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.

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?

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.

A Diverse Landscape

Yellowstone - still on Yellowstone. How could I not be? It's taken me a long time to get around to sharing this as we've been so busy enjoying life together. We sure did a lot of that in Wyoming. We tried to see as much as we could - we woke up our last morning in Madison to go and see some of the mud pots before we moved on to the opposite side of the park. It was worth it. The landscape near the Artists Paint Pots was incredible. Steaming water and fumaroles, lush green trees, areas of ground just burnt out from the chemicals and heat. It was so diverse in one small area. What a site to see. 

Boiling and steaming bodies of water and erupting geysers are not the only impressive water features Yellowstone has to offer. The waterfalls were also a site to see and I'm glad we took time to check out a couple.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and it's waterfall were my favourite spot that we visited in the park. We headed to Inspiration Point to take it in the waterfall, and it was obvious why it was given this name. If you've seen photos of the waterfall before, it's highly likely they were taken from here. I could've stayed all day taking it in, but the crowd was pretty big, so on we moved with the kids to see more of the Canyon from other spots.

I hope that the next time we return to this National Park we can take in the waterfall from some different spots. Viewing it from the top, and seeing the water thunder over the edge I'm sure would be quite impressive. 

There were plenty of opportunities to entertain the children as well, especially on our drives from Fishing Bridge campsite. Heading north from the campground, we usually headed directly through large herds of Bison crossing the streets. Halle loved every second of it, and we were able to capture some great photos (and videos) while stuck in the "Bison traffic". 

Halle's favourite was definitely the "Red Dogs" - the baby Bison, and Brett and I had to agree, they were pretty cute!

Halle was also thrilled to earn a new Junior Ranger Badge in Yellowstone. Unlike other parks, you pay for the booklet here, but the $3 is money well spent in our eyes. The books are wonderful and Halle learned a lot. At the end of the activities, she earned not only a sew on patch for her age group, but also a wooden centennial pin, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the National Parks Service! The Junior Ranger program is definitely our favourite part of visiting the National Parks with children.

We loved every view we had while there. Driving North we enjoyed the meadows and valleys. We had high hopes of spotting wolves and grizzly bears as we explored, stopping frequently to use our binoculars and look into the distance, as we knew that was our best chance. In the end we saw no wolves or grizzlies, but we were happy with the scenery. 

Mammoth Hot Spring Terrace was a very cool sight to see. We visited on a hot day, and stopped for lunch and ice cream before walking over to the Springs.

The colours and look of the terraced springs was incredible. It sparkled in the sun and in some spots looked like gold. Unfortunately a hot tired child was not as interested as we were, and a splinter was the final straw, putting an end to our short walk around the area. If you visit the park though, I highly recommend a visit to Mammoth Hot Springs if you can fit it in. After all, there is surely not enough time to see everything in it's entirety during one visit to Yellowstone. We have no doubt we will return to the park one day with the kiddos to experience more of it's wonder!