Badlands to the Tetons: An 11-Day Road Trip Through America’s Great Northwest

By Donald Swartz, President

If you have been a reader of my blog over the past 12 years (The Swartz Report), you may recall I would spend at least one blog per year on “road trips” with each of my children. These trips were either to take my kids back to college or to bring them home from college due to the Pandemic or graduation! Because they were school related, we made a point of stopping at various colleges or universities as part of our trips.

This year, I had the true pleasure of taking a road trip with my son for the sole purpose of site seeing; an 11-day adventure through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, a touch of Colorado and the exciting return through Nebraska. (My apologies to all my Husker friends but when you are ready to get home I-80 does not offer a lot of memories!!!)

An 11-Day Road Trip

• Long hikes, visits to Custer State Park, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.
• The Badlands, Devil’s Tower, Deadwood and Sturgis.
• Golf stops in Windsor, CO and Nebraska City, NE (a different type of nature hike, but just as important 😉)
• And, we still found time to visit multiple campuses as Aaron is a college counselor at a private high school (and it’s never a bad thing to visit schools in person when possible.) Creighton, South Dakota, Montana State, Wyoming and Colorado State were each graced with our presence during our trip, providing Aaron with additional insight for his students.

But most importantly, taking in nature and the vast “awesomeness” of the various national and state parks is absolutely breathtaking. To share the experience with an adult child is extra special.

While I certainly remember traveling to Mt.  Rushmore, the Badlands and Wall Drug 50+ years ago with my family, I have a much greater appreciation for the beauty this country possesses. These landscapes provide perspective on what’s important in life. I believe Aaron shares the same feelings I have following our trip. It was a way to step back, put your phones and laptops away and just smell the roses. Or in this case, the bison, the elk, the bears, the lakes, the geysers and so much more.