Life has been so busy lately that this post is a full week overdue — I nearly skipped posting it altogether, but there is a good chance that my grandmother may be able to access the internet soon for the first time in months, and I know she’ll want to see a few pictures from this adventure.

You know by now that Dan and I love to travel, but we are still taking the pandemic seriously and so we need to be more selective. We feel safest when we can avoid recirculated air and crowds, so we felt that the glamping experience at Under Canvas was as safe a bet as they come.

We have stayed at this same location before and loved our experience. We knew that Under Canvas Mount Rushmore has its own dining hall with outdoor seating, so we felt good about that too. We upgraded to a tent with a private bathroom.

That swanky tent also had a view of the stars. (More pleasant at night than in the morning, I can assure you.)

Below: Under Canvas’ view of Mount Rushmore. Dan and I had visited the monument on past visits, but this time around we spent more time learning about Six Grandfathers and the Native history of the area.

On a related note: I recommend a free app called Native Lands, which makes it easy to understand which First Nations tribes have called a certain area home. You can also read more about specific treaties in effect.

Ours was a quick trip, and we spent most of it reading or exploring the nearby Custer State Park.

On our way out of South Dakota we also passed through Wind Cave National Park. The caves are closed at the moment, but the park is still stunning to drive through.

I do want to take a minute to say that, as gorgeous as we find South Dakota and as safe as this visit felt for the most part, Dan and I both find travel very stressful right now — especially when driving through Wyoming, where even the nearest McDonald’s might be 90 minutes away. We calculate our risks as carefully as possible, hope for the best, and continue to keep ourselves essentially self-isolated when we return home.

We’re home now, and plotting our next pandemic-approved jaunt.

I will also share some news soon about what’s been keeping me so busy this week!