2016 Musial Family Adventure: Chapter 17: Every Step Takes Us Closer To Home

11:45a. Residence Inn outside of Sioux Falls, SD

Nobody was happy with the amount or quality of sleep they got, but we pile back into the van anyway.

Our hotel suite -- two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen -- was probably the nicest (and most expensive) lodging we purchased this trip, and we only got to use it for a little over eight hours. Plus everyone had their eyes closed the entire time anyway. Kind of a shame.

12:15p. Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD.

I had booked us into Sioux Falls in the hope that we could spend some time in the downtown park that contains the actual waterfalls that give Sioux Falls its name.

Unfortunately, we're already running late, and it's about nine thousand degrees outside today. So we make a perfunctory trip to the observation tower overlooking the falls, and then back in the van.

1:00p. Perkins. Sioux Falls, SD

We missed the free breakfast at the Residence Inn by about three hours, and the boys are starving. Right before we get onto the interstate, we find a Perkins restaurant. It's the first time in a Perkins for most of my family, and they have a hard time deciding which giant plates of carbs to order. We make a note to check out Perkins back in Pittsburgh some time.

1:15p. Minnesota State Line.

We pass into Minnesota!

5:45p. Wisconsin State Line

We cross the Mississippi River and we are in Wisconsin!

Every mile we travel feels more familiar: hills instead of mountains; green trees and fields along the highway instead of sandy desert plains; and restaurants and gas stations more frequent than every ten thousand miles.

10:00p. Janesville, Wisconsin

We reached our hotel about 90 minutes ago. We checked in and then made a beeline to the nearest Mexican restaurant. I developed a craving for a chimichanga somewhere in Wyoming a few days back and I'm excited to fulfill that craving.

I also fulfilled my craving for several beers.

Today was uneventful from a tourist perspective -- it was pretty much solely a travel day. The boys did great and after the nineteen-hour slog yesterday, nine hours in the van feels like nothing.

Looking forward to checking out the sights in Madison tomorrow.