From the Badlands to White Sands, from the Corn Palace to the Very Large Array, from Ferguson to San Antonio, we embarked on an epic 4,500-mile, three-week road trip. We visited places we’d never been and re-connected with old friends and family. We saw buffalo, pronghorns, deer, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, cement dinosaurs, and more.
I hope to post more with details from the different stops along our journey, but here’s a gallery of group shots we collected along the way:
On our first day, we visited with the Turner family in Omaha. It was our first time eating at a Runza restaurant.
Yoli and Josh at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the end of our first day of driving.
At the dawn of our second day, we took a photo with a cool sculpture in Falls Park, S.D.
Family photo at the Fossil Trail and Norbeck Pass at Badlands National Park
Family photo after hiking the Notch Trail at Badlands National Park
Family photo at Mt. Rushmore. We got to the park at 6 a.m. to avoid the crowds. We truly had the entire place to ourselves. It was amazing.
Mrs. Rohrer was the librarian at Vogt Elementary in our early years at the school. She and her husband graciously invited our family to stay with them. Without that invitation, we never would have dreamed of taking this amazing adventure!
Ludi really wanted to see a bit of Wyoming, so we visited Devil’s Tower. The kids got tired hiking there, but it was fun.
We drove south from Wyoming and stayed with cousin Jeremy and Laura in Ft. Collins, Colo. He took us on a fabulous hike with some absolutely beautiful scenery. The kids were pooped, but what views!
Pulled off the highway in Colorado to take a family photo in front of Pike’s Peak
We were so excited to visit the Very Large Array, a radio telescope in New Mexico. It did not disappoint. It had a great visitor center, and lots of activities to explore.
An unexpected delight was visiting the Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, N.M.
Family photo at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. This was such a beautiful park. We got there at the end of the day and saw a vivid, colorful sunset. We also saw Air Force One fly overhead.
Grandpa, Yoli, Ludi, and Jadzia had a mega-birthday party in San Antonio.
Renaud Empire with Nanny and Grandpa
Throughout the trip, I mostly shot photos. But I did records some video clips at various points. Here’s a video I edited together from those: