Cynz Travel Blog

We drove to Badlands National Park today. I wasn't sure what to expect.  I heard of them and saw pictures online, but what I found was really surprising. We stopped at the first boardwalk to go exploring. One of the first things I noticed was how straight the sedimentary layers are and all of the beautiful colors!  And the wind! It was so windy that it wears you out! We went into the canyon and started exploring. We had so much fun wandering through the rocks to see how the water has carved them into their shapes. It seemed to go on forever!  I texted my boys that it was an awesome place to play hide and seek!   Curtis and I really enjoyed each other's company. This is our first real vacation by ourselves. ..no kids to worry about...just each other. He kept shaking his head at me (every now and then I'd hear him mutter "Woman!") because I kept wandering off and climbing around. I had a blast!  A part of me wished my boys were there. 

We finally made it to Rapid City, SD! We are here for three nights, so thank goodness we don't have to pack the suitcases tomorrow!  Tip number two: When going on an extended trip, break your luggage down into smaller units so you're not hauling EVERYTHING every time you stop! I wish I would have packed 2 smaller bags instead of the larger suitcase. It was a pretty day for a drive. The weather got cooler and not muggy. I took a few pictures from the car. South Dakota is a lot of wide open spaces with lots of farm land . As I watched the scenery go by, I could imagine the old west with cowboys and Indians and wagon trains riding along the rolling hillside. Curtis asked if the grass is as soft as it looks, very green, very lush... The guys decided that they wanted steak tonight...like we need more food! But...the Dakota Steakhouse,  conveniently located within walking distance, was well worth it! Curtis had the cowboy bone - in ribeye and boy, was it bone-in! I had a grilled

The day started off as a rainy travel day. Trish and I got comfortable and just planned to enjoy the ride. We stopped in Sioux Falls,  South Dakota for some Old Chicago pizza (my family's favorite pizza and beer joint).  After that, I settled in for a nap! I awoke to talk of stopping at the Corn Palace.  Curious...what the heck is the Corn Palace??? It is in Mitchell,  South Dakota and the signs made it seem really neat. But when we got there, it was under construction!  That was disappointing but I did take some pictures of the murals that are being created outside of the building.  These murals are made from corn, corn cobs and husks.  Other than the murals and the nice lady who owned the gift shop, we gave it a thumbs down!

We ate dinner at a really great Cajun restaurant....Boudreaux's.  I had Bar Trash which was shrimp and crab pieces blackened along with catfish nuggets. Curtis had stuffed shrimp and I ate his veggies.  John and Trish said the crab bisque was excellent! All of it was really yummy! St. Joseph is also where the Pony Express started before heading west on their routes.  We didn't get to stop by the museum but I did get a picture of a mosaic on the hillside. It's been a long day but very interesting.  We've enjoyed meandering and exploring things off the beaten path.  On to our hotel in Omaha...

Here's a picture of what we are heading toward! There's no place like home...for me since I'm from Kansas!

We stopped in Hermann,  Missouri to check out the Hermannhof Winery. We also found a "Husband Day Care" and left ours there while we went antique window shopping.  We may have bought a few bottles to take home with us. The husbands sampled meats and cheeses and got some for later because we need more food....NOT!

We drove through beautiful farm country and back roads to find the Liberty Bell of the West. It was given to the Catholic Church by King Louis XV of France. I got some gorgeous pictures of the farm surrounding this quaint little Catholic church. It is worth the drive!

We just passed through Chester, Illinois,  the home of Popeye! It's a pretty little town with cool statues of Popeye and other characters. There was also a Lewis and Clark Expedition memorial right next to the Mississippi River.