We packed the van up Friday morning to head to great-grandma's in Nebraska. I don't remember why, but I look a little annoyed in this picture.
We had a good amount of time to burn, so we took the scenic route by starting with the Needles Highway drive in Custer State Park. It's got incredible views and some crazy narrow tunnels you get to drive through.
We drove a little bit of the wildlife loop as well in hopes of seeing some, but all we got were a few donkeys and some bison in the bison center.
We drove towards Hermosa and Red Shirt next to get a glimpse of the Badlands. Red Shirt Table overlook gave us some gorgeous views.
That was the last of our morning sightseeing. Chadron, Ne was our next destination for lunch. We ended up on a gravel road for about 20 miles. This is also where we crossed the SD-NE state line. It was a stop sign and cattle guard in the middle of nowhere. Jimmy and I had Runza for lunch. It's been almost 4 years since we've had a chance to enjoy this unique treat.
We knocked out day 5 of ice cream by sharing a dish of twist.
It was nearly a straight shot from here to O'Neill. We hit a tiny spot of rain on this part of the drive, but that was it for our whole trip other than the storm the first night.
We stopped at grandma's house for a quick supper before heading to the hotel and getting a quick swim in.
We swan once more time in the morning and both kids were showing off the skills and confidence they have been picking up. The video below shows Esme swimming across the full width of the pool without touching. Parker was exploring the deep end as well. He hasn't started swimming independently yet, but loves going under water. He was pushing off the bottom to catch a breath, then going back down.
We took a picture with our shirts once my cousin, Jennifer, and her kids arrived.
It's been over 2 years since we've seen any extended family in Nebraska, so it was a fun day.
We hit the road about 2:30 for home. As much as I would have loved to stay, we really wanted a full day at home after nearly a week away.
We made our final ice cream stop a big one by stopping in the Ice Cream Capital of the World, Le Mars, IA!
Esme went back to her favorite, chocolate!
I will admit, I was ready for some peace and quiet by the time we were home, but I am already thinking about where our next road trip will be!
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