#MajorsRushmore...Finale

Wrapping up this three part blog series with the final destinations on our two week road adventure we took at the end of May/beginning of June. 

And of course it's an opportunity for one more shot of the men in the mountain...

It would seem that everything after Mt. Rushmore would be a let down. But, we were happily surprised to discover more breathtaking views, animal encounters, and weird landmarks on the tail end of our road trip. 

After we had exhausted every possible view and photo op of Mt. Rushmore, we embarked on the part of the trip my husband was really excited for...Bison. Wild Bison. His dreams were realized as we drove through the untouched beauty that is Custer State Park. Home to real live Bison. This wasn't on my agenda, but I found myself enthralled. Living in Hawaii, there are no big land beasts. They are truly a sight! And tasty too! We know because after our big day of men on a mountain and observing wild Bison in their natural habitat...we devoured a delicious dinner at The Dakotah. Way better than Outback. 😂

South Dakota was a beautiful place. The people were super friendly. We experienced true aloha spirit during our visit there. And the food and sights were icing on the cake. It was hard to pack our bags and continue on. But we did. Right into our first Geocaching adventure (please note that I found the first treasure). If you are not familiar with Geocaching, I highly recommend checking out an App on your phone (we used the free version via Apple). It's essentially an online scavenger hunt...played with the entire world. And, obviously, fun for kids...and adults! 😉

Nebraska was the next state on our list. Thanks to my navigating genius husband,  we were able to drive through what is known as the panhandle of Nebraska, a state that I was less than thrilled with. I hate to say bad things about this great land of ours, but there was nothing here. Flat. Desolate. And the most ominous clouds I've ever seen without there actually being a Cat5/F5 tornado visible. No thanks, I'll stick to my warm, sunny beaches. 

Needless to say, we were baffled by the Nebraska sign. The "good" of Nebraska was CarHenge. Only in America. It's real. That's right. Old cars upended in the design and shape of Stonehenge. This place really made me laugh. I've never been to the original, but this was a terrific example of what people are capable of. Thinking of starting SurfHenge here on Oahu...stay tuned.

With the high, flat planes and eminent Tornado behind us, we made our way into historic and beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico. I could probably do a post dedicated solely to Santa Fe. This was my second visit here and I love it. I was thrilled to have the entire family there to explore and enjoy it. 

Below is Zach (4) at the historic end of the Santa Fe Trail. I felt it was symbolic of the ending of the #majorsrushmore journey.

We took the boys through The Plaza and the many old churches in the area. Quietly hoping some church behaviors would magically rub off on them. 

Churching made us hungry. So, mid-day street food pit stop. My Great Aunt Janice enjoyed famous New Mexico green chile stew. It's a thing. The green chiles are in everything. Thank goodness. It's like how you can find pineapple or coconut available on/in anything here in Hawaii. 

For the trivia and mystery buffs, we have the famous Stairs of Loretto (you may have seen them on Unsolved Mysteries)...it's an unusual helix spiral staircase with nothing holding it up. Much like motherhood. 

Our days in Santa Fe were spent at wonderful Museums and our evenings were filled with trail walks, the first games of the NBA finals (go Golden State!), and delicious home cooked meals via my Great Aunt and Great Uncle. Still dreaming of Paella and Enchiladas!

All good things must come to an end. What a dumb idea. But apparently it's true. We wrapped up our visit with a Shave Ice sighting, stick whittling (Gabe, age 12), Trader Joes and Dunkin Donuts pit stop (multi-tasking!), and a visit on Memorial Day to the National Cemetery where my grandpa is buried. 

  

It was a jam packed trip and we still weren't back in Arizona yet. As we bid farewell to my Santa Fe family, we knew that our perfect vacation was drawing to a close. We were able to squeeze in a few more tourist traps along the road when we drove through Winslow, Arizona (cue the Eagles) and of course a dinner at In-and-Out Burger (this was on Gabe's agenda). 

We all got something out of our adventure. Much needed togetherness. History lessons. Grand sights. Wildlife galore. Moments of pure terror (rattlesnake sighting and dirt road driving in the middle of nowhere with no cell service). Terrific food (too much to list). Time off from work, school, and...laundry. It was truly a trip filled with memories. Until the next road adventure, we will just have to settle for reliving the memories, thanks to my handy dandy hashtag #majorsrushmore. 

Thanks to my Tutu (pictured above between my two boys) for all the planning and efforts made for us to all enjoy this incredible trip to Rushmore and beyond.