Happy Fourth of July! I celebrated Independence Day with an all-American parade in Belle Fourche and ended it at stop #2 of this South Dakota road trip: Badlands National Park.
South Dakota 2024: Day 4
Author: Laura Irwin
South Dakota 2024: Day 3
You can see Devils Tower from miles away. Literally. Devils Tower rises over 1,200 feet from the Belle Fourche River, is 867 feet tall, and was my morning destination today.
South Dakota 2024: Day 2
I love South Dakota. This morning, I woke up early, got ready, and walked into town. The sun was shining (briefly) as I settled into what is already my favorite Spearfish breakfast spot, Blackbird Espresso. I’m sure I’ll be back again for another breakfast before I leave. I spent the rest of the day exploring Spearfish Canyon and a couple of local attractions in Spearfish.
Continue readingSouth Dakota 2024: Day 1
“South Dakota? Why South Dakota?” That is the question just about everyone has asked when I’ve shared my summer vacation plans. Truthfully, I was inspired by “The Awkward Tourists”, a YouTube couple I follow who spent a couple of days here on a road trip. When I watched their videos, I thought, “Why have I never been to South Dakota?”. And so, here I am!
A Day Trip to Block Island
I’ve been saying for the last several years that I’m going to take a summer day trip to Block Island and this is the year I finally made it happen. I have been to Block Island once before, when I was quite young, but I don’t really have any memories of it so this felt like my very first visit to the island. Block Island is situated about 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island and is about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide.
Italy 2024: Day 7
People think I’m crazy for going all the way to Italy for six days, but you know what? We only have so many tomorrows, and I’m determined to make the most of all the ones I have. And six days in Italy is better than no days in Italy.
Italy 2024: Day 6 (Florence)
If you’re expecting a long, detailed blog about my day in Florence, you’re going to be disappointed. You see, it started to rain shortly after I arrived and that kind of derailed my plans for the day…
Italy 2024: Day 5
Just call me “Chef Laura”. My last day in Cinque Terre found me strolling the streets of Vernazza, sipping rich Italian hot chocolate, indulging in a local sweet treat, and making a homemade pasta dinner.
Italy 2024: Day 4 (Manarola and Riomaggiore)
I’m pretty sure today was the best day of vacation so far. The weather in Cinque Terre has been picture perfect this week. Clear blue skies, 70+ degrees… perfection. So imagine my surprise to wake up this morning (after another 10 hours of sleep!), pull open the curtains, and see cloudy skies. I didn’t let the lack of sun deter me from my plans, though, and the weather forecast showed sun later in the day.
Italy 2024: Day 3 (Vernazza and Corniglia)
I almost wimped out today. Almost. My plan was to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, look around Vernazza for a while, then push on to Corniglia. My legs were protesting so much that I almost gave up and took the train from Vernazza to Corniglia. But like the trouper that I am, I forced myself to continue on and put more mileage on my hiking shoes.
Traveling with Laura 