Monday 28 December 2015

Radio City in New York City. _ Nicknamed "showplace of the nation", this leading tourist attraction has been entertaining the city since 1932. I love the art deco design, with interior elements incorporating glass, aluminum, chrome, and leather. _ The annual Christmas Spectacular show has been running since 1933 and one of the most popular attractions for the 8 million visitors that descend on New York every Christmas. _ #radiocity #famousplaces


Skyscraper into the clouds. _ View of a cloudy downtown Manhattan from the Staten Island ferry. _ "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." - Stephen Hawking _ As we count down the remainder of 2015 and reflect on an amazing year, it's hard to compared how much adventure and wonderment we fit into 365 days. From sunny tropical beaches in Bali to exploring remote glaciers in Alaska and now in the big lights of the Big Apple. Can't wait for what's in store for 2016. _ #motherofallroadtrips #newyorkcity


"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson _ The iconic Statue of Liberty in New York City. 🗽 _ Thomas Jefferson (or as my kids call him, Jeff) is one of my favourite presidents as he created the first known recipe in the United States for ice cream. And anyone who is the American father of ice cream is in my good books. Thanks Jeff! _ Oh, and he helped write other famous stuff too. _ I picked up that little known ice cream factoid when we recently visited Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and they sell the very same ice cream using Jeff's recipe from the 1700's. 🍦 _ #newyorkcity #statueofliberty


Friday 11 December 2015

Best seat in the house... _ Exploring the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Located about 45 minutes east of Rapid City, the rugged beauty and the world’s richest fossil beds make this a not-to-be-missed stop on our epic #motherofallroadtrips across the US. _ The indigenous Lakota people called this place "mako sica" or "land bad" as vegetation is sparse. The barren land is so extensive it can be seen from space! Striking scenery includes sharp spires, gullies, and ridges - almost like walking on another planet. _ I loved it... Maybe because I'm a little "bad" too. 😈 _ #badlands #southdakota #DoBigThings #visitrapidcity


"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content." - Helen Keller _ Into the darkness... _ Creeping through Wind Cave in South Dakota. This hidden world beneath the prairie is one of the longest and most complex cave systems in the world. _ Many of the walls are lined with a rare formation called "boxwork" - where mineral deposits form between softer rock and remain after the exterior is eroded. In fact 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. _ Even though there are 140.47 miles (226.06 km) of explored passageways, 4 new miles of cave passages are being discovered each year. _ Settlers have been exploring the cave system since 1881. But the Lakota indigenous people knew of it as a sacred place, and the origin of their people when they emerged from beneath the ground eons ago. _ After exploring it myself I can see why. We live in an amazing world. _ #southdakota #DoBigThings #visitrapidcity


Thursday 10 December 2015

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John F. Kennedy _ Sunset over Main Street, Rapid City, South Dakota. _ The sunsets in South Dakota are spectacular. So vivid and bright. Nature's gift that I appreciate every day. _ #southdakota #DoBigThings #visitrapidcity


"Sculpture is the art of the intelligence." - Pablo Picasso _ The mountain that needs no introduction. _ Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, this landmark was completed in 1941. It cost $1 million to create - about double the original estimate due to delays and unforeseen challenges working with the granite from the mountain. _ The visionary sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, dedicated 14 years of his life to the project. When he died in 1941 his son, Lincoln, took over one more year. But the monument remained unfinished. With the United States joining WWII at that point, the government funding ran out. _ The onsite museum is really fascinating and sheds a unique perspective on one of the world's most renowned (and epic) sculptures. And the mountain is even more impressive in real life. _ #DoBigThings #mountrushmore #visitrapidcity


Tuesday 8 December 2015

Roam free. _ "My restless, roaming spirit would not allow me to remain at home very long." - Buffalo Bill _ Wild bison in Custer State Park, South Dakota. _ And after roaming around South Dakota I can understand what Buffalo Bill meant. There's so much natural beauty and the land has a unique energy, a personality, a voice. You can hear it in the silence. _ Watching these wild bison from the safety of our car as we drove the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park was a real treat. They didn't mind us at all and observing the way they interacted with each other was fascinating. _ #bison #southdakota #visitrapidcity #DoBigThings


The largest mountain carving in the world... Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. _ This monumental undertaking commenced in 1947 by renowned sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, is still a work on progress. 6 of his 10 children and many of his grandchildren are working on it today. And 1 million visitors come to admire it each year. _ This photo doesn't so the massive scale justice. It's 641 feet long and 563 feet high. Absolutely breathtaking! _ #DoBigThings #visitrapidcity #crazyhorse


$50 Gander Mountain Gift Card

Gander Mountain is giving away a $50 gift card to use in any of their shops or online store. Everything related to the great outdoors can be found at Gander Mountain, from fishing to archery.
Read more at our travel blog.