*Planned for August and September 2025.*
![[north.png]]
**Mount Rushmore National Memorial** – Seeing the monument in person was surreal—massive, iconic, and the short trails nearby were a pleasant surprise.
![[MountRushmore.jpeg]]
**Sylvan Lake Trail – South Dakota** – Peaceful hike with stunning views of the lake and surrounding rock formations—felt like a fantasy movie set.
![[SylvanLakeTrail.jpeg]]
![[SylvanLakeTrail2.jpeg]]
**Needles Eye Tunnel – South Dakota** – Drove through this one-lane granite tunnel with barely inches to spare—made it without a scratch and felt like a boss.
![[NeedlesEyeTunnel.jpeg]]
**Devils Tower National Monument Trail – Wyoming** – Loved hiking around it and watching the views change—staring up at the tower from different angles never got old.
![[DevilsTower.jpeg]]
**Shoshone National Forest – Wyoming** – Great hiking with quiet, wild landscapes—one of those places that makes you feel really small.
![[Shoshone.jpeg]]
**Yellowstone National Park (Old Faithful and others)** – Classic Yellowstone stop—worth the crowd just to see it erupt right on cue.
![[OldFaithful.jpeg]]
![[yellowstone-1.jpeg]]
**Coeur d’Alene, ID** – Cute lakeside town—I looked up the name and yep, it means “heart of the awl” in French (shoutout to the fur trade).
![[Coeur dAlene.jpeg]]
**Spokane, WA** – Loved the city walk—downtown was calm and the riverside park and waterfalls were a great surprise.
![[Spokane.jpeg]]
**Leavenworth, WA** – Bavarian-themed town tucked into the Washington mountains—felt like I accidentally landed in Germany.
![[Leavenworth.jpeg]]
**Snoqualmie, WA** – Gorgeous waterfall and peaceful trails nearby—easy stop, but so worth it.
![[Snoqualmie.jpeg]]
**Iowa State Capitol** –
![[iowa-state-capitol.jpg]]