We’ve been here for two days, and I believe we’ve seen everything there is to see in South Dakota. We’ve driven 600 miles and seen many amazing things. Unfortunately, this has left us so exhausted that we often can’t even muster the energy to nourish ourselves.
Given that South Dakota is full of delicious steaks and eggs-made-many-ways, this is not only remarkable, it is also sad. In spite of our heroic vacationing efforts, we are still sometimes missing out.
We will do more comprehensive posts later, to be sure (we have seen SO MUCH!) but for now, I’m going to start by filing a complaint.
I made reservations for our hotel (motel) for the first time using Priceline. I’ve never used Priceline before, mostly because I’m not very good with the “here, pay for what’s inside this box” philosophy. I like to see what I’m getting. But hotel prices were a little steep (it’s tourist season) so I thought I’d try it out. Stupidly, I thought if I signed on for 3 nights, I might get a better deal. So that’s what I did.
Well, after a full day of touring, we arrived so late that we apparently got the “last room” left. And Priceline apparently didn’t register that I had signed up for 2 adults and two babies. So, we have a tiny room with a full-sized bed and that’s it. Now, I’m pretty thrifty, but I’ve never stayed in a motel with just one bed in the room. And a full-sized one. Even the cheapest rooms I’ve stayed in ($29.95 a night!) have two beds. Or a queen, at least. Matthew assured me we got this room because we were late and the place was full. I blamed Priceline.
Anyway. This means that Alden has to sleep in Kato’s little travel bed (basically a box that folds flat)
and Kato has to sleep in our suitcase
Thank goodness we don’t know how to travel light anymore. We actually tried putting him in a dresser drawer first (on the floor) but the back edge was low enough that he kept scooting his feet over the edge and then couldn’t make his way back in.
Luckily, we have all been so exhausted that the sleeping accommodations are more than adequate. Matthew has even slept with fewer than seven pillows the last two nights (just three, to be exact. It’s a miracle!)
And, to prove that we’re in South Dakota and not just exhausted and staying in a lousy and overpriced motel in Chestertown, here you go:
Immediately after this photo was taken, all four of us collapsed in exhaustion. But no one was awake to take a picture. Sorry.
But if you had had better hotel accommodations there wouldn’t be pictures of babies in suitcases on the internet.
Being the oldest of the cousins on my dad’s side who lived within 10 miles of my grandparents house, I was the first to spend the night with them as an infant. There is a lovely picture of me sleeping in a laundry basket, and although it was a lovely wicker laundry basket my grandmother ran right out and bought a crib for her bedroom to spare the remaining cousins such indignity. The first visit I made my way home with an infant Elijah in tow, out came the wicker laundry basket (a different-less-than-30-year-old one I’m sure) and a picture was taken. Oh history, why must you repeat yourself?
I’m with Aubrey…your inconvenience made for the stuff of our pleasure. And your babes look none the worse for it, albeit sleeping so peacefully in containers. We were once in some sort of vacation condo arrangement where my son’s sleeping space was the closet. He seemed to like it just fine.
Thanks for sharing your adventures!
LOVE the suitcase-bed photo!