Waking to a gorgeous sunny day in the Minnesota woods it seemed completely wrong to head off towards the Mall of America. We weren’t the only ones with the mall idea though! Wow, there were SO many people! We did the economy of MN well, though mostly with gift cards and coupons, enjoying LLBean, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Bruegger’s Bagels, Lego, Old Navy and North Face. With the huge amusement park inside to view, the open area of Lego where kids could build all day long if they wanted, the huge Lego creations, and possibly more stores in that one mall than our kids have seen in their lives, there was more than enough to keep us entertained and possibly overstimulated for a few hours before heading off into the suburbs.
The girls!Keeping the kids busy so the parents can spend money!
Leaving South Dakota we drove into Minnesota. Minnesota is dear to me after summers of working in northern Minnesota at the headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park during my Drew University days. I was introduced to the place by my professor and good friend Dr. Sara Webb. My friend Jo and I lived in a cabin with other folks our age, alternated days doing ecology fieldwork and babysitting our professors’ kids, took graduate level courses, and loved exploring the park while living in it. And though I knew we didn’t have time to get up north on this trip (someday we will), it was nice just to see all the Minnesota license plates and feel I was among friends. To add to the greatness, good friends from our North Carolina days have been living in Minneapolis and we’d visited them a few years back and delved into the fun of the city by bike exploring parks, gardens, galleries, and more.
So our first night in MN we stayed at Sakatah Lake State Park which I randomly picked off the map as it was on our route into the Twin Cities where we’d meet up with friends the next day. A couple hours from the campground we started getting weather alerts about tornado warnings, golf ball sized hail warnings, and predictions for thunder and lightening and heavy rain. We decided that was cause enough to ditch our uninspired cooking plans at the campsite and stop for an Indian dinner to wait out the weather. By the time we got back on the road, the storm had moved on, and upon checking in at Sakatah things were soggy, but no longer under threat. In chatting with the ranger at check-in at the park, I was asked if I’d been to MN before and I mentioned that I used to work in Itasca. The lady there wistfully remarked that Itasca is “the jewel in the crown of the Minnesota State Parks.” It warmed my heart to hear it!
In planning this trip we’d hoped to work in ties to The Little House on the Prairie book series as we’ve read all the books with Isa and most of them with Addy. My parents read them with me as a kid and Jud read them all too, so we were glad DeSmet, South Dakota was not far out of our way as this town was the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder for a while. If you’ve read the books you know that her family moved around a lot, and she moved some as a grown up too, but DeSmet played a major role in her life and that of her parents. We were able to visit a house lived in by Ma and Pa and Mary and Laura, a house built by Pa, a schoolhouse that Carrie and Laura went to, and a replica of the schoolhouse that Laura first taught in. Isa also picked up a chapter book in the series written by Laura’s daughter Rose about Rose’s adventures. That series is called the Rose Wilder Lane Series and starts with Little House on Rocky Ridge. We’re all looking forward to the fun of a new book series.
Ingalls’ family homeReplica of school where Laura taught
We also enjoyed a scone and coffee at the general store downtown where a nice lady working there gave the girls some Mardi Gras beads for no apparent reason other than friendliness. DeSmet seems like a sleepy town of nice folks and we’re glad we stopped in for a visit and helped out the local economy in our own way while learning a bit of Americana.
An example of how the corn murals are made!The palace itself! – Named the World’s Only Corn PalaceThe King in corn!Our corny girls!
Driving off across South Dakota we crossed the Missouri River and Lewis and Clark’s trail which made for great history discussions in the car. We took time to visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell and their great kids’ education room where the girls played store and ice cream shop, directed a mini robot to knock over corn stalks, tried a simulator which showed how much strength you’d need to pull someone out of a corn silo, and tested out how they’d look as farm animals. There was so much to learn about corn growing, corn processing and corn products as well as the importance of dairy and other farming in the area.
Enjoying the Corn Palace’s interactive displays!
I really enjoyed the timelines around the building showcasing the many artistic themes across the years that the Corn Palace employed to show off their art talents with corn and other natural materials. There used to be many of these palaces back in the day when folks were enticed by the display to settle the area by seeing just what bounty the area could produce. This year’s theme is Rock of Ages and the building’s murals show Elvis and Willie Nelson and other famous and historic rockers. The amazing thing is that the murals are made with 12 colors of corn and native grasses. To learn more about the Corn Palace check out this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNV08VMGdVU
Yum hay!
After the palace we gratefully climbed into the car looking forward to some air conditioning (it was 90 degrees), and headed towards DeSmet and a campground down the road from the Ingalls Wilder farm.
It’s bright out here!An ever changing landscapeBeauty everywhere you look!
Right down the street from Wall Drug is the entrance to Badlands National Park. It felt so odd to drive out of a tourist trap down-town area and moments later be surrounded by stunning striped mountains. At one lookout we really enjoyed a chat with a family from Vermont, traveling in their camper, who are exploring the USA for summer vacation in the opposite direction from us. We shared tips, stories and business cards, and wished each other well on our continued adventures.
Enjoying the shelter!
After our time at the Visitor Center it was hot out and Jud, Isa and Addy were ready to camp and rest, but after realizing how open the park was and how accessible dinosaur bones might be, it was SO hard for me not to ditch the family and go hiking off looking for fossils! Camping in the park bordered by the banded hills, we were part of a beautiful sunset which kept changing the colors on the hillsides and prairie which helped me settle down a bit even though I still wanted to strike out into the unknown. Mending some shorts as I sat in the entry to the tent, I pondered how long it might take before we can get back to this park and stay long enough for some good long hikes.
Caught in a tourist trap!Ooh let’s buy something!How about these boots?!
Leaving the woods of Custer State Park in the morning after breakfast and everyone pitching in to un-pitch the tent, we drove east following the signs for 5 cent coffee, free ice water, and all sorts of unnecessary knick knacks to the famous Wall Drug. I’d been here too as a kid, but didn’t remember much, but it was as I’d been told: room after room of dust-ables, food, western gear, and more stuff than we’d even be able to see in a day. The highlights were the huge jackalope, the T-Rex in the hallway which was almost scary, the music-playing puppet dioramas, and for Isa the purchase of a dragon on a crystal ball. Addy headed for the rock collection area and filled a tiny bag to bursting with treasures we’ll enjoy for ages to come.
Jewel Cave Visitor CenterIsa at the visitor centerAddy at the visitor center
In the morning it took only an hour to get to South Dakota and not much more to reach Jewel Cave National Monument where we booked a tour and looked around the great visitor center which had bats hanging on the ceiling and stalactite formations that the kids could climb on since you are not allowed to climb on them in the cave. Going down underground we saw beautiful calcite crystals and enjoyed an awesome tour with Ranger Sarah. There were tight spots and low spots and this gal rocked in her ability to describe geological forces to kids and adults. Surprisingly Ranger Sarah had only done this tour two times before. Maybe she’ll be in charge of a National Park someday! Isa and Addy completed their Jr Ranger booklets which included activities which challenged us all. We are so glad Randy out in Arizona suggested we come here.
Crazy Horse sign on the left and the Crazy Horse statue on progress on the right.
Next we drove down the road to view the mammoth Crazy Horse statue in progress. It was started by one of the workers from the Mount Rushmore project whose son now continues Crazy Horse. The project began in 1948 and from what we can see, there’s a long way to go. It was great to see a rock project in progress as Mount Rushmore was our next stop.
Mount RushmoreAddy’s drawing of George Washington
The Mount Rushmore facility has certainly changed since I visited as a kid. I distinctly remember it from the back left seat of our family’s Subaru as we curved into the parking lot and saw the presidents’ faces in the distance. It felt like there was nothing more than the parking lot and the mountain. But now, with a huge parking garage, visitor center, walkway of flags, amphitheater and more, it seemed almost too built-up. The place was crawling with visitors but we enjoyed sitting in the amphitheater and working on the small Jr. Ranger booklet. My favorite page was where kids had to draw the route on the U.S. map that they had taken from their house to Mt. Rushmore. What a journey so far! After two ranger booklets in one day, extensive exhibits and the park film, it was time for dinner. The Grizzly Restaurant in Keystone, South Dakota was tucked into a bend in the road along a touristy strip not far from our campground: Custer State Park.
The Rushmore complexState flags on the approach to Mount Rushmore
It was hard to wave goodbye to the KOA after morning pancakes and sausage and a swim, but we sure used our lodging dollars well and it was time to head across Wyoming and see how many miles we could cover towards South Dakota. Routes 31 and 16 around the Bighorn National Forest were stunning including red stone, hillsides striped with color, horses, cowboys out on the range driving cattle, quite a few wild pronghorn antelope, a moose, elk, and some more snowy mountains. The girls worked on creative backseat projects and listened to a Boxcar Children audio book and we landed for the evening at our last Wyoming stop, Keyhole State Park.
…or in here.
In walking through the lakeside campground I told Addy that Devils Tower, a famous climbing area, was a short drive away, only 45 minutes or so. She looked around, scanning the horizon, and pointing, said, “ Do you think that’s it?” What an observant gal. We hiked up a nearby hillside and used our binoculars, and indeed, there was Devils Tower, clearly visible in the distance. And in doing this sleuthing, we discovered that the playground up the slope from our campsite had a 12 foot replica of Devils Tower made for climbing. We spent almost an hour there with the kids checking out different routes with Jud and I getting into the fun too.
Free soloing “Devils Tower”
A bluebird seemed to reside at our campsite, likely enjoying the plethora of bugs. While it fed and Jud cooked supper, the girls used left behind campsite treasures like Lincoln logs, a frisbee, concrete chunks and natural materials to make mini forts before dinner. Why purchase toys when rocks and trash are so entertaining?! Every campsite seems to have its own charms and memories.
Next we were off east to Cody, Wyoming through the Shoshone National Forest over the Shoshone River. The location was neat in light of the three disk audiobook titled Naya Nuki by Kenneth Thomasma that we listened to about Sacagawea’s childhood friend and her escape from captors at age 11. We settled into the KOA in Cody for our need of internet and a clean-up and also enjoyed the laundry, pool, bounce pad, playground, and promise of a pancake breakfast.
Off to the rodeo!Two clownsChecking out the livestock!Horses everywhere!
The big score though was that we got tickets for that evening for the Cody Rodeo and could hop the rodeo bus from the campground office! Arriving in time to watch the mechanical bull and check out boot and hat sales, Addy got her face painted by a rodeo clown and we all went to admire the horses in the corrals around the arena. Cody is touted as the rodeo capital of the world and riders compete here and at other locations on the rodeo circuit for points which they accrue to gain ratings in their various skills. We learned a ton by watching bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing, jr. barrel racing (complete with a 5 year old girl riding), rodeo clowns, and a calf chase involving 40+ kids trying to pull ribbons off two calves’ tails for a prize.
Honest to goodness cowboys!The great calf chase!
With lemonade and popcorn and a red sunset over the mountains and corralled horses, the warm evening was perfect. As we rode the packed old rodeo bus home at 10pm and headed towards sleep it was idyllic to see the stars twinkling overhead through the tent window and hear the horses whinnying in the KOA corrals behind our tent. We’ll all certainly remember Cody, Wyoming for a long time to come.
Jud and I awoke on our last Yellowstone day to an odd huffing sound, looked at each other silently and questioningly and peered out the back window of the tent to find ourselves three feet from a bison as it munched and huffed its way through a breakfast of campground grass. So much for staying 100 feet away from wildlife!
Our escort!
Not long after; a small herd of bison with calves ushered us out of the Norris area by walking alongside the car. Driving east we checked out Artists’ Point along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and took in the expansive views of the falls in sparkling sunshine. The place was swarming with tour busses and though it was beautiful, it was crowded, so off we went along the Yellowstone River to check out the Mud Volcano and other nearby features which were interesting but not nearly as cool as the spots we’d already seen.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Out through the Fishing Bridge area and over the high ridges at 8000+ feet, the terrain seemed so different and so engaging. It seemed there must be hundreds of wild animals roaming free just beyond where we could see them. We did manage to see one grizzly bear sow with three cubs up a hillside in the sagebrush and bison everywhere with calves. The views went on forever with crystal streams and here and there some visitors just starting their Yellowstone adventures and popping out of cars to get photos of wildlife. It’s hard to get bad photos in this park, but it must be amazing to be a trained photographer and have this kind of material to work with!
ravensroadschool 