Every May, my social media feeds fill up with the same question. Everyone wants to know which coastal town has the best rental houses. The pressure to pack up the kids and head to the beach for Memorial Day is intense.
The Caribbean for Less Than You Think
Up to 65% off + a resort credit + a free night at select Sandals resorts. 8 islands. 17 resorts. All-inclusive everything. See the deals →
I get the appeal. But after years of vacuuming sand out of my minivan cup holders, I finally called it quits. We stopped fighting the coastal traffic. We stopped paying triple for a crowded rental house.
Instead, we head west. We point the car toward South Dakota. Our Memorial Day tradition is a road trip through the Badlands and Custer State Park. It is the best decision we’ve ever made for our family travel sanity.
Why We Skip the Beach
Beaches on a holiday weekend are chaotic. You spend half your morning looking for a parking spot. Then you haul fifty pounds of gear across hot sand while holding a toddler.
National and state parks offer a completely different pace. The open roads of the Midwest give us room to breathe. We trade crowded boardwalks for wide open spaces. We swap expensive seafood dinners for sandwiches out of a cooler. The kids can run wild without me worrying they will get lost in a sea of identical beach umbrellas.
Plus, the minivan stays mostly sand-free. It still smells faintly of goldfish crackers, but I can live with that.
The Annual Tradition
Our route focuses on the stretch of Interstate 90 heading into western South Dakota. We usually hit the road on Friday afternoon. The goal is to make it past the worst of the city traffic before dinner.
From there, we explore the jagged rock formations of Badlands National Park. Then we drive the Needles Highway in Custer State Park. The kids love watching for bison. I love that we rarely have to wait in line for anything.
The 3-Day Weekend Itinerary
Here is exactly how we break down the weekend. This schedule keeps the driving manageable and gives the kids plenty of time to stretch their legs.
| Day | Drive Time | Key Stop & Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 4-5 hours | Drive to Oacoma, SD. Dinner at Al’s Oasis. Sleep at a nearby budget hotel. |
| Saturday | 2 hours | Morning drive through Badlands National Park. Hike the short Window Trail. Head to Custer State Park for the night. |
| Sunday | 1.5 hours (broken up) | Drive the Wildlife Loop in Custer. Picnic lunch. Afternoon hike around Sylvan Lake. |
| Monday | 6-7 hours | Breakfast in Rapid City. Long drive home. Stop at rest areas every two hours. |
Minivan Logistics for a Long Weekend
Surviving a holiday weekend road trip requires a specific kind of preparation. You do not need beach chairs or boogie boards. You do need a solid plan for the miles between exits 47 and 52.
Here is what actually goes into our trunk for a park trip:
- National Park pass: Buy this online before you leave to skip the entrance gate line.
- Three packs of baby wipes: Even if your kids are out of diapers, you will need these for sticky hands and dusty shoes.
- A dedicated trash bin with a lid: A plastic cereal dispenser lined with a grocery bag works perfectly to keep wrappers off the floor.
- Salty snacks and a cooler of water: Skip the chocolate. It will melt on the seats.
- Slip-on shoes and sturdy sneakers: Keep the slip-ons for the car and the sneakers for the trails.
- A paper map: Cell service drops out frequently in the parks.
Why We Keep Going Back
We get home on Monday night feeling tired. The car is usually covered in dust. The kids are asleep in the back.
But we also come home relaxed. We did not fight for beach space. We did not stress over dinner reservations. We just spent three days looking at bison, eating diner pie, and watching the scenery change out the window.
Those messy, quiet moments are the ones that actually stick. Next Memorial Day, skip the coast. Pack the cooler and head for the parks instead.
