Black Hills

John and I arrived back in Minnesota yesterday after our vacation within a vacation. Mom and Dad watched the boys for us for three days so we could have a few glorious kid-free days. The Black Hills of South Dakota called our name.

With limited time there, we tried to pick the highlights to enjoy, starting with Mt. Rushmore. We attended the night program there, where a ranger spoke, the park showed a short movie showcasing each president featured on the monument, and then the monument was flooded with light. Afterward, they called up all former and active military to help lower the flag.

 

 

The next day, we took the scenic route out to Devil's Tower, Wyoming. Our drive took us through Spearfish Canyon, an absolutely gorgeous drive complete with a couple stops to take in waterfalls. We stuck our hands in Spearfish Creek and were amazed at how clear and cold it was!

 Roughlock Falls

 More of Roughlock Falls

View of what we were driving through

Devil's Tower was pretty spectacular as well. We hiked around the base of it and viewed climbers tackling the mountain (after seeing how steep it is--no thank you!). Driving out, we stopped to enjoy the prairie dog town. It was great fun to see those little guys scampering all over the field!

 

 View as we drove in to Devil's Tower

Because we were so close, we zipped up to Montana so John could check off his 43rd state. We weren't there for long, but long enough to make it count!

 

Yesterday, we headed back to Minnesota. Our first stop was Wall Drug for breakfast and to take in the experience. It's basically a large mall-type place complete with lots of touristy-type kitsch. Lots of fun and totally worth the stop.

 The enormous T-Rex "feeds" every 10 minutes. We caught him in the middle of his "feeding".

 Riding the Jackalope!

Our final experience there was probably my favorite:  Badlands National Park. Absolutely amazing. Words (and photos) fail to describe how incredibly beautiful this place is. We stopped at most scenic overlooks and did some walking and climbing around. I left the Badlands in awe of God's creation with two songs in my head:  Rich Mullins "Calling Out Your Name" and Andrew Peterson "Nothing to Say". Those express my sentiments perfectly.

The only snake we saw (thank goodness!)

 Bighorn sheep--ewe and lamb