• HOME
  • Discover the Black Hills
  • Attractions
    • Crazy Horse Memorial
    • Mount Rushmore National Memorial
    • Needles Highway
    • Sylvan Lake
    • Badlands National Park
    • Custer State Park
    • Black Elk Wilderness Area
    • Native American Arts and Culture
    • Wildlife of the Black Hills
    • Spearfish Canyon
    • Restaurants Near Badlands National Park
    • Best Views In The Black Hills
    • The Best Dining in the Black Hills
    • Breweries in the Black Hills
    • Weather of the Black Hills
    • Family Fun in The Black Hills
    • Black Hills Culture
    • Badlands National Park Pictures and Photos
    • Movies Made in Badlands National Park
    • The Best Views in Badlands National Park
    • Images of Badlands National Park
  • FAQ's
    • General Questions
    • Custer State Park FAQ's
    • Badlands National Park FAQ's
  • Contact Us
  • MORE
    • Employment
    • Store
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • Notorious U.S. Army Figures
    • Notable Lakota Figures
    • Legends And Bandits of the Black Hills and Badlands >
      • Story of Lame Johnny
    • Metals, Gems, Rocks and Minerals of the Black Hills and Badlands
    • The Story of Calamity Jane
    • Blog
    • About Us
    • Corporate Responsibility
MY XO ADVENTURES
  • HOME
  • Discover the Black Hills
  • Attractions
    • Crazy Horse Memorial
    • Mount Rushmore National Memorial
    • Needles Highway
    • Sylvan Lake
    • Badlands National Park
    • Custer State Park
    • Black Elk Wilderness Area
    • Native American Arts and Culture
    • Wildlife of the Black Hills
    • Spearfish Canyon
    • Restaurants Near Badlands National Park
    • Best Views In The Black Hills
    • The Best Dining in the Black Hills
    • Breweries in the Black Hills
    • Weather of the Black Hills
    • Family Fun in The Black Hills
    • Black Hills Culture
    • Badlands National Park Pictures and Photos
    • Movies Made in Badlands National Park
    • The Best Views in Badlands National Park
    • Images of Badlands National Park
  • FAQ's
    • General Questions
    • Custer State Park FAQ's
    • Badlands National Park FAQ's
  • Contact Us
  • MORE
    • Employment
    • Store
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • Notorious U.S. Army Figures
    • Notable Lakota Figures
    • Legends And Bandits of the Black Hills and Badlands >
      • Story of Lame Johnny
    • Metals, Gems, Rocks and Minerals of the Black Hills and Badlands
    • The Story of Calamity Jane
    • Blog
    • About Us
    • Corporate Responsibility

My XO Adventures Hits the Road

5/23/2020

0 Comments

 
Badlands National Park South Unit

Adventures Across America



​My XO Adventures has left the room and hit the road! My name is Daniel Milks and I’m the owner of the company.  After coming back from Cuba on March 17th it was a different world. My business, (the tourism sector) came to a complete stop. Immediately before anything else, my colleagues and I went from boom to bust. Now many of us are in the same basket. I did my share of isolation and housekeeping with the business and as I read article after useless article and time-wasting ZOOM meetings offering virtual encouragement followed by expensive marketing plans that promised to get us all out of this mess I had enough. I literally said to myself, this is all BS. I’m not saying the intentions of these efforts were bad, what I’m saying is they were as stale as a brick and mortar Travel Agency stocked full of dusty plastic plants, brochures, and reeks of coffee with a side of regret. The stories that hit my heart were the ones of hard-working people and small businesses The stories of fear, worry, and desperation.
​

Families to feed, possibly businesses folding, unemployment systems unable to help the unemployed, disaster loans, and more.

I thought, something is wrong with all of this. Really wrong. Not the virus, not the masks, but real action on the part of those able to help. I had to ask myself, “Daniel, what are you going to do?” I can help others, learn in the process, promote my hometown, and keep my business relevant. There are some things you can do that if planned right, contain multiple facets and click right into place like a swiss watch. 
I was going to do this. I reached out to multiple organizations early on but got a lot of maybe’s and no’s when it came to helping to promote Sarasota. I’d ask another way, offer to pay, do the work for free but just dead ends. This is from an area that would be crushed without tourism long term. I thought, here I am offering to get on the road and do the work for free as a resident of Sarasota. Wait, there’s my permission. I’m a resident of Sarasota for 28 years, I don’t need the endorsement, help of, a degree from or the blessing of anyone to do this. I am smart, I am important and gosh darn it people like me. All it took was the first step.  I took all the seats out of my van and packed it with camping gear, a kayak, food, and self-made curtains friends would make fun of for years. 

I headed out the backroads (the roads less traveled) and it’s much, much more interesting. Longer but a great experience. I’m meeting mom and pop businesses and promoting them as I go along. Relationships are blooming and some pretty amazing things are coming from it. Next year is going to be awesome, but today is amazing. 

Strength comes from within. It doesn’t come from a TV monitor, a radio flap jaw, or a party leader. You’ve got everything you need to succeed and to overcome today’s challenges. You can do anything you want, and you can do it well. Don’t believe me? You’re free to choose. My hope is that we get to travel together on an adventure. Keep following along will I confidently stumble through this exercise. www.facebook.com/myxoadventures and like the page. 

​XOXO
Daniel 

Bison in Custer State Park
Badlands National Park
Crackling Soil in Badlands National Park
Bighorn Sheep at Sage Creek Rim Road
Storm coming in at Badlands National Park
Sunset at Sage Creek Campground
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019

Badlands NAtional PArk
Native American Information
Family FUN in The Black HIlls
Information on the Black Hills
Restaurants Near Badlands National Park
Rapid City Recommended Hotels
Best Restaurants in the Black hills

TRAVEL NEWSLETTER



Picture

BOOK
ONLINE
​24/7/365


​HAVE QUESTIONS?

Read our Q&A's or contact us via phone from 8 AM to 6 PM Mountain time  Sunday – Monday. Phone: 605-252-9100
About Us
Contact US
FAQ's
Travel Blog
SMART WAIVER
INSURE YOUR TOUR

Vertical Divider
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
TripAdvisor
My XO Adventures Operates Tours on Pine Ridge Reservation Authorized by the Oglala Sioux Tribe
Department of Revenue, Permit Number 23-BL1082
FLA Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST41847 ​| Privacy Policy | © COPYRIGHT 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
My XO Adventures, LLC operates under a special use permit on the Black Hills National Forest
  • HOME
  • Discover the Black Hills
  • Attractions
    • Crazy Horse Memorial
    • Mount Rushmore National Memorial
    • Needles Highway
    • Sylvan Lake
    • Badlands National Park
    • Custer State Park
    • Black Elk Wilderness Area
    • Native American Arts and Culture
    • Wildlife of the Black Hills
    • Spearfish Canyon
    • Restaurants Near Badlands National Park
    • Best Views In The Black Hills
    • The Best Dining in the Black Hills
    • Breweries in the Black Hills
    • Weather of the Black Hills
    • Family Fun in The Black Hills
    • Black Hills Culture
    • Badlands National Park Pictures and Photos
    • Movies Made in Badlands National Park
    • The Best Views in Badlands National Park
    • Images of Badlands National Park
  • FAQ's
    • General Questions
    • Custer State Park FAQ's
    • Badlands National Park FAQ's
  • Contact Us
  • MORE
    • Employment
    • Store
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • Notorious U.S. Army Figures
    • Notable Lakota Figures
    • Legends And Bandits of the Black Hills and Badlands >
      • Story of Lame Johnny
    • Metals, Gems, Rocks and Minerals of the Black Hills and Badlands
    • The Story of Calamity Jane
    • Blog
    • About Us
    • Corporate Responsibility