Last month, we met the Smith family in South Dakota for a weeklong vacation. We stayed in the Black Hills—my first time in the southwest corner of the state. My brother-in-law Josh is from Spearfish, and served as a thoughtful guide as we visited Mt. Rushmore, Cave of the Winds and other incredibly gorgeous areas of his home state. Doug has a great photo set online–check it out here.
This might be one of my favorite shots from the entire trip—all eight cousins in a row:
The 1880s train was definitely a highlight, especially for Owen…
This was the moment he realized we were actually on a train. (The caption, obviously, is “Holy shit!”)
Thanks, Smiths, for a trip filled with unforgettable firsts!









