Onward and…onward

People who have traveled with me know I can be a travel Nazi very efficient guide. We get where we need to be. Even if everyone hates me by the time we’re there.

After we logged 1400 miles in two days, however, I decided the kids needed a break. We took a swim after breakfast instead of packing the car. Then we started on Rapid City, South Dakota tourist crap. (YAY!)

First the boys had picked out the Dinosaur Park. This attraction sits on the top of a hill in Rapid City, and the only cost for entrance is the climb up the hill–89 steps. The kids, of course, sprinted upward and I came more sedately. Sure enough, there are giant dinosaurs, and you can climb all over them.

After that excitement, we took the road south to Mount Rushmore. Yes, Virginia, one must have educational content, dang it. But the troops were duly impressed and didn’t even have the discussion, as K did when we did the trip 10 years ago, about whether you could in fact see up George Washington’s nose for boogers.

Then we went west for our last tourist attraction of the day, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. The rangers were very good with the children, and helped them become Junior Rangers.  Ranger Scott was not so impressed when I asked what time the aliens would be there that night. Killjoy.

We got a little sidetracked on the way out of the park, and ended up on a back road off to the east.  About 20 miles up the road we got caught in a microburst and the oddest thing happened around the wind and hail–a full-arc rainbow preceded us by about a quarter of a mile for 15 minutes. It was incredible! One of those blessing in disguise moments.

Lastly, the knock-your-socks-off, jaw-dropping beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Count this as your next thousand words:

Magnificent mountains

And on we go.