Saladin 7 Adventures

One of the hardest things about planning a long trip for a big family is where to put all of the things that you need while you'll be away from home for a long time.  Suitcases, jackets, extra shoes, swimsuits and towels, coolers, snacks and lunch food, electronics, blankets, etc - you get the drift.  I think that I have an unfair advantage due to my Supply Chain Management degree from Michigan State University - along with the Packaging 100 class I took in the spring of 1991. 😁  But all kidding aside - you want to be on the open road with all of your stuff packed securely and safely. Fortunately, the Saladin 7 has some really awesome neighbors that have let us borrow their amazing  Yakima Skybox 21 Carbonite  rooftop carrier.  This thing is AWESOME!  It's definitely on our "to buy" list but we've borrowed it for a couple of vacations already and it will be worth the cost.  We want to get our own so we can start putting on some stickers of...

Falls Park  was an absolutely perfect spot for a picnic lunch!  This also wasn't initially on our itinerary as we headed out west but Sioux Falls was a perfect midway point between our overnight stay in Des Moines on our way to the Ingalls Homestead.  My thought was, "Let's stop in Sioux Falls - there must be falls there right?"  And, boy, was I right.  It's actually quite magnificent and was pretty awesome just driving to our parking spot.  We couldn't wait to get out and explore this beautiful park. There are multiple pavilions for picnicking along with plenty of shady spots.  It was a perfect summer day with temperatures pushing into the eighties so we definitely wanted to be out of the sun while we ate.  After lunch, we did lots of climbing on rocks and getting very close to the rushing water. There is also a very cool bridge that allows you to cross over to the other side while getting some more fabulous views of the fall....

Our first stop on our 2017 Out West trip (other than bathrooms and picnics!) was  Herbert Hoover National Historic Site located in West Branch, Iowa.  This was not an original planned site for our three week expedition but we would be driving right by it anyway so we added it to our list.  This is also the first site where we were able to get our National Parks Passport stamped - so it ended up having memorable aspect to it. President Hoover's dad was a blacksmith.  The site had an interactive blacksmith shop that was fun to explore for the kids.  There were also lots of walking paths for the kids to get out some energy! My parents also joined us for the first ten days of our trip - so we were fortunate to have them take a few family pics of us all.  Also, the weather was mild and cool and it was nice walking the grounds of the NHS.  This NPS site is also free - so we didn't even have to get our our National Parks pass to visit! ...

This is something I've considered doing for some time now.  One, to document some amazing trips that our family has been on. And, two, to share some great tips, hidden secrets, and sweet photographs! Each post will be about one day of our adventures.  We love to visit national parks, state parks, beaches, and the big city.  With a family of seven including five children, the logistics get pretty tricky at times - especially with hotel accommodations and car seating.  So far, we've been able to make it work.  2019 is just beginning and we have already planned our next trip!  But before we get there, I'm going to document our amazing trip out west from the summer of 2017.  This was a 22 day - 21 night expedition to multiple national parks including Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton - with quite a few other National Park Service stops mixed in.  Enjoy the ride!