The Wild, The Weird and the Bad

It's been quite some time since I've been active on here! Our little family has gone through some major changes, including purchasing our forever home and adding a new member in March of 2018. This has kept us pretty much in place in Cape Breton with renovatons and a tiny human. I'm hoping our little family can get back to travelling, but  for now I want to go back about  a little over three years to continue sharing all of the wonderful places we visited on our 2016 road trip.

South Dakota was a state that far exceeded our expectations. I'm pretty sure I mentioned that already in my previous post, but today I have a lot more to share about the Mt Rushmore State.

While visiting Jewel Cave and Wind Cave we stayed in Custer, South Dakota as it was quite central to most of what we wanted to see while we were there, including Mt. Rushmore. To be honest, when we arrived in the state, Mt Rushmore was the lowest on my list of places to see. The only reason we decided to go was to say we visited and so that Halle could earn another Junior Ranger badge. When you approach the monument, you catch your first glimpse of the faces from the side, and from that moment I changed my tune and could not wait to get a better look. We ran into a little bit of attitude with a grumpy 4 year old when we parked, but after working things out we headed inside and made our way to the Ranger Station to collect Halle's Ranger booklet.

I must say that I was far more impressed than I had expected. When you stop to consider the work that was put in to create these faces and the lengths they had to go to, to complete the project it's hard to imagine what the site would have looked like as the carving was happening. 

We visited later in the day since South Dakota was extremely hot during our June visit. We were able to avoid the hottest (and probably busiest) time of day and we met a really great family who gave us some good tips about visiting the Badlands later on in our trip (we exchanged a few tips since they were headed the direction we had just come from). We got some great photos and I would've loved to stick around longer to see the studio that Gutzon Borglum worked from, but with two grouchy kids and all of us still feeling quite warm, our trip was short. That just gives us a good reason to return again one day.

One place in Custer I wish we had, had the chance to visit but didn't was Custer State Park. We heard a lot about it, and read a bit as well. Though we didn't drive through the park itself, we got a sneak peek of what it offers- especially those impressive rock outcroppings that are scattered throughout the Black Hills area of South Dakota. I know the next time we make it to South Dakota, we will most certainly make time to see Custer State Park.

Once we had stopped to see Mt. Rushmore, it was time to take in Badlands National Park. While we potentially could have made a day trip to the park from Custer we decided to include a little side trip into our adventure and camped in Wall, South Dakota for a few days. The town is not much to take in but has been made famous by Wall Drug, an outlandish store that became famous by it's signs advertising free ice water to parched drivers along the highways in the 1930's. Since then the store has grown into a mall/tourist attraction that draws some two million visitors to the area each year - quite a feat for a once tiny drug store "in the middle of nowhere".

Enjoying the famous free ice water & Halle driving the horse drawn carriage

Don't miss the donuts, made fresh throughout the day!

We had a lot of fun there and enjoyed some free ice water, 5 cent coffee and their delicious donuts. Halle had a chance to play in one of the arcades and we browsed through quite a few of the stores, my favourite being the bookstore that carried a lot of books based on the history of the area. I didn't pick up anything at the time (we had enough books in the trailer with us), but maybe on our return visit I'll pick up a few new reads for myself.

The 5 cent coffee is available on the honour system, drop your nickel in the box next to the machine!

Heading back to our campsite after exploring Wall Drug

Wall is the perfect spot to stay if you're planning to visit the Badlands. We stayed in a nice little park that allowed us to swim and do our laundry and the people who owned it were incredibly friendly. There weren't any places to camp close to Badlands (or in Badlands) that would allow us to plug our trailer in and have air conditioning on the hot days we were there, and that was why we decided to stay in Wall. This way the dogs would be comfortable in the trailer with AC and water while we explored the park (where dogs are not allowed on the trails with us). It was a good thing we had it, as the day we ventured to Badlands it was 40C/105F and there is no way we would've kept the dogs unattended in a vehicle in that type of weather.

With the heat during our visit, we didn't even take time to hike the trails in the Park but we drove the roads and stopped at as many viewpoints as we could. It is such an impressive park with a variety of landscapes and so much wildlife to experience.

When you arrive at the park it's impossible not be impressed by the staggering spires of colourful sediment, which contain one of the world's richest fossil beds. It blew my mind to stand amongst them and know that some 75 million years ago this was a large sea and is now home to bison, big horned sheep and rattlesnakes! 

I enjoyed seeing the different landscapes change from barren spires, reminescent of the Grand Canyon, and then the lush grasses bursting with beautiful yellow. It was like being in two totally different parks (and made for some pretty great photo opps!).  

 
We'll always recommend visiting Badlands National Park and South Dakota to anyone we talk to who is travelling. We hope to one day return to this spectacular part of the United States to see more of it, and actually hike some of the impressive trails at the park.
Have you been to South Dakota and Badlands Park? What are your favourite sites to visit? How about a state or attraction that took you completely by surprise? I always love new travel tips and places to see.

Here and Now

Well, it's been seven long months since I last posted in here. I left off with a few of our adventures in South Dakota and I plan on finishing the documentation of everything that we saw in 2016. After all, it was the most exciting and adventure filled year of our lives. For now I wanted to get back into blogging by sharing a little bit about our new life and our new home.

West Mabou Beach, Cape Breton, September 2016

I imagine most people who read our posts are coming from Facebook, but I'll share some background on where we are and how we got here, just incase. 

Our little family did indeed end up on the east coast of Canada, however in a completely different province than we had initially anticipated. Over the Labour Day long weekend we found out that the house we had put an offer on in Prince Edward Island had sold to another buyer. That same evening I saw a story on CBC about a country market in Cape Breton that was looking for people to work there, and if we stayed for five years we would receive 2 acres of land. We knew we had nothing to lose so we sent in our resumes, along with a short cover letter detailing who we are and what we were searching for. After a few days of emails and our Skype interview I was offered a position with the store and we began to pack up and head east from Ontario to start our new life. 

West Mabou Beach, Cape Breton, September 2016

We arrived here in mid September and it has honestly been a whirlwind. Settling into our rental home and a routine with work, meeting new friends and exploring this beautiful island have all taken time but we're doing our best to enjoy absolutely every second of it. There was a lot of media attention when we got here. The job offer, as well as the new employees received attention from local news outlets, CBC Nova Scotia, CTV (Nova Scotia and BC), Vice News Tonight, CNBC, and even The New York Times!

Life moves at a different pace here, and it's not for everyone, but I do know that there has to be more people like us out there who want the same things we do. A slower pace of life, fresh air, green grass and trees. A chance to grow their own food and contribute to a small community. Friendly people, who are happy to hang out at home with friends and don't need to be busy to be happy. I know they are out there, but I think the people who could come and help repopulate this little island don't know enough about it or are too afraid to leave their "stable life" to find this.

Along the Cabot Trail - October 2016

We are enjoying the outdoor lifestyle here during every season, and learning to love winter again has been much easier than we imagined. On Brett's birthday the two of us drove to the Cape Breton Highlands to take part in a snowshoe hike on the Skyline Trail. It was a wonderful day and a beautiful hike. We can't wait to see more of the park this year!

At the top of the Skyline Trail - February 2017

Enjoying the snow - January 2017

When we left our suburban home in BC, we didn't know exactly what our life would look like a year later. Now we have most of what we were looking for, we just need to find the perfect spot to build our forever home and begin growing our own food - hopefully for us as well as this community. We have big dreams and hopes for all four of us, as well as this great little business we have become a part of. I can't wait to continue to share this journey we are on, as well as the remainder of our adventures from 2016. Keep your eyes here for more updates soon!

Head Underground in South Dakota

When we were planning our travels from west to east, at one point we considered skipping both of the Dakota's entirely. Now that we are done that trip, I can say I am so happy that we made the time to see South Dakota - and we spent a lot of time there as well. It's definitely a state worth stopping for.

To be quite honest, the only thing that came to mind for me when thinking of South Dakota was Mount Rushmore. At the time I wasn't as eager to visit the historic site, and I was completely ignorant to the rich history and incredible wonders of this state. Did you know that some of the coolest things you'll find in South Dakota are actually beneath the earth's surface? It's absolutely true! Our family agrees that the best part of our time in the state was visiting the two caves that are part of the National Parks Service; Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park.

I honestly had no idea about them until we began to do more research about the National Parks Service sites in the state. As you may know from previous posts, we are on a mission to visit as many sites as possible and Halle's collecting Junior Ranger Badges. That meant heading underground in order for her to get two.

Going down, down, down at Wind Cave

Now, I'm quite claustrophobic, but thankfully these tours are pretty safe for those scared of small spaces. Both cave tours leave you plenty of space to move around, just remember to stay on the paths and keep your hands to your self (though your tour guide will remind you). For those feeling more adventurous, you can volunteer to do some exploring below, as they still have not yet discovered the entire network of caves. These positions can mean spending a few days in the cave and involve long crawls through some very tight spaces - definitely not something I could handle!

The most important thing you need to know though is arrive early, especially if you want to make it down into Jewel Cave. You'll need to arrive first thing in the morning when the ticket booth opens, so check online for times the day before you plan to go. They sell out quickly (especially in the summer months) and are on first come, first served basis. Our first attempt was a fail, as we arrived in the late afternoon. The next day we were there first thing in the morning, and managed to get ourselves onto the third tour of the day. It worked well for us, as we were able to help Halle complete most of her Jr Ranger Booklet before we made our way underground.

In the "landing room" at Jewel Cave

The caves are quite different, so if you can do both, we recommend it. If you can only make it to one, we would suggest Jewel Cave. The crystals, and other formations found here are sights worth seeing... especially the Bacon! Yup, Bacon! Definitely our favourite feature in Jewel Cave. Oh, and don't forget a jacket or sweater as well, believe me, you'll need it!

If there are sights that you need to take our word on, these caves are it. Despite the awesome uplighting, there is no easy way to photograph these caves and capture how truly impressive they are. You absolutely need to get down there and experience them for yourselves! 

I wish we had, had more time to explore aboveground at Wind Cave, but we had arrived late and caught the last tour, so by the time it was over we were ready to head back to the trailer for dinner. We did have more time to walk around above ground at Jewel Cave and it definitely has some beautiful views.

After visiting these two caves, I'm excited to explore more as we continue our family adventures! Next on my list? I'd love to see Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Has anyone else gone cave exploring? Which family friendly caves would you recommend for us to check out in the future?

Wednesday Wanderings: Summer Camping

This time of year, during these warm summer days I love to think back on all of the beautiful places that we camped and visited during our summers in BC. There was so much to see and do there, that we both know we'll inevitably be back one day - whether it's to live or just to visit.

One thing I loved about last summer was our little Boler travel trailer that Brett had purchased for us to camp in. It was by no means luxurious, but it made it so much easier to camp comfortably with a preschooler and a baby. We made two trips last summer to Ross Lake, and Nolan was only 6 weeks old during our first visit. 

The campsite is located just outside of Hope, BC on the border of the United States. There are actually campsites located on the American side, which are only accessible by car if you drive through Canada. Last summer we camped in both the Canadian and American campgrounds, and had great experiences both times.

The campgrounds are nestled within the North Cascades mountains, placing the American side within the National Park. I never realized this last summer, and was one of the things I learned using our National Geographic Road Atlas.  

Our first trip we stayed in the Canadian campground and the second time we camped on the American side. Both campgrounds are on a first come, first served basis and we had great sites during both trips. The only difficult part about making the journey to Ross Lake is the hour long drive along a dirt road. If something happens (which it did to our friends son), you have a long drive to any sort of medical care. It's also not a great spot to camp if you can't handle mosquitos, there can be quite a lot, especially during the late summer.

However, it's quiet and a great family camping spot. The water is great for swimming and it's also perfect for recreation like hitting the water in a canoe or kayak.

Despite having a small travel trailer, camping with a baby was not always easy but we had a great time during both of our visits to Ross Lake last summer. Great memories were made with great friends, and we are so glad we had the chance to make both trips with them during our last summer on the west coast. 

In Grand Territory

Located on the southern border of Yellowstone in Wyoming is a smaller but equally impressive National Park - Grand Teton. Known for it's towering, rugged mountain range, Grand Teton won us over with its breathtaking views and wildlife sightings.

To be honest, we weren't too sure how much of the park we would actually be able to experience. The day that we left Yellowstone for Grand Teton Halle wasn't feeling well and had a bit of a fever. By the time we arrived at the North Entrance to the park, she was burning up and just wanted cuddles. Despite her state she was insistent on completing the activities to become a Jr. Park Ranger and she did. Luckily for her most of what she needed to complete could be done sitting in my lap in the truck, and inside of the air conditioned building. Our little trooper slept the entire drive through the park, and completed her booklet in the parking lot of the south welcome centre after some lunch. We were extra proud of her completing this Jr Ranger booklet.

Not a bad picnic spot for lunch

Our second day in the park proved more eventful. We woke up to three large Moose roaming and grazing near our campsite at Gros Ventre Campground. While I watched from our dinette (Nolan was still sleeping), Brett and Halle headed to another campsite to observe from a safe distance with other campers and capture a few photos and videos. It was one of those moments that really reinforced that we had made the right choice to travel. 

That day we decided to also take a bit of time to see the park before we continued our travel east towards South Dakota. We had to travel north through Grand Teton again to hit our route so we stopped at a few viewpoints and enjoyed a small hike through flat ground with the kids before continuing on our way. 

The rugged mountains, and tall trees reminded us so much of what we loved about British Columbia and the west in general. 

As we continued east, the scenery of the state changed drastically. The rolling grassy hills and rugged mountains of the west, gave way to red soil and barren landscapes that reminded us much more of the desert. The land then changed again to show off grassy plains, and impressive spires of rock and sediment that provided us with only a hint of what we would experience at Badlands in South Dakota. We only wish we had a camera rolling on our dashboard for all of our adventures, to accurately capture how impressive the landscape changes were that we experienced. They have given us a whole new appreciation for the beauty and diversity of North American, and the United States in particular.