and away we go: the end:)

after leaving Moab, UT...we headed home:) We didn't make it all that far, which was completely fine by us. We were too tired to keep driving that night so we made a stop in Cheyenne, WY Saturday night and stayed at The Plains Hotel. We also thought that maybe a night in a big bed would help Homer feel more at home...where he's a more content baby;) It seemed to do the trick. We all woke up on Sunday morning feeling much more ourselves and ready to kick that last leg of the trip!

the hotel was so cute and totally us! 

Mom and Dad had suggested a 'motel'...one with the doors that open to the parking lot. Which I could have dealt with. Jacob wasn't having it;) He didn't care that we'd be saving $70...he wasn't staying at any such thing;) SO we stumbled upon this hotel...at about 11PM and were so glad we did. Lots of character and a Jimmy Johns right down the street. While Homer slept...we watched cable and ate our hearts out. Yummmmm:)

what about vacation makes you think it's okay for you to eat a huge sandwich...in bed...at 1240 in the morning?!;)

here we are in the hotel elevator. This thing seemed like it was on it's last leg and I'm 100% positive it was original to the hotel. SO tiny and sooooo frail;)

i.love.awnings:)

sunday morning we got up at a decent time and were showered and ready to hit the streets of Cheyenne in search of something amazing!!!!:)

for those of you thinking of traveling through Cheyenne on a Sunday. It'll be closed.Yep. The town will literally be SHUT.DOWN. arg.:( It was quite disappointing. But our moods improved when we realized there was a Denny's only an exit away and I was SO ready for some creamer and sugar (with a dash of coffee;) and strawberry covered pancakes - nope, the sandwich in the middle of the night wasn't filling enough;).

we missed the exit for Denny's.

and apparently Denny's was the last exit before a 300 mile span of nothingness. Have you ever seen me hungry?! It's ugly. Supa' ugly;)

I kid. I was actually the one holding it together while Jacob freaked out;)

the little bit of time we did spend in Cheyenne was super chill and again, great weather:) And we were able to set-up the camera to get, what I think is, another great family photo:)

once back on the road...and settled from the Denny's freak-out of 2012;)...we decided we would find somewhere to stop, stretch, feed Homer and feed our own faces! Family picnic it is:)

a few of our out takes so that I can prove we're not always perfect;) Totally kidding;)

and then...then we arrived in Wall Drug, SD. One of my most favorite places of all time. IF you stop there because of this post and because I am making it out to be completely magical...you'll probably end up wanting to punch me in the face;)

i doubt many find it to be as spectacular as I do. But my family has gone there so many times throughout the years. We went out West many times together and this was always the stop that started our vacation! There are about a MILLION (that is not an exaggeration;) signs leading up to Wall Drug. All completely profound:

Dig It - Wall Drug

Be Yourself - Wall Drug

Free Water - Wall Drug

Wall Drug - 330 miles (that one hurt;)

see what I'm saying!? Deep shit;)

wall Drug is made up of one street. All tourist stores with the exact same thing in each. Maybe with slight variations...but for real...ridiculously the same! There is a museum, lots of fun facts, FREE WATER - which was hot...Jacob taste tested;), and a Jack Rabbit the size of an Elephant. Need I say more:)

we arrived in Wall Drug at abouttttt 520PM. Wall Drug shut down at abouttttt 6PM. Thankfully, we were able to get through most of it. I would have seriously lost it if we had missed Wall Drug and Jacob was warned of this prior to arriving - I was a bit nervous after seeing Cheyenne wasn't 'open' on a Sunday. I feared Wall Drug would be closed to. I was promised a cappy, ice cream and many shiny things IF Wall Drug happened to be closed.

it was open AND I got ice cream. BAM.

 there are many a stuffed animal - the real kind - at Wall Drug. You've been warned. It's disturbing;)

the infamous Jack Rabbit. There was an awkward conversation had between Jacob and I where I may have discovered that there weren't rabbits living in the wild with horns. I'm still confused;) Jacob's also not sure he realized until that point what he'd married;)

you can see below that Homer hated the Jack Rabbit and wanted it to die a slow, painful death;) He was actually having a great time until the Jack Rabbit. After we got off...he continued having a great time. Hmmm.

these are only TWO of the photos of this dinosaur that Jacob took...I'm going back to count...well, it was only 10...but seriously. Ever angle imaginable. He was very excited about this dinosaur.

this would have been amazing had it been 100 degrees out!!! It was a gorgeous day but not quite that hot. But it was quiet that day in Wall Drug. We felt like the only ones around and that was so fun:) 

I can't wait to pull up this photo and compare it to the one where Homer's running through those water spouts. That day will come...whether I like it or not:(

this hallway...reminds me of my dad standing back there for a longggg time reading up on all the history of Wall Drug. And now it was Jacob and Homer doing the same:)

this vacation was such a perfect experience. It had everything: friends, fun, family, tears;), shit losing;), excitement and mostly laughter and time spent together and happy. Lots of happy:)

jacob and I talked a lot about us and our life together on the way home - as we do a lot on road trips:) - and came to the conclusion that we're exactly where we need to be. We're doing all the things we always wanted to do and we're doing them together. Life is so much more fun with Jacob and I'm so glad that we both have a love and appreciation for travel:)

here's to many...MANY more amazing adventures together.

xoxo,
the smiths. jacob, casey and homer