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.

Practice Run - Number 2

Our practice run number 2 took place at Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa, which is located just 20 minutes from the Council Bluffs/Omaha metro area. We arrived around 10:30 in the morning, quite thankfully as the day proved to be sunny, hot, and humid.

We began our adventure on Fox Run Ridge, which is classified as an easy trail. The start of our trek included a barrage of butterflies, many of which hitched rides with us for several yards. Of course, this delighted the kids for quite some time. This trail intersects with others, all of which are classified as either moderate or difficult. Unfortunatley, Fox Run Ridge is a there-and-back trail, so we were required to bump up our efforts.

From Fox Run Ridge, we took Dozer Cut, classified as a moderate trail. There were many steep hills, both up hill and down hill. As an adult, this would definitely be a moderate trail. However, for a 7 year old and a 9 year old, it was much more difficult, although quite doable. From Dozer Cut, we found ourselves in Bluestem Meander, where trail markings became extinct and poison ivy overtook what appeared to be trail. Bluestem Meander did provide beautiful prairie scenery, and if it had not be in the upper 80's would have been a very enjoyable walk.

From Bluestem Meander, we finished our hike on Chute trail, listed as difficult. It was almost completely uphill, and a very steep angle. At this point our dog stopped and laid down on the trail, getting dirt all over her tongue. It was rough walking, but we finally could spot the observation tower, which meant the end was near. Amazingly, the two children who were convinced they were going to die, nearly ran to the top of the tour.

All and all, it was a grueling but enjoyable hike and a wonderful practice run for the heat and hills we will find in South Dakota.

Crazy Horse's Vision

As we prepare for our trip to South Dakota I want very desperately to focus on the "other side" of this state's history. As we all know, history is written by the victor, but I want my children to see the history of South Dakota from those that have been forgotten, or at least not as honored as they should be.

While Crazy Horse obviously has not been forgotten, with an enormouse statue of him being carved out of a mountain, how many children can say they know why he is important? Heck, I don't think I could even provide an answer. So we have begun to delve into his life story with the picture book by Joseph Bruchac and S.D. Nelson.

This book is absolutately stunning and the story is incredibly moving. Matthew did ask why Crazy Horse was colored blue, and sadly I didn't have an answer for him at the time. After reading the author notes at the end of the book (which I suggest you do before reading to the kids) I found out that this color represents a connection to the spirit world. This books weaves a wonderful tale of Crazy Horse's childhood and the vision he received which shaped the choices he made later in life.

Crazy Horse's Vision was a great way to begin introducing the kids to Native Americans and their traditions. However, it does not provide much information about the role Crazy Horse played in Lakota and South Dakota histories. I have yet to find any additional children's books on Crazy Horse (at least none with good recommendations), but the search is still on.

Practice Run - Number 1

As we plan our vacation to South Dakota, we have included many, many hours of walking, particularly on trails through the Badlands and Black Hills. Hhhhmmm, hours and hours of walking with a 9 year-old and a 7 year-old. How fun, you might be thinking with much sarcasm. While Matthew has hiked a number of times at Ledges State Park and at Big Basin Redwood Forest, Gabriella has not enjoyed this particular activity with us.

So this vacation could turn into the most agonizing experience of our lives. Two children, whinning, complaining, asking "are we there yet" until our heads nearly explode. We could be nursing dehydration, exhaustion, and headaches as early as 11:00 am if we do not begin preparing them.

Hence, Memorial Day at Ledges State Park. We arrived at 10:00 am, quickly scouted out a relatively nice picnic area, and set off for the nearest trail. Unfortunately, while it was a different starting point, it was the same trail we have taken Matthew on a number of times. After this realization set in, we made for the water and headed upstream (the opposite of our normal route).

We had arrived early enough that we were some of the first people out and about, and for nearly 2 hours we slowly made our way upstream. We (or more accurately, Matthew) stopped to examine life under rocks, create hiding places for the fish, and attempt to catch minnows. Our time also included lessons in using the forest as your restroom (not much success there yet), followed with a lesson on rinsing your clothes in the stream and another lesson on why we always back an extra pair of undies and shorts.

Walking through a stream for 2 hours also meant that our Keens filled with sand, requiring many stops to empty shoes and rinse off our feet. It also resulted in Matthew receiving two painful blisters on his ankles (which later required piggy-back rides and very careful showering so the soap would not sting his "hurt spots").

After 2 hours, we came to a fork in the stream and neither option looked to appealing, as both would require us to eventually head up through the woods on a very steep incline with two children refueled by sweet and salty granola bars and their Camelbaks but still quite concerned about how much more we had to go. Sebastian and I have been notorius for losing our way at Ledges, so we quickly agreed that the safest and easiest choice was to head back the way we came. Amazingly enough, it only took us 30 minutes to get back from the 2 hour walk.

We brought out the cooler once we were back to the picnic site and grabbed the first aid kit to bandage up Matthew. Sadly, my first aid kit is full of dried up antiseptic wipes and 11 year old band-aids. Glad we disovered this before we headed to South Dakota. We cleaned up Matthew's blisters as best we could, scarfed down our sandwiches, watermelon, and Dutch cookies and then headed for Lost Lake to track down the not so elusive American Toad tadpole. This is when the piggy-back rides took place (and I willl be the first to admit I am completely out of practice).

All in all, the kids very successfully survived nearly 3 hours of hiking, with a 30 minute lunch break. What we learned?

• make sure you know where you are going


• Camelbaks are essential


• break in your shoes before hiking


• make sure shoes fit properly


• more lessons in peeing outdoors in needed (seriously, did any parent ever think about practicing this one before heading off for a hiking/camping trip)


• check your first-aid kit before departure


• and last but not least, Matthew cannot keep up as exploring every aspect of nature is essential to his mental and emotional well-being.

More practice runs will occur as we continue our preparations. Next stop Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge and Prairie Learning Center.

Exploring the Grasslands

We began our preparations for South Dakota by reading Explore the Grasslands by Kay Jackson. While the photographs were beautiful, the writing was a bit too poetic for my first and third graders and they quickly lost interest. In fact, through most of the book, Matthew was standing on his head, running over to pet the dog, and generally trying to start side conversations.

The book is broken out into several, very short chapters, and rather than read the entire book from start to finish, as I did, I would suggest reading it one chapter at a time and then expanding on that chapter with other books or activities.

The book begins with a discussion of what biomes are and then describes the different types of grasslands. What I would like to do is revisit this chapter and use it as a starting off point to go deeper into a comparision between prairies and savannas, and then learn to classify South Dakota's grasslands.

The kids were both super psyched to hear that they may see prairie dogs on our trip (I mean, jumping on the couch pscyhed) so I believe we will review the wildlife chapter and go deeper into the wildlife of South Dakota.

To wrap up, this book is interesting and beautiful to look at, but in regards to preparing for a trip to South Dakota, it really can only be used as a starting point, and should only be read one chapter at a time. All in all, not absolutely necessary to your preparations.

What's this all about?

Not so long ago, I told Sebastian that we must find a way to get the kids to all 50 states. It was a brillant and inspired moment of pure and utter genius. Sebastian had in some unknown moment of our early history (probably right about the time we first visited Galena, IL) infected me with this nasty, and incurable, thing called a travel bug. Now it itched madly and I was trying my darnedest to pass it along to the kids. So far, my parents had taken us all to Disneyland and sent us to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, MO, so I was pretty sure that they were already infected, but I wanted to be doubly sure.

Since, smacking Sebastian up side the head with this genius plan (which thankfully he was very much on board with) I have been able to revisit California with Matthew and we have been able to take him to Chicago for a long weekend. But we needed something to knock both Matthew's and Gabriella's socks off. Something to make them say oooohhh and ahhhh. Thinking back to my childhood, it was obvious. South Dakota! And to spice up what I already remembered about the wonderful state (not like Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and random moose in the road were not already exciting enough) we added the idea of camping across South Dakota.

As you read this, reservations have been made, plans have been set in motion, and we are anticipating a particularly memorable family experience. We will begin our journey from Des Moines to Mitchell, SD. Our intention is to wow the children with the Corn Palace and enjoy the KOA campgrounds. We will wake up early and leave Mitchell to drive the 3.25 hours to Interior, SD where we will camp at Badlands National Park.

We will head out of Badlands early in the morning to drive to Hill City, where we will stay in a TeePee at Crooked Creek Resort for three nights. While in Hill City, we will visit Mount Rushmore, ride the 1880 Train, see Crazy Horse Memorial and Wind Cave, and make a trek out to Devil's Tower. On our way back to Iowa, we will stop overnight in Sioux Falls to visit the Heartland Corn Maze and the Kirby Science Museum.

So plans are set and we are ready to go (and alas now have to wait). To keep the anticipaton high, and because I am anal, insane, and ambitious, I have begun to "instruct" the kids with the wonders of South Dakota. We are not going to just show up and go oohh and aahh. We are going to show up already knowing its state bird and fossil, understanding its plants and wildlife, and knowing the history of its most famous citizens and landmarks. I have begun pulling together a storehouse of books, activities, and ideas so South Dakota will seep from our very pours.

So sit back and enjoy the unfolding of our South Dakota Family Experience! Up next, everything the kids want to know about grasslands and prairie dogs.