Mt. Rushmore trip- part 2

After our day at Mt. Rushmore, we drove to Deadwood, South Dakota. We stopped at this beautiful reservoir on the way.

 Deadwood, South Dakota. A really cool old town--especially beautiful in the autumn with the colorful leaves.

Chocolate from a little shop in Deadwood called the Chubby Chipmunk. We read about it in a travel guide but we couldn't remember the name. We called it the Chunky Squirrel or the Swollen Chipmunk until we finally found it--we're glad we did. Delicious!

 After Deadwood, we bid farewell to South Dakota and headed to another amazing spot-- Devils Tower in Wyoming.

 I was surprised by the whole Devils Tower experience. I wasn't expecting this magnificent rock formation in the middle of nothing. It was well worth the drive. We hiked a trail at the base of Devil's Tower.

 We watched people rock climbing on Devils Tower. It was really cool.

 We were sad to say good-bye. Especially because it meant that our trip was coming to an end.

And we still had the entire state of Wyoming to drive through again.

 Luckily the U of U football game was on in our hotel and the kids got to go swimming.

 We learned to be grateful for the wind breakers at the picnic rest stops in Wyoming too.

 Sad it's all over but grateful for the opportunity to be together and see new places.

Mt. Rushmore trip- part 1

I've wanted to see Mt. Rushmore for a long time now. We meant to go when when we lived in Denver because it wasn't so far away, but we never did. So during fall break in October, we braved the 10 hours of driving each way and made it happen. The whole experience exceeded my expectations. Even the driving time was enjoyable-- it was great to be together uninterrupted.

My parents have also always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore, so they joined us on this trip. 

Benjamin sprained his foot playing flag football 5 days before our trip, so his crutches were part of the family. He's a trooper! He did the Presidential trail (a little over 1/2 mile with lots of stairs) with us at Mt. Rushmore on crutches. It makes my arm pits hurt just thinking about it-- but he didn't complain a bit.

Our first stop was at the Little America in Wyoming. Our kids could have spent hours at the gift shop. Lots of cool things like these magnetic rocks and other signs and things that we're still giggling about.

Our next stop was Martin's Cove. This is where the Martin Handcart company was camped in snow and cold for 5 days in October 1856 on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. This was an especially tender time for us to visit because Todd and I just completed the pioneer trek during the summer. With those memories fresh in our mind, it was especially heart-breaking to think of what those early pioneers endured. When we arrived at Martin's cove in October, it was a windy 65 degrees. Such a contrast from the same time of year 159 years ago.

Each hand-cart pioneer adult was allowed to bring 17 pounds of personal belongings in the handcart (an example is shown in the case). When Sara was asked what she would choose to bring she said she would take her 'bankie'.

Learning about the trail that was taken by the pioneers who travelled west.

Our family at Martin's Cove with Devil's gate (an important landmark for pioneer travelers) in the background.

Our family had the opportunity to pull a handcart a short distance. Benjamin rode in the cart because of his sprain and Sara joined him. Our kids were amazed at the weight of the cart even when it was empty.

Our third stop was just down the road from Martin's Cove at Independence Rock. This was another pioneer land mark. It was named because the pioneers were supposed to be there by the 4th of July on their trek west in order to arrive in Salt Lake in time to prepare for winter.

A very peaceful spot. It's obvious that many people sacrificed much to travel this trail west.

Many travelers have signed their names on the rock through the years. We climbed around for a while  until...

we spotted a snake. It was a harmless snake. Thankfully not a rattle snake. But frightening enough that we headed back to our cars in a hurry.

Our crossing of the Platte River. The pioneers crossed this river and the sweet water river many times during their journey. We felt so blessed to be able to cross using a bridge in our comfortable cars.

One of our stops along the way.

Elevating that sprained foot and taking it easy.

Breakfast. Yum!

And finally we reached South Dakota.

Taking time to celebrate and get the wiggles out.

Immediately after entering South Dakota, the landscape changed. More trees. Less desert. It was beautiful.

Custer, South Dakota is a darling little town. Easily a new favorite on my list.

Our visit to one of the visitor centers in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We drove a scenic route through Custer State park. On the other side of this tunnel, we caught our first glimpse of Mt. Rushmore. It was so exciting to finally see it in person.

The route leading to Mt. Rushmore.

Another tunnel with a great glimpse of Mt. Rushmore.

Our arrival at the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

Here we are walking the Presidential trail at the base of Mt. Rushmore. Truly an amazing monument.

Taking a break on the Presidential Trail.

We completed the circular Presidential trail just as Mt. Rushmore was being lit for the evening. It was breathtaking. We didn't want to leave. It's a good thing we were hungry and excited about our dinner reservation at the Buglin Bull restaurant.