When I say we really made the most of this trip, I mean it.
If you missed part one, start there.
And now, we continue — in Colorado & beyond.
Day Five: Around Colorado
Our first stop was a visit to the United States Mint, where they produce coin currency! I’d read online that their tours (which are limited, and can accommodate a limited number of participants) were often hard to get into, so it was recommended that we show up at the ticket booth early. Honestly? I expected there to be a line, or the early tours sold out, and we faced absolutely… none of that. We got there at 8 AM sharp, nabbed tickets for the 9 AM tour, and then had time to even go grab breakfast!
The tour was really neat – definitely a unique experience. My recommendations: get tour tickets early if you’re trying to stick to a schedule. Keep your belongings to a minimum to make going through security as easy as possible. You aren’t allowed to take photos inside, but it was really neat to see the process of how coins are made and learn about the history of currency throughout the US and the world. We actually saw them test-printing some 2025 quarters, which was neat. Each person also got a fresh 2024 penny and a blank to take home. The gift shop was crowded but filled with lots of tourist-appropriate memorabilia options.
(P.S. The nearby Call Your Mother bagel shop was the perfect stop for a quick breakfast.)
From there, we headed north, traversing across the state of Colorado. Buc-ee’s in Johnstown was a must, before we made our way to Loveland. We then jutted over west through the Roosevelt National Forest and into Estes Park before making the turn back south. It was a beautiful drive, incredibly picturesque and absolutely surreal at points. The world just opens up in front of you, and all of a sudden you’re winding around the front stretch of the Rocky Mountains. Wow!
A quick stop by Ball Arena to pick up some Colorado Avalanche merchandise led into dinner, where we had some delicious Mexican food at Mister Oso. The churros were divine! We also briefly explored the Denver Central Market, including shopping for some chocolate at Temper inside the market, and popped into Union Station before returning to our lodging for the night.
Day 5: 160.1 miles / 1 state
Day Six: Denver, CO ⮞ Gillette, WY
Our time in Colorado was brief but incredible, but now it was time to continue our journey! This day was mostly a driving day, as we left Denver in the mid-morning and traversed through Nebraska and into Wyoming. We enjoyed dinner at the Rail Yard restaurant in Gillette, and checked into our next pit stop; the Arbuckle Lodge. The Arbuckle Lodge was a really nice place, the right mix of rustic and comfort. I certainly appreciated the chance to get some laundry done in the midst of our big trip here!
Day 6: 521.8 miles / 3 states
Day Seven: Gillette, WY ⮞ Rapid City, SD
Sometimes the most fun route isn’t the most direct, and this day, we detoured up into Montana for the sheer purpose of saying that we did and being able to check another state off the list. I have honestly wanted to visit Montana for a long time, drawn by the allure of open land and horses and blue skies that I saw in the Nickelodeon show Caitlin’s Way – and yes, I realize how silly that sounds, but being able to go there checked off a bucket list item for me.
We left Gillette in the morning (but not before stopping by the gift shop area of the Campbell County Rockpile Museum to load up on some magnets!) and made our way to Miles City, MT. There, we popped into a few cute shops on the main drag in town (including Vintage and Rustics, which had so many treasures!) and grabbed a quick bite to eat before getting back on the road. A quick stop in Bowman, ND allowed us to check another state off the list before venturing to the Geographic Center of the Nation in Belle Fourche.
Finally, we reached Rapid City, where we popped into Rushmore Mall for a few things and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Independent Ale House. The mashed potato pizza may sound like a weird combination, but it was a phenomenal choice, as was the pickle pizza! The whole vibe of the place was on point and it’s definitely a stop I’d recommend if you find yourself in the area.
Our stay in Rapid City (two nights) was at an AirBnB, which was small but just enough for the two of us. It was also conveniently located to everything we needed!
Day 7: 479.0 miles / 4 states
Day Eight: Around South Dakota
Finally, the day we’d made the entire trip for had arrived – my husband’s cousin’s wedding in Rapid City! But if you know anything about us, it’s that we’re going to make the most of a trip, and we continued that on this day. The wedding wasn’t until early evening, so we had time to burn in the morning and early afternoon – and we started with a Buffalo Safari Jeep tour of Custer State Park.
There are no words to describe how incredible this was, and I am so glad we did it, even if it was a little more adventurous that I would usually go for. We strapped into an open-air Jeep with five other guests and our tour guide and went through the park for about 2.5 hours. The most amazing part was obviously being surrounded by 100s of bison, mere feet away with nothing but a car door – not even a window – between you. We also saw pronghorn, prairie dogs and plenty of different birds, and the tour gave a detailed history of the land, the park itself and information about the animals that live there.
We hadn’t necessarily planned to go to Mount Rushmore, but it was one of those things that’s like, well… we’re here, why not? Again – we had the time, we had the miles, we might as well make the 45-minute drive. It was actually pretty neat; I know I’ve seen a lot of folks on the Internet say that it was disappointing, or smaller or farther away than they expected, but it was a neat experience to be able to say I saw it. It is a very well-run park area with an appropriately tourist-heavy gift shop, as well as some quick food spots along the main walking path.
Saturday evening was spent at the wedding, which made me feel both old (being around early twenty-somethings will do that, I suppose) and young at the same time. Weddings are always fun and special; I’m glad we were able to make it, and Ryan was able to see some family that he hadn’t seen in 20+ years.
Day 8: 96.6 miles / 1 state
… next up: starting the journey toward home!
thoughts of Melissa 