting … [Read more...]
The Ingalls Family Homestead in De Smet is the original homestead where the Ingalls family settled after coming out west and was the inspiration for many of the stories in the Little House On The Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder who lived here as a young girl. You need not have read any of her books to appreciate this stop-though my daughter Lilia had and she gave us a running commentary through our … [Read more...]
The Badlands National Park is incredibly beautiful. I have never seen rock formations with so many gorgeous colors. The striations of greens and blues, reds and golds were just breathtaking. What is so strange is that the surrounding landscape is totally flat prairie and then all of a sudden there is this incredible rock canyon that looks like it was carved out by millions of years of rushing water. How did it … [Read more...]
The Prairie Homestead was one of my favorite places on the whole trip and is the original sod home of Mr. & Mrs. Ed Brown built in 1909. It is typical of the homes and outbuildings that pioneers built and is one of the last remaining original sod homes intact today. These pioneers played a very important part in settling the Great Plains and the kids and I learned all about them. Go inside the home and you … [Read more...]
Driving up the hill to Mt. Rushmore, the anticipation was killing me. I just could not wait to see those iconic faces carved into the stone face in the Black Hills. Walking up to the viewing area between the flags of all 50 states I glanced up my first reaction was ...oh, they're a lot smaller than I thought. We stood there for a few moments taking it all in and after recalibrating after my initial reaction, … [Read more...]
