Mama On The Move

Yes, that is my husband peeking through someone's windows. Actually, he wasn't the only one.  We all peeped.   We went to visit Jewel Cave while we were in South Dakota and this is the cabin built for some of the surveyors around 1935.  We weren't allowed to go in so we had to satisfy ourselves with looking through the windows.   Jewel cave was discovered in 1900 by two brothers who noticed a hole in some rock.  They could feel a blast of cold air coming out of the hole and that means only one thing - there's a large area behind this rock. The hole wasn't big enough for them to fit through so, being men, they got some dynamite and very carefully and delicately blew it up. The original entrance is gated now, but when you stand in front of it, a very strong cool wind still blows all over you. It's wonderful on a hot day. Inside the cave are tons of calcite crystals which sparkle in the light -  which is where the name &quo

In Custer State Park, there is a lake......  It's the prettiest lake you'll ever see.   I was absolutely blown away by how gorgeous this area was. In South Dakota. Who knew?   Sylvan Lake was created in 1881 when a dam was built across Sunday Gulch.    You can walk all the way around the lake and even walk out over the dam.  It was absolutely the most gorgeous sight I've seen in a long time.  We had intended to rent canoes, but it rained lightly the entire time we were there.  It was worth it just to hike around in the rain and look at this beautiful place.

When you get to Mt Rushmore, the first thing you are going to want to do is take a picture in front of the monument. Then you go closer to get a better picture. Then you go even closer. Then you take a picture of all your friends in front of the monument. Then you walk to the base of the monument and you take another picture from that angle. Then you take a shot practically looking up their noses. Then after a while, when someone tells you, "Ooh, take a picture from this angle" you say no. You can only take so many pictures of the same monument from a different angle before you fill your camera up with photos of what is essentially the same thing. There is a great trail to walk around the base of the monument.  There are a lot of steps, but not so many that it will wear you out.   And some cool museum areas where you can learn about the monument. Did you know the monument was originally going to show more of t

On our way up to Mt Rushmore from the campsite, we took a slight detour to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. It's been under construction since 1948 which is before I was born .  It's a long time, but the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation does not accept state or federal funds to speed the work along.  So this is going to be a long term project. Some of the folks in our group went in and went through the visitor center.  They said it was very interesting and totally worth the admission price.  I stayed with the group that was heading on up to Mt Rushmore so I can't tell you anything about what it was like in there.  This is as close as we got to the actual memorial. A sign in the parking lot shows you in general what the monument should like when it is completed.  I hope to come back here one day and see a lot of progress!

At Custer State Park, there are a lot of critters to see.  There are many roads which wind throughout the park and your chances of seeing some wildlife are excellent.  The roads are easy to find; some are gravel, some are paved. Just head out and keep your eyes open! The first animals we saw were prairie dogs.  When we were stationed in Texas, we went through a wildlife park where they sold bags of food for you to give to the animals as you drove through the park.  The prairie dogs were the first ones to come a runnin' for the food.  These ones clearly new they were not getting fed (it's against the rules) and kept their distance. We spotted a herd of buffalo on our first outing as well as this solitary fellow who didn't look much like he was impressed with the paparazzi.    Not sure what Texas Longhorns were doing in South Dakota, but I guess everyone needs a change now and then.   The no feeding rule does not apply to the donkeys.  They are the on

  While we were camping at Custer State Park, a buffalo decided to wander through our campground on three separate occasions.  I guess he just liked the grass in our neck of the woods. The park rangers would wander along with him, warning everyone not to get close.  Not only can buffalo jump six feet straight up (yes, you read that right - we attended a lecture while we were there, I know everything now) they can run 30-40 miles an hour.  Which is assuredly faster than I can go.   The first time the buffalo wandered through our camp, I ran to get my camera from the tent where Emily was napping. I flew into the tent excitedly telling Emily to wake up and come see the buffalo while snatching up the camera and simultaneously stepping on and breaking Emily's glasses.  We've had a running argument ever since over whose fault it was - mine for stepping on them, or hers for leaving them on the floor in the first place.  (It was her fault.) Anyw

 We camped at Custer State Park in South Dakota with 43 of our closest friends from Hawaii. Talk about an ultimate reunion! We were the third family to arrive at the campground.  We pulled in to our space and started to unload.  We figured if we got our tent set up quickly, we'd be available to help others set up their tents as they all arrived. Before we could even start unloading, a park ranger whipped up in a little golf cart. "Do not set up your tent," he told us.  "Hail is predicted and we are under a tornado watch.  You need to head for shelter!" Well, "shelter" meant the cinder block restrooms or the tiny little cabin one of the families had reserved. We piled into the cabin.  And we watched the marble-sized hail rain down. As more families in our group arrived, we just crammed more people in.  Some stood on the porch under the awning.  We kept waiting for a break in the weather so we could set up the tent

It was a sixteen hour drive to Mt Rushmore.  We took two days to drive it so that we could have a break halfway along the ride.  Sixteen hours in a car packed to the ceiling with camping gear and people can wear on your nerves a bit.     And South Dakota is a whole, flat, lot of nothing.  For a long, long way.  If you see anything even remotely interesting (like a human skeleton walking a dinosaur skeleton on a leash) you'd better stop.  And I'm not kidding.  The sight of something other than flat land and no buildings means "there is a bathroom and food here, maybe gas, and who knows when you'll see any of that again". I don't know the number of times we would get hungry and decide to stop for lunch and not be able to find anything, anything , to eat.  We would make a statement along the lines of, "Let's pull off at the next exit and get some lunch, not fast food though, maybe a Cracker Barrel!"  Then as the next exit

At Red Lobster the other night, Emily decided to try one of their famous garlic cheese biscuits.  Although she's allergic to dairy, and that thing is just loaded with butter and cheese, she occasionally decides to risk an eczema break out and eat something that is normally not on her diet. After taking a bite, she closed her eyes for a moment and savored it.  Then she opened her eyes, looked at me and said, "If I were an atheist, this would single handedly restore my faith in God." That's quite a biscuit!

 Katie had her 13th birthday party at the local roller skating rink. I love when the kids want to have the party at some place other than the house.  I don't have to plan food, games, or activities - it's all done for us and we just show up.  The roller rink does a great job too.  They put Katie in a glass booth with crumpled up coupons for free treats and then turned on a fan that blew them all around her.  Any that she caught and put on the box at the front of the booth, she got to keep.  The pizza, cake, ice cream and gift opening were all done in a blacklighted party room.  They even provided the birthday cake......with a number 7 candle on it.   We quickly discovered that there was another birthday party going on in another room for a "Kaitlyn" who was turning seven.  Not only did we have her cake, we had a few of her gifts, and the treat bags for her guests. It didn't take long to get it all sorted out.  New candles were provi