A question about travel/family vacations..
 

Has anyone here ever rented a vehicle and driven to your destination, then flew home?

I ask this because I am planning a summer vacation to take the Padrino clan to Mt. Rushmore in either July or August. We could drive there and back, but I just don't know if my family is capable of loving each other for that many days in the minivan. The kids can barely make the drive to Park City from our house in Murray without the bickering escalating to hand-to-hand combat.

Any opinions on if it would be worth it to drive to Mt. Rushmore and see the sites then hop on a flight from Rapid City back to SLC? Or if you've done the drive then fly thing, do the postives outweigh the negatives?

How much is the one way ticket?
 

With the price of gas it might be cheaper to fly round trip when you factor in the mental health cost. How old are your kids? Do you have things like PSP's and DVD players, MP3 players and stuff? I personally would prefer to drive with my family and see the sites. If you prepare them well and map out a route with them where the get some involvement in picking the things along the way, they might behave enough to make the trip enjoyable.

Not a directly related to your question, but take your clubs. Play the Spearfish course and The Golf Club at Devil's Tower. Both are excellent. If you have to choose, choose the Devil's Tower club.

http://www.devilstowergolf.com/

I have trouble working in golf on vacation even with just the Mrs. You could take the kids to Devils Tower and have them watch Close Encounters on the DVD on the way. Vedawoo is also a nice activity break off of I-80 (between Laramie and Cheyenne). As for the rest of Wyoming, an appropriate DVD might be some combination of Brokeback Mtn and Deliverance.

That's only an eleven hour drive. Piece of cake.

Has anybody ever been to the Little America Travel Center in Wyoming? I've driven I-80 a dozen times and always measure my progress with those billboards. IIRC, they advertise free ice cream for children.

How about Wall Drug?

Yes, Vedauvoo and Devil's Tower is all we got. Another bit of advice, I wouldn't tarry in the small clusters of trailer homes scattered amongst the sage that pass for towns around here. Not unless you have the skill of gymnastics and the kill of karate that is.

Here's another can't miss South Dakota attraction. Minuteman silo.
http://www.nps.gov/mimi/

I appreciate the suggestions.

My wife and I made the decision that we would make the drive both ways. In the end, it would be cheaper because we can all sleep in the minivan.

Now, we just have to decide when we will be there. If you hear that one of the faces fall off the side of the mountain, you will know that we've been there. (It's not that we would want that to happen, but my two boys have the ability to do some remarkable things.)

South Dakota, this is your warning. The Padrinos are coming.

Alrighty then, the vacation plans have been made. My wife and I were talking and decided that our kids would have great memories of visiting Mt. Rushmore during the 4th of July holiday. We'll be staying near the monument on the nights of July 3rd and 4th. At first, I was thinking that the cost would be much higher because of the holiday, but there were two rooms available at the fancy Super 8 just one mile from the monument for only $60 more than any other times, I decided to go with it. There might have been rooms available at other places that are a bit more fancy, but hey, I am cheap and I'll take it. Besides, that there was anything available this late surprised me - unless it's not a big deal to be at Mt. Rushmore during the 4th.

So, the Padrinos are headed to Mt. Rushmore. What better time of year for my family to leave their traditional mark of destruction than at one of the most famous landmarks on the planet? I mean, if we're going to ruin something the entire country is proud of, why not ruin it on the country's birthday?

Landpoke, if you don't mind, would you mind warning the good people at Devil's Tower that we'll be heading that way and arriving close to the 6th or 7th? I'd hate for them to see the tower collapse without fair warning. And if it's ok, I'll plan on parking the vehicle in whichever neighborhood park is furthest from your place on one of those nights. It was kind of you to offer the vacant lot near your home, but I don't want to see your home destroyed.