Living in Florida has its perks, but being close to anything is not one of them. With our first real stop more than 2,000 miles away, our first four days would each be 500+ mile drives. Splitting the driving between three people worked really well, but it was still a haul.

We did have some highlights once we stopped each night; taking a dip in a campground pool, chasing fireflies, and making easy dinners in the camper. On the second night, we realized we were only about 20 minutes from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and decided to take a little side quest.

I'll be honest, Gateway Arch wasn't a national park I dreamed of visiting, but seeing it in person was actually really cool. It's HUGE! As Sam and I walked up to it, all lit up at night, he asked, "Can I touch it?" and I responded, "Can I lick it?" Once we got close, I could tell that a lot of people have touched it before, so I restrained myself. Although, when I told my dad about that decision, he called me a chicken.

There were also some crazy moments along the way. Pulling up to a gas stop where all the pumps were closed because a worker had been electrocuted and nearly died changed our driving plans a bit for the day. Then our truck-routing app sent us down a closed road, forcing us to turn around in a hotel parking lot, where we scraped the roof of their portico and lost one of our A/C units.

So that changed our plans for the week a bit.

The camper was still towable and usable, so we decided to continue on to South Dakota, where we'd be staying put for a few days while we figured out repairs, insurance, and what happens next. While that night was stressful and there are still some unanswered questions, it hasn't changed the excitement of the trip.

After four long driving days, we finally arrived at our first multi-day stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It felt really good knowing we didn't have to wake up the next morning, pack everything up, hitch the camper, and drive another 500 miles.

We didn't waste much time enjoying it. Our first night, we went to see Mount Rushmore lit up after dark. Today we headed to Custer State Park and drove the Wildlife Loop, where we got to see two bison herds up close (though not TOO close, thanks to the rangers keeping everyone safe) and a whole slew of prairie dogs before heading up to Sylvan Lake.

After spending four days watching the country go by through a truck windshield, it was nice to finally slow down, explore, and remember what we'd driven all this way for.

When we got back to camp, we spent some time in the hot tub and pool. Tonight is BBQ night, unpacking the portable grill Randy brought, and watching Ted Lasso before bed.

Not a bad way to end our first full day in one place.