Jackson-Faulkner Family Trip 2024

Matt Faulkner

Professional Goober

Since I’ve been an adult, this has been my favorite trip. For one, this is the first time Jason and I have met up since 2017 that wasn’t a funeral. This was also the first time my toddler would meet her cousins and possibly remember it. Until now, she has been an infant or potato baby. Jason has 4 kids of his own. So it really was a party!

I never thought I’d take my 87 year old grandmother on a road trip around the country. -Jason

Black Hills National Forest

BlackHills

Mt Rushmore National Memorial

Mt. Rushmore was really neat to see in person, it was both larger and smaller than I expected. Ruby, Maple, and I walked down one of the trails a bit. We made sure to stop and read some signs along the way. Together our family managed to get a picture together. The group of us spans most of 5 generations!

MtRushmore

Custer State Park

Custer State Park was my favorite stop of the trip. We drove the Needles Highway and stopped at Sylvan Lake to hike the Sunday Gulch Trail.

The Sunday Gulch Trail is a little over 1 mile but it is a loop. Most of the trail is compact dirt and gravel that is easy on the joints. However there are 3 small sections of stairs. 1 of the stair sections is a bit rough and unusual to follow. Nothing too steep.

CusterSP

There were a ton of places to climb along this trail. I noticed some great areas to free climb and some loops drilled in for the folks with the ropes. On the back side of the loop you end up below the lakes water level and get a beautiful waterfall!

Wind Cave National Park

Unfortunately the cave tours were not available when we arrived. Instead we collected our Passport Stamp and continued to explore this part of the park by road.

Crazy Horse

Due to our busy schedule, I was not able to get up close to Crazy Horse. However I did see it from the parking lot. Getting up close is now on my bucket list.

Crazy Horse Memorial website

Badlands National Park

BadlandsBird

Badlands

Wall Drug

I remember seeing a road-side sign somewhere in Wyoming. It was along Highway 85 from Chyenne towards Torrington. Ever since, I’ve jokingly said,

Wall Drug, It’s Cool!

probably 100 times. I don’t know why I thought it was so funny, but it stuck. Little did I know Wall Drug was a real place in Wall, South Dakota. Turns out Jason had been back in the 1990s when he was in High School. Our group of 10 ate, walked the store, and got some ice water!

WallDrug