We had a full day today and didn't even make it to the Crazy Horse monument. We started the day with a drive to the Mammoth Site. This is an active archealogical dig that has unearthed about 58 Mammoths and various other animals. It was discovered in 1974 when a developer dug up a few bones when he was preparing the site for some houses. He stopped, called a researcher, and ultimately discovered the site with the most mammoths all in one place. They've dug about 27 feet and have drilled a test hole 67 feet and found bits of bones all the way down. It's really amazing that they uncovered this. Every July, scientists from an organization gather and they spend the month digging bones. There are a few virtually intact skeletons of wooly mammoths. Fascinating stuff! They also have a laboratory where they make items for exhibits using molds. They also have people cleaning the bones that are dug up. They sit behind a window and you can watch them work very tediously cleaning the bones using really small tools. Although it's very secure and climate-controlled, you can ask questions of the people cleaning bones, and they'll answer you.
After this, we drove back where we came and decided to play a game of minature golf. I don't think Rylee will ever make it on the pro tour. Maybe she could hit the ball a long way but when she would get on the green, it's a whole different story.
Leaving Custer, SD, where we played golf, we took a wrong road by mistake that basically took us toward Mt Rushmore. It was along a back road and we got a couple of great views of Mt Rushmore. The roads were very narrow and there wasn't any place to pull over to get a picture. We drove through 3 or 4 one-way only tunnels. We had to honk our horn before entering the tunnel to warn anyone on the other side that we were coming. We didn't collide with anyone! I wish I would have known there weren't any pull-outs, then we could have slowed down enough to get a picture. We ended up in Keystone SD.
In Keystone, we hit a couple of the tourist traps where the kids had a lot of fun. First of all was a tramway that took us up a mountain by chairlift and then we were able to ride down a concrete path on a sled on rollers. Jarret and I went first. I was trying to video tape the ride when all of a sudden I saw Jarret zoom by. He was flying..... He made it down without a scratch although he did say at one point that two of his wheels were over the edge on one of the curves. Rylee and Jill came down next but were at a safer speed.
After the ride, we went to Big Thunder Mine. This is a mine that a couple of people dug between 1890 and 1921. They dug about 680 feet back into a hill and spent all of that time and only found about 10 oz of gold. What a blow that must have been. The mine was pretty neat and is a constant 52 degrees in the heart of it. It was a cool place on a warm day.
After leaving the mine, we went to the Cosmos Mystery Area. This is an area where they've built a house on a hill with a bunch of different angles. When you try and stand straight up, it actually looks like you're standing at an angle. They also have exhibits set up so that it looks like things roll up hill. The kids had a blast and we did also. We were the only people in the tour and were able to do a lot of different things. I think they kids had more fun here than they would have had at the Crazy Horse Monument. Although we wanted to go there, we decided to skip it this time. You can get a good view of Crazy Horse from the highway.
Tomorrow we have a long drive to Helena MT. We probably won't have much to report unless I end up dropping the kids off on the side of the road because one of them was upset that the other was staring at them, making faces at them, or touching them. All which seems to happen multiple times each time they are in the car. Oh the joys of family vacations.......
Jarret has wanted to start a swearing jar..... thinking that I would be the one to have to keep putting money in it....... I think I'd be OK..... unless I had to put money in anytime I thought about swearing....
Jill's two cents about the trip so far: We haven't seen a Starbucks since we left Spokane last Saturday morning. we didn't have the car radio on for the two whole days we drove around Yellowstone, We got King Jeff a really neat present...one that he'll cherish for years to come. This part of the country has ended up being a lot more beautiful and geologically interesting than I thought it would be, and there's a lot of darn buffalo out there! Jarret had his mind set on getting a sling shot this trip, so today he finally got one. Yes, the line from A Christmas Story "you'll shoot your eye out" did cross my mind several times. Again, he is showing signs of turning into King Jeff...Lord help me. In Cody, WY where we stayed for a night, the kids went swimming in the outdoor hotel pool. I went with them to supervise, and sat down next to a lady who was watching her two boys swim. We struck up a conversation, and I'm thinking in my mind, "I wonder what far-off state she's from?" You guessed it, she was from Spokane! And her son's name was Riley. Go figure.
After this, we drove back where we came and decided to play a game of minature golf. I don't think Rylee will ever make it on the pro tour. Maybe she could hit the ball a long way but when she would get on the green, it's a whole different story.
Leaving Custer, SD, where we played golf, we took a wrong road by mistake that basically took us toward Mt Rushmore. It was along a back road and we got a couple of great views of Mt Rushmore. The roads were very narrow and there wasn't any place to pull over to get a picture. We drove through 3 or 4 one-way only tunnels. We had to honk our horn before entering the tunnel to warn anyone on the other side that we were coming. We didn't collide with anyone! I wish I would have known there weren't any pull-outs, then we could have slowed down enough to get a picture. We ended up in Keystone SD.
In Keystone, we hit a couple of the tourist traps where the kids had a lot of fun. First of all was a tramway that took us up a mountain by chairlift and then we were able to ride down a concrete path on a sled on rollers. Jarret and I went first. I was trying to video tape the ride when all of a sudden I saw Jarret zoom by. He was flying..... He made it down without a scratch although he did say at one point that two of his wheels were over the edge on one of the curves. Rylee and Jill came down next but were at a safer speed.
After the ride, we went to Big Thunder Mine. This is a mine that a couple of people dug between 1890 and 1921. They dug about 680 feet back into a hill and spent all of that time and only found about 10 oz of gold. What a blow that must have been. The mine was pretty neat and is a constant 52 degrees in the heart of it. It was a cool place on a warm day.
After leaving the mine, we went to the Cosmos Mystery Area. This is an area where they've built a house on a hill with a bunch of different angles. When you try and stand straight up, it actually looks like you're standing at an angle. They also have exhibits set up so that it looks like things roll up hill. The kids had a blast and we did also. We were the only people in the tour and were able to do a lot of different things. I think they kids had more fun here than they would have had at the Crazy Horse Monument. Although we wanted to go there, we decided to skip it this time. You can get a good view of Crazy Horse from the highway.
Tomorrow we have a long drive to Helena MT. We probably won't have much to report unless I end up dropping the kids off on the side of the road because one of them was upset that the other was staring at them, making faces at them, or touching them. All which seems to happen multiple times each time they are in the car. Oh the joys of family vacations.......
Jarret has wanted to start a swearing jar..... thinking that I would be the one to have to keep putting money in it....... I think I'd be OK..... unless I had to put money in anytime I thought about swearing....
Jill's two cents about the trip so far: We haven't seen a Starbucks since we left Spokane last Saturday morning. we didn't have the car radio on for the two whole days we drove around Yellowstone, We got King Jeff a really neat present...one that he'll cherish for years to come. This part of the country has ended up being a lot more beautiful and geologically interesting than I thought it would be, and there's a lot of darn buffalo out there! Jarret had his mind set on getting a sling shot this trip, so today he finally got one. Yes, the line from A Christmas Story "you'll shoot your eye out" did cross my mind several times. Again, he is showing signs of turning into King Jeff...Lord help me. In Cody, WY where we stayed for a night, the kids went swimming in the outdoor hotel pool. I went with them to supervise, and sat down next to a lady who was watching her two boys swim. We struck up a conversation, and I'm thinking in my mind, "I wonder what far-off state she's from?" You guessed it, she was from Spokane! And her son's name was Riley. Go figure.
i especially like the part about having to fill the swearing jar just for "thinking" about it...looks like you're having a blast
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