Yay!!!! Our family finally got around to taking our vacation. While planning for our trip, we realized how complacent we had become due to Covid and as stated before, we struggled with the planning phase. However, we finally decided we would continue our quest in visiting all 50 states by choosing a couple more to add to our list. After many discussions, we chose Minnesota as our final destination. With that in mind, we came up with a plan that would allow us to visit at least one other state during this journey.

Our first stop was actually in Oklahoma but we’ve done Oklahoma several times before so it was simply a resting place on the front end of the trip. Our second stop was South Dakota and this was a new state for every member of the family. South Dakota is not on our desired list of states to visit so we didn’t feel compelled to head to Mt. Rushmore and visit their most notable attraction. However, we did find some activities in Sioux Falls that we could enjoy and whew, we had a blast!

Of course, we love being outdoors and the idea that we could go outdoors with little humidity equaled party time. We visited Falls Park and though the water was low due to a drought, it was still very picturesque. We hiked, had lunch over the falls and biked through the city. It also felt very comforting to be in a place where there were no strangers. Every person we encountered was friendly and accommodating. I met several “friends” during our hike but, my favorite was a little boy who told me all about his travels, his adventures at the park and the next stop on HIS agenda.

We also visited The Butterfly Museum/Aquarium. Their space was smaller than most spaces we’ve visited but it made the experience a little more personable and it gave other groups a chance to interact with us and laugh at our foolery. I also think my husband has a distinct scent that attracts butterflies because the last few times we’ve visited butterfly gardens, butterflies have tried to exit with him. We’ve found them attached to him and they’ve had to be removed. 🥴

The last thing we did was visit a couple of their popular food places including Taco John. We were told Taco John was a must.

The beginning of our trip set the tone for a relaxing vacation. It was very refreshing and it felt good to move at a snail’s pace and be free of responsibilities for a few days.