Saladin 7 Adventures

Badlands National Park is an absolutely stunning visual experience!  This was our first time there and it was amazing.  Unfortunately, when planning our 22 day adventure, I only allocated about 5 hours here.  We definitely missed out on some great trail hikes but we know to plan for more time on our next visit.  Before entering the park, we toured and had a picnic lunch at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.  We could see the landscape from I-90 but nothing prepared us for the amazing beauty of the park.  Our first stop was at the Big Badlands Overlook -and it's hard to explain using just words! It was a warm sunny day and the colors and contrast were amazing.  Our next stop was the parking area for multiple trailheads (Door, Castle, Window and Notch).  We did venture out on the Door Trailhead along the boardwalk and immersed ourselves into the rocks.  Amazing!                         We all had a great time climbing and exploring this beautiful landscap

On the third day of our journey out west in 2017, we were headed to Badlands National Park from the Ingalls Homestead.  We had a planned stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site for a picnic lunch and short tour, but did not know about or expect to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive & Keelboat Center Rest Area on I-90.  What an amazing place - and we are very glad one of the kids needed a bathroom break because this place was worth stopping. Heading west on I-90, we were surprised by an awesome stop between Exits 263 and 265 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive & Keelboat Center .  It's just before crossing the Missouri River near Chamberlain, SD.  It's free with great views, sculptures (like the  Dignity sculpture above), and tons of historical information and exhibits.  After utilizing the rest area facilities, we browsed the interactive exhibitions and the kids had a thrill "sleeping in teepees" and climbing on the keel boat.

Out West Day 2: After lunching at Sioux Falls, we headed north to De Smet, SD which is the home of the  Ingalls Homestead .  Our family has watched every episode of the Little House on the Prairie TV series and we've also read the books.  Stopping by the Ingalls Homestead was something that we definitely wanted to include in our Out West trip - and we are so glad we did! We made reservations to stay right on the Homestead and I would highly recommend doing this.  Our family fit comfortably in the Bunkhouse (sorry no picture!) and the bathroom and showers were a short 50 yards away.  There are also covered wagons that have been converted to cabins that families or couples can rent.  With a family of seven, we needed the space in the bunkhouse and it was perfect - although the covered wagons sure looked cool! Upon our arrival mid-afternoon, we were able to check-in at the on-site store.  They had all sorts of knick-knacks for sale and the family enjoyed browsing the s

This was a whirlwind trip with lots of thrills!  There's nothing quite like New York City. Prior to this trip, I had been to Manhattan twice before, so I felt comfortable heading there with my two oldest kids in tow.  Anna was 8 and Paul was 6 and we had the time of our lives! It all started when an amazing deal for airfare showed up from Spirit Airlines.  The three of us were able to fly round-trip from Detroit to NYC-LaGuardia for $75/ea!  We had one backpack each as a carry-on but that's all we would need since we would be in NYC for about 44 hours total!  The flight left Detroit at 6:00 am  and we were fortunate to stay with Aunt Katey and Uncle Rich the night before.  The flight was on time and we were on our way! We touched down at LaGuardia at 7:30 am and hopped a cab to our hotel near Times Square.  We were staying at  Staybridge Suites Times Square  and were able to check our luggage for the day.  This hotel was perfect for us - and the receptionist even offe