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Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
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August 5, 2009

From Sioux Falls to The Badlands, South Dakota

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Another early morning, but not as early as the ones before, and definitely slower in pace.  We woke up almost used to the routine already, on the fifth day into our Road Trip Adventure.

We arrived to Sioux Falls yesterday afternoon.  I spent most of the day dozing off in the car.  My husband loves to drive, so getting him to agree to let me take the wheel is hard, though, yesterday I was fine with him driving the whole way so I could sleep.  Funny thought, sleeping in the car.  The second I am falling deep into it I hear, “Mama! Maaaaaaaama!”  Almost as if the “Mom is relaxing” alert button goes off warning of them of it.

We arrived to the Holiday Inn in Downtown Sioux Falls.  Though the hotel was fine for one night, and we enjoyed the pool, but my first impression was not very good.  If you’ve read my other hotel reviews than you know where I stand on first impressions with hotels.  The hallway to our room had bags of garbage waiting to be picked up by the cleaning crew, the carpet at the entrance to our room was coming undone, and the lounge chair was stained.  I took pictures to share, but really, it’s not a place I would recommend, though it was inexpensive to stay there.

We exited the hotel and walked down Philips Avenue, and took in the scenes of Downtown Sioux Falls, including the Sculpturewalk.  We loved it.  They’ve done a wonderful job at preserving the history of their town.  It offers great little shops and businesses for every need, restaurants and even cigar bars, but still maintain their identity and signs of their culture.  I personally have great respect for the people of Sioux Falls for this.

We ate at Philips Avenue Diner.  It was “Burger Day”, which meant we could order a drink and get a burger, any burger 50% off menu price.  My husband ordered “The Spread”, a burger with chili sauce and the works.  My oldest and I ordered “The Champion” (ham, cheese, a fried egg).  Both were incredible.  Service was quick, great, and food was wonderful…price couldn’t be beat.  We sat outside and enjoyed the great weather and scenes.

The Sioux Falls Waterfalls were beautiful.  We did that early this morning, around 6AM before hitting the road and it was by far the best way to start our morning.  We made our way to Mt. Rushmore, stopping at the Corn Palace, which was a bit of a tourist trap, but still a cute stop along the way and a must, with it being the World’s only Corn Palace and all!  The ride was really pretty, which was great because it helped distract the boys.

We also found out that we are heading to Mt. Rushmore around the same time that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is happening.  We have seem biker after biker everywhere we go.  The boys get super excited to see them as they pass by (and sometimes we pass them by too!) and are now wanting a motorcycle for themselves!

The 2009 Volkswagen Routan continues to be a dream.  We’ve adjusted to the not having DVDs, though I have taken out my laptop a few times, and are managing without the GPS system.  It remains a wonderful driving experience.

I will let the video speak for itself regarding the rest of the trip, but let me just say, I spent most of the day in awe of the beauty we have in this country.  It’s one thing to read about it or watch on television, it’s another to be there and witness it.  My 11 year old especially was really struck by it all.  The little ones were excited and asked a lot of questions and also seemed to really appreciate the wonderful beauty surrounding them.

Words cannot describe how I felt today, so I hope my video can communicate it best.  Mt. Rushmore, then camping for two days in Yellowstone!

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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7 Comments
  • Lisa
    August 5, 2009

    Didn't know Sioux Falls was so beautiful. I guess there's so much to see out in the US. I'm trying to convince hubby to do a road trip too. At least to Indiana (where my uncle lives). As of now, since he drives to work everyday, he's like heck no! Maybe I can convince him for next year. LOL

    I can't wait to see video & pictures from Mt Rushmore.

    Thanks for sharing your awesome adventure.

    Reply
  • Ace
    August 5, 2009

    Great video! I really enjoyed watching that! (I'm at @musiccitace on twitter)

    Reply
  • Anonymous
    August 6, 2009
    Reply
  • Linda
    August 10, 2009

    Glad you enjoyed my little corner of the world!

    Reply
  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND | NYCity Mama
    November 10, 2010

    […] Park. Situated in the North Dakota Badlands, we had stumbled upon a 70,447-acre park and like the Badlands in South Dakota, the views were […]

    Reply
  • alagraham
    February 24, 2011

    I am glad you enjoyed South Dakota…it really is a beautiful place to live and visit. Next time you come back email me and I will geive you more suggestions. I am glad you enjoyed downtown Sioux Falls…my husband and I live in Sioux Falls and it is so nice to hear an outsiders perspective. Keeping our downtown alive is so imprortant to us! When I take my next trip to NY I will be calling on you for some advice! 🙂

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      alagraham
      February 26, 2011

      Sure!! Would be fun to give you tips on my city!

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

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