Mt. Rushmore, Badlands & Wall Drug: Our Final Leg of the Road Trip Home

Following our night at the Prince of Wales hotel, we were on the final stretch of our road trip back to Chicago. We chose to take our time and make a few unforgettable stops. The journey east offered many surprises, with three notable highlights: Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and the iconic Wall Drugstore.

Mt. Rushmore – Art, History & a Personal Connection

After everything we had seen in the Rockies, arriving at Mt. Rushmore was surreal in its own way. The faces carved into the granite were smaller than we had imagined—yet still carried a presence that was powerful and humbling. Standing there, gazing up at Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of history etched into stone.

What made the stop even more meaningful was meeting an artist from Oklahoma whose work centered around military themes. One of her paintings—showing soldiers across all different periods of wars standing together—deeply resonated with my husband, who served in the Army. We ended up bringing home a replica of the piece, a reminder of both history and personal connection found along the way.

Badlands National Park – Otherworldly Beauty

From the stone faces, the road carried us into the rugged wonder of Badlands National Park. The striped layers of rock, carved by wind and water over millions of years, looked like something from another planet. With its jagged peaks and sweeping prairies, it felt like stepping into an ancient world. We found ourselves pulling over again and again, unable to resist soaking in the strange and wild beauty.

Wall Drugstore – Americana at Its Biggest

Our last stop in South Dakota was Wall Drugstore, the roadside legend that lives up to its quirky reputation. The place seemed to go on forever, part old-time general store, part tourist attraction, part curiosity cabinet.

Amid the maze of shops and Western décor, I stumbled across a section offering bumblebee jasper and white buffalo stones. Beautiful and unique, they were the perfect little treasures to carry home.

Reflection – The Road Home

This stretch of the journey marked the beginning of the road back home, but it was anything but ordinary. Between the unexpected connection at Mt. Rushmore, the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Badlands, and the quirky fun of Wall Drugstore, the drive became more than just miles—it became another chapter of memories stitched into our adventure.

As we finally pulled back into Chicago, we were greeted by the best welcome home—our puppies. After weeks on the road, a wedding in the mountains, and countless memories with family and friends, it felt grounding to have our little family back together. But this wasn’t the end of the journey—it was really just the beginning. Our honeymoon wasn’t a single destination, but the adventure of moving into our Airstream full-time for the next five months (to start). With the open road ahead, we set our sights on new landscapes and experiences, knowing this chapter would end in North Carolina but would shape how we live, travel, and dream together for years to come.

Guess how far zoomed we are in order to make these faces seem big!

There were prairie dogs all over the place right outside of the Badlands National Park

Just one of the many views of the Badlands National Park