Day Seven South Dakota - July 19, 2009

Today was the day to head home. And this was the first day that we actually slept in. I finally drug myself out of bed about 7:30 am, an hour later than I had all week, and took another shower to wake myself up. Once I was done, I woke up Sebastian and began packing us all up. We woke the kids up at 9:00, took our belongings out to the car, and headed downstairs to meet Norbert, Teri, and Elizabeth for breakfast.

Sebastian and the kids enjoyed the buffet, which was very well stocked, including chocolate dip for strawberries and marshmallows and shrimp cocktail. Elizabeth sat between the kids and after everyone was finished eating, the three of them played Go Fish and Trash (or Garbage, whatever). We enjoyed a great deal of conversation and finally headed out at 11:45 am.

For the first time during the trip, Matthew asked "Are we there yet?" He did so on a number of occasions, and finally after we reached the 680/80 split we told him to look for the yellow smiley-face water tower and that would let him know we only had an hour left. He and Gabriella began discussing when they would close their eyes to sleep, knowing that it would help pass the time more quickly, but it never happened. They were much too excited to be seeing Amber again.

When we reached Des Moines, we stopped at Papa John's Pizza for our dinner, brought it home, and I opened the back door. When I got to the top of the kitchen steps, I am pretty sure I had come home to Amber laying on the couch. She was standing in the middle of the living room acting very sheepish. She ran outside, got attention, and then refused to come in for the rest of the night. Guess we weren't as important as bunny patrol.

Day Six South Dakota - July 18, 2009

We began our journey back home today. We finished up our eggs and bacon, as well as a hodge podge of other foods I didn't want to haul back with us. While we packed up, the kids played at the basketball court and on the playground and we pulled out of the resort by 9:30 am.

Our first stop was Wall Drug, once again. Matthew had only $4.00 left of his allowed amount, but Gabriella has $27 and was pretty set on a tank top she had seen there. We wandered all over, while Sebastian once again got his five cent coffee. He finally found us and remembered exactly where the shirt was at and took Gabriella while Matthew hunted for something that he liked that was $4 or less. He finally stumbled upon a plastic Archaeopteryx, which was $10. I agreed, stating that he owed me $6 and his future allowances would go to paying me.

Sebastian also told Matthew that he would buy him something to go on the front of his new cowboy hat to help him remember the front, so a Sheriff Matthew pin was selected. Gabriella nixed the tank top and decided on a stuffed black bear.

During this visit we made our way into the backyard to see the famous T-rex (quite the disappointment when you are use to putting together dinosaur exhibits yourself) and the giant Jackalope.

After Wall Drug, we continued on to Sioux Falls, where we stayed at the Holiday Inn City Centre. We let the kids jump in the pool while Sebastian and I took turns taking real showers. The kids then showered, and we met up with Sebastian's oldest brother, sister-in-law, and niece. We ate dinner at the Phillips St. Diner, enjoying a wide variety of foods and wonderful malts.

We finished our evening with a visit to Falls Park, in hopes of watching the "lighting show". We had no idea what to expect, so when they told us it was 45 minutes long, we were a bit worried. We figured they would be lighting up the falls for 45 minutes, instead we were treated to a laser show of a very one-sided view of Sioux Falls' history. My favorite quote was , "The government was too busy being worried about the Confederacy to worry about starving Indians".

When the show finished, we found ourselves talking in the parking lot until I cut off the conversation at 11:00 pm. We made plans to meet the next morning for breakfast and headed back to the hotel to enjoy the nicest accomodations we had had all week.

Day Five South Dakota - July 17, 2009

This morning started out much more pleasant, as we all had a decent night's sleep and we enjoyed scrambled eggs, bacon, and strawberries. We filled up the camelbaks and began the loop that would include Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and Crazy Horse Memorial. Along the highway to Custer State Park we stopped to photograph the mountain we were driving through. This nearly left the kids speechless, which is a miracle in itself.

We arrived to very welcoming staff at Custer State Park and headed for the wildlife loop. In the beginning we saw many, many pronghorn. Quite possibly all the pronghorns that reside in Custer State Park. Part way through the loop we stopped at the Wildlife Station to visit and take a pit stop. The very friendly woman staffing the station asked if we had seen any bison. I responded that we had not, just pronghorns. She informed us that a bull had just passed by and if we kept going we would see lots of bison.

Not long after getting back in the car, we came across the bull she had mentioned. Then we crested a ridge and found a couple more bison. Then we crested another ridge and we were astounded to see bison clear to the horizon. There were hundreds, and many of them just standing on the road, including a nursing mother. As we continued to drive along, we could have reached out and touched them. We could hear them bellow, which sounded very much like burping.

When the ranger came by and told everyone to get back in their cars, we allowed the kids to stand up through the sunroof to take pictures and record videos with our phones. Once the ranger was behind us, we turned around and saw that he had stopped and appeared to be chatting with one of the bison in the middle of the road. The kids are still laughing about this.

At one point, a large bison acted as a crossing guard for some young and at the very end of the group was a very, very large male who appeared to be watching over it all. It was amazing to watch them all gathering slowly into one large group from many directions. It was also sad to think that 150 years ago, there would have been thousands and thousands more of them.

After the bison, we stopped at the visitor center, viewed the exhibit, and had a picnic lunch. The kids were a bit restless, so I raced them up and down the hill for a bit to burn off some energy.

From Custer State Park, we headed to Wind Cave National Park, the first cave to be listed as a National Park. We arrived in time to view the exhibit hall before heading to the 3:00 pm Natural Entrance Tour. This tour took us to the natural entrance, which was very, very tiny. We then entered the cave through a glass door and began our descent of 283 steps. We stopped in the mailbox room, so called becaus the boxwork created a pattern like post office boxes. The kids were amazed, and I was able to make a jab about the unhealthiness of pop when the ranger informed us that the same substance that creates the bubbles in pop is what eroded away the rock to create the cave. The ranger also turned off all sources of light, leaving us completely blind. It was a very discomforting period of time, and yet awesome to experience complete darkness.

After the tour, we stamped our passports and realized it was almost 5:00 pm. We had promised the kids more time at the pool and time to shop, so we simply pulled to the side of the road to see Crazy Horse. I was disappointed not to see the visitor center, but knew that the kids were beat and likely would not behave well for yet another attraction.

When we arrived in Hill City, Matthew purchased his black cowboy hat and Gabriella purchased Mt. Rushmore chapstick. We then enjoyed ice cream at a local shop, whose owner had been born and raised in my hometown, even attending the same high school as me.

The pool was next, and I sat down for the first time of the trip and enjoyed my book and some conversation with Sebastian. I then took the kids to the arcade and beat them at a game of fuzzball, 10 to 9. We were excited, happy, and still full of energy, so we made yet another fire and s'mores and met our new neighbors who were from Carlisle.

All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful day, a great way to begin winding down the trip.

Day Four South Dakota - July 16, 2009

First thing in the morning, at around 6:00 am, I packed up all our wet belongings and Matthew and headed into town to find an open laundromat. This happened to be at the Exxon station on Main Street. We headed in, started two loads of laundry, and then purchased chocolate-covered mini doughnuts (yes those wonderful waxy kind). Of course we wandered through the "casino" to get from the laundromat side to the gas station side and got into trouble for that. Never even dawned us, silly Iowans. Once the laundry was done, and we had mysteriously gained a pair of 16w women's shorts, we headed back to camp.

Sebastian headed to the office to look into the weather forecast, which included colder temps and more rain. Needless to say, we upgraded to a cabin and headed out for the day while they cleaned it for us. Our destination was Devil's Tower, and Gabriella slept nearly the whole way. Matthew amused himself for most of the trip, however, he did fall asleep for a short time (although he still says he was just resting his eyes).

When we arrived at the first National Monument ever, we ate a picnic lunch and then headed to the visitor center. We discovered that we were just in time for a ranger talk on the geology of Devil's Tower, which very nicely explained the theories on how it came into existence. We were also able to see climbers on the tower using our binoculars.

After the talk, we headed out for the trail which circles the tower, and discovered that it was 1.3 miles of up and down. Not large hills, but enough to get a 7 year old in a whiny mood, which is always entertaining and annoying when the child is also melodramatic and a gifted actor. We attempted to enjoy the views as much as we could, and witnessed yet another group of climbers on the other side of the tower. A portion of this group had reached the top of the tower, and we felt like cheering for them.

As we continued around the tower, a discussion began on climbing the tower and whether or not Matthew would be capable of climbing it. It was pointed out that he had repeatedly complained about being tired on the trail, but he insisted that climbing the tower would be easier and that he could beat us all to the top. But we all did express a wish to climb it when the kids were older.

When we returned from the hike we stamped our passports and went to the next ranger talk, this one about Native American heritage and myths. Our ranger was a 20 year old Lakota, with the Lakota name of Pretty Horse Woman. She introduced herself in English and several Native American languages and it was fascinating to hear the very distinct differences in the language. She admitted that Lakota was very gutteral and I teased Sebastian that with his Dutch heritage it shouldn't be that hard for him to pick up that aspect of the language.

After Devil's Tower, I was exhausted and just not in the mood to cook dinner, so when we reached Hill City we went to Subway, causing the kids to bounce with joy. We took our sandwiches back to the resort, got the key to the cabin, packed up our things, and moved in. When I walked into the cabin I squealed as I discovered we had a fully functioning bathroom all to ourselves. Ah, the relief!

After dinner, I unpacked while Sebastian and the kids enjoyed the pool. After the pool, we drove back into town to enjoy Dairy Queen and stop in a couple of the shops that were still open. We finished out the night with more s'mores. Matthew and Gabriella both complained about the smoke getting in their eyes, so they stood over the fire with sunglasses on. Matthew was inspired at one point to imitate Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves and did a dance around the fire. Of course he nearly fell in twice, so I put a quick stop to that.

Day Three South Dakota - July 15, 2009

Day three of our adventure started out with very little wind, thankfully. After enjoying bagels and yogurt again, we quickly packed up and returned to the Badlands visitor center where we purchased our daily postcards and a magnet. Matthew was able to complete the fossil computer game, which was his one and only concern. We thanked the helpful rangers and prepared for a visit to Wall Drug.


Since the kids had slept for most of the car rides, we informed them that we had seen 100's (probably not an exaggeration) of signs for Wall Drug. We asked them to count all the signs from the Badlands until Wall Drug, and we came up with 38 signs in the 20 minute drive. Of course, we entered the store and were overwhelmed. Matthew immediately decided he had to have a cowboy hat, which we postponed to later in the trip, and Sebastian enjoyed in five cent coffee.


After a bit, we suggested that we stop again on our way back home, loaded back up in the car and drove to Hill City, where we were staying at Crooked Creek Resort. We checked in, dropped our things off at the teepee, and headed to the 1880 train. This 2-hour trip to Keystone and back provided us with a relaxed view of the Black Hills and some of its residents. The train chugged along past old mines, turkeys, and deer. On the way back, I dozed a bit, enjoying the sway of the train on its tracks. The trip was definitely a hit.


Our intention had been to head back to the resort, allow the kids to swim, eat a quick dinner, and then head to Mt. Rushmore. However, the pool was being refilled because the storm that had blown through two nights before had broken a glass table in the pool. It was emptied, cleaned, and was likely not going to be full until the next morning. So we ate what was left of the hot dogs and headed to Mt. Rushmore.


Along the steep roads, we saw mountain goats, including a baby. We parked and headed into the visitor center. We began our visit with a viewing of a film which explained the creation of Mt. Rushmore. This was the perfect way to begin. We then headed into the exhibit hall, where the kids were able to "blast" dynamite on the mountain and we enjoyed the many comics and advertisements that had featured Mt. Rushmore over the years.


After the visitor center, we enjoyed the new viewing terrace and then headed to the kids exploration area (which was closed) and the Lakota Heritage area (which was also closed). Disappointed, we decided to just enjoy the trail and the view of the presidents. As we walked, we passed many people with ice cream, and it was quickly decided that we would be making a stop for that.


We purchased our daily postcards in the gift shop, and I found my much wanted subtle turquoise jewelry. We then found ourselves with enormous ice cream cones and an hour and 20 minutes of time to kill before the viewing ceremony. After we finally finished the ice cream, we passed the time by playing I Spy and Story, which consisted of each of us saying 5 words contributing to a story. At one point SpongeBob, Patrick, and Little Red Riding Hood made an appearance, but Sebastian attempted on numerous occastions to kill of SpongeBob and Patrick.


Once dusk arrived, we listened to a wonderfully articulate ranger on the importance of history and watched a Discovery Channel film on the history of Mt. Rushmore. Matthew was very excited that the movie was narrated by Darth Vader. As the movie completed, the monument was lit and it was absolutely beautiful. We stayed to honor the veterans that had visited that day and headed back to the teepee well after 10:00 pm.


We were all very excited to spend our first night in the teepee, but some time after midnight, the wind picked up and I was hit in the head with something. I soon discovered it was hail, and was now repeatedly being pelted in the head and body by both hail and rain. The temp dropped to 50 degrees and I was soaked through. At one point I was certain that the teepee would be torn apart by the storm, but it held. But as I pulled the blankets over my head, praying for sleep, I realized that we would be finding new accomodations in the morning.

Day Two South Dakota - July 14, 2009

Our morning was quite damp and chilly, and we enjoyed bagels and yogurt outside the cabin. After we loaded up, we began our journey to the Badlands National Park. The drive was slightly over 3 hours, and the kids slept for a good portion of the drive. The landscape was distinctly South Dakota, with beautiful rolling hills (actual hills, not those bumps in the road that Sebastian calls hills along Reinbeck, Iowa).

Nearing the Badlands, the kids had woken up to see the landscape change from green, lush, rolling hills to massive, stark mountains (okay, we Iowans call them mountains). We gave a very cheery shout "Hello" as we neared the park and I read a Badlands creation myth I had found on the Badlands National Park website. I had previously told the children that the Badlands had been one of my favorite parts of my childhood South Dakota trip, so they were anxious to see the place I loved so much.

When we arrived, we laughed at the giant Prairie Dog and took the kids pictures at the park entrance sign. The wind nearly blew them away. In fact, the wind gusts reached 41 mph that day and we had to stake the tent down before setting it up.

Our first stop was the Visitor Center, where the most helpful and friendly Park Rangers provided the kids with their Jr. Ranger book and suggested the Passport books as well. We wandered through the museum area, which was very informative and had activities and information appropriate for both kids and adults. In fact, Matthew didn't ever want to leave, but we did eventually drag him out by promising to come back the next morning before we left.

Our next stop was the campgrounds, which provided a majestic view of the badlands, interrupted by powerlines. As I stated earlier, we pitched the tent while it was staked down and then used our clothesline to tie it to a parking barricade in hopes that it would not blow away. We ate some lunch and then headed out to the ranger talk on fossils, which was to be held at 2:30 at the Fossil Exhibit Trail. It appeared that the Fossil Exhibit Trail was off Castle Trail, so we decided to hike a bit, but discovered very early on that we were going to miss the program. The kids were having so much fun during the hike, that we kept going for over an hour, finding cacti, rabbits, and a toad in one small little pool of water.

After an hour, and hitting trail marker number 33, we sat in the little bit of shade we could find, slipped off the camelbaks, and enjoyed some granola bars. After the refresher, we turned around and the kids now led the way, no longer afraid of running into rattlesnakes. Once, back at the car, we decided to head out to Robert's Praire Dog Town, as the kids were pretty set on seeing prairie dogs. Along the way, we saw a sign on the left-hand side of the road, advertising a Fossil Talk at 3:30. Low and behold, we found the Fossile Exhibit Trail! The talk was very educational and well presented and we followed it up with a quick meander through the handicap accessible trail.

We continued on to the prairie dog town, which was quite the success. The kids were rolling as they watched the little guys bark, bounce, and run. But after having dust blown in our eyes, noses, and mouth, we got back in the car and continue the Badland Loop, which provided us with even more success when we came upon a female bighorn sheep and her baby and a American Bison bull munching along the side of the road.

Once back at camp, around 7:00 pm, we heated up our freeze-dried Chicken Terikayi, which was quite challenging with high winds and a propane stove, put on our pajamas, and headed to the evening ranger talk. On arrival, we discovered that the winds prevented the ranger from giving the normal program, so she very nicely opened up the floor to questions. Matthew asked about the goats we had seen, which turned out to be the bighorn sheep, and Sebastian asked about the colored bands of rock, which turned out to be iron oxide (rust) and a yellow ocher.

We headed to bed around 10:00 pm, with Gabriella sleep walking around 1:00 am and three of us making a potty run around 2:00 am. But we slept well enough to be rested for our first adventure to Wall Drug and our first day in the Black Hills.

Day One of South Dakota - July 13, 2009

Most of the car was already packed this morning, only after dragging Amber (the dog) out of the back of the station wagon. She was well aware that we were headed somewhere and she was desperate to make certain she was not left behind. As we finished the last of the loading, she was not taking a step out of the garage, and my heart broke as I drug her inside so we could leave.

Along the way, the kids rooted through their bag of goodies to find all the many objects I had packed to keep them entertained, from the etch-a-sketches and South Dakota themed activity books, to the good old markers and notepads. We switched drivers outside of Council Bluffs, and then took a picnic lunch at a rest stop just past Elk Point, South Dakota.

We arrived in Mitchell, South Dakota, around 2:30 and headed straight for the Prehistoric Indian Village. This was a small, well staffed museum and archealogical dig site for an Indian village which was abandoned approximately 1,000 years ago. The small museum was well thought out and the dig site is accessible to the public. The only hands-on activity, however, was a spear-throwing area, which was not staffed. The kids did enjoy this activity, quite a bit, but the experience was not worth the cost.

After leaving the museum, we headed to the KOA, pitched our tent, and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Once dinner was over, we headed back into town for The World's Only Corn Palace. As corny (sorry for the pun) as this place is, it is also fascinating. The artwork is beautiful and made completely from corn. The kids wandered through the shop for quite some time, and for a free attraction, I would highly recommend it. Plus the corn on the cob is wonderful.

As we were exiting the corn palace, we learned that a thunderstorm was headed our way with 70 mph winds and hail. This did not sound pleasing, so we spoke to the gentlemen at the KOA and upgraded to a cabin. Just as we finished the move, the storm began. We ended up with over an inch of rain and maximum wind gusts of 55 mph. While the worst of the storm hit, we played card games in the cabin and began reading Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity.

A second thunderstorm was on its way, disappointing the kids as they were not able to swim. Around 9:30, we decided to give up and head to bed, knowing we had a full day ahead of us at the Badlands.