Just two weeks after we returned from Australia, we loaded up our new trailer (new to us...for our kayaks of course ;) and hit the road bound for South Dakota and Mount Rushmore!
We met my best friend {since 7th Grade}, Jenny, and her family at Horse Thief Lake Campground and set up camp for four adults and nine children!
Our camp spot was amazing and right on the lake.
The kids loved every opportunity to be in the water
It did rain on us a couple of the days, but the Jones family knows how to camp! We were spoiled with Marshall cooking every meal for us...we definitely figured out some new camping must haves to add to our collection...propane fire tops the list! and the dish washing station... Keeping up with the Joneses ;)
On the Fourth of July it cleared up just in time for us to make our way to Mount Rushmore to celebrate the freedoms these great leaders of our Nation upheld.
Entering the Monument
Utah, the 45th State ;)
The Joneses {l to r}
Ashley, Jenny, Sarah, Camille, Emma, Marshall & Kate
The Kimballs
All lit up after the program
The next day we checked out the Cosmos just outside of Keystone, SD.
Its a bunch of different shacks built on the side of a hill where there is supposedly a super natural force that pulls trees in different directions and allows you to stand on the side of a wall...
This is Kate showing how its done.
Tanner got in on the action in the chair of truth.
Here the kids are standing on a level board...she even showed us it was level by placing a ball in the middle of it, yet when they change the order, look how different their heights change...cue spooky background music ;)
It was a fun activity for the kids, but it left me feeling completely motion sick.
Then it was off to Bear World, which could possibly be a must see any other day than June 5th. Their busiest day of the year. It took us 3 hours and $52. to go 2 miles around a circle thru the park.
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On the drive to Casper we found Lost Springs...
we considered leaving the kids there and doubling their population. |
It was sad to have to get up the next morning and pack up our beautiful camp. We had such a fun and relaxing time with such wonderful friends. It had rained during the night so we had to put away wet tents, etc. only to be put up at home to dry out. We intended on driving straight home {a 10 hour drive} but we had gotten off later than expected and in a crazy moment of irrational thinking we had taken out one of the seats to make more room for the kids...leaving three of them within arms reach of each other across the back seat. We needed a break and decided to stop in Casper, WY. and spend the night. We chose the Ramada Inn which was awesome because they had a courtyard inside where they let us set up our tent and easy up to dry out...I'm sure it may have looked a little odd ;)
We were all a little weary from the drive and decided a little dip in the pool, while Phil grabbed dinner, was just what we needed. I got the kids all decked out in their suits and Tyson in his life jacket and headed just behind our tent to the pool. The kids went right to the hot tub and got all warmed up then headed to join me in the pool. Tyson wanted to show me his 'big' jump into the pool. Unfortunately, he got a running start and slipped just as he went into the pool. I wasn't quite sure if he had hit his head, but he came up out of the water crying...I thought maybe he had just bonked it, but this nice boy behind us said, "he's bleeding" and I turned him around to see more blood than any mom ever wants to see, coming from the back of his head. By this time he was covered in it and I got him out of the pool as quickly as possible. We soaked it up with two or three pool towels, but it was obvious he needed stitches. Phil had been gone maybe 5 minutes and I didn't have any way to or any idea where the nearest hospital was. The hotel staff was wonderful and offered to take us. Phil's phone was dead, so we just had to sit and wait. There really are some truly caring people in the world and this very nice war medic offered to keep an eye on the kids while the hotel staff took me and Tyson to the hospital. Luckily, Phil walked in with dinner just as we were trying to decide what to do. Tyson wanted daddy to take him to the hospital so off they went. Phil doesn't do well seeing the kids in any type of pain to this truly scared him. 6 staples, and 3 hours later, Phil was finally able to eat some dinner. We've taken Casper off our list of towns we will allow Tyson to swim at. On the way to South Dakota we had stopped in Casper and had a scare where he jumped back in the pool without his life jacket, and then this on the way home...
Our little trooper! The next day you would have had no idea he had been through all that. He was so excited to pull this little handcart when we stopped at Martin's Cove. What a neat place to learn about all that the pioneers went through and feel of the Spirit. I'm sure we were as excited as they were to finally see Utah!
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