link to Carole Grooms' photos at Walgreen

Here is a link to all the photos I took on the trip, uploaded to Walgreens, so you can order prints if you wish.

http://photo1.walgreens.com/walgreens/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=6870771003/a=692041003_692041003/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=walgreens/

It appears that the order was randomly shuffled when the uploaded, but all 609 of them appear to be there.

Link to my pictures

Here's a link to my pictures. You should not have to create an account to view them.
http://freedommiddleyellowstone2011.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Almost home!

We are at the rest area at the Kentucky/Tennessee border cleaning out the vans. We should be at school about 5:30. We've had a great time, but everyone is anxious for Franklin and our own beds!


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Going to the top of the arch

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St. Louis Arch

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St. Louis-almost home!

We'll be spending the night near St. Louis. We decided to go past Arrow Rock State Park, so we can go up in the arch in the morning. We will call tomorrow when we're closer to home.

Below you'll see reflections from all the students as well as our youngest campers. They were asked what they learned, why Yellowstone is important, and why it should be a national park. If you comment on them, we will make sure the students hear what you have to say.

Cheyenne--what I learned

I didn't know that Yellowstone was famous for having geothermal pools. This amazing discovery is enough of an explanation why Yellowstone National Park should remain a national park. Seeing Old Faithful was an awesome experience. I've never seen an active geothermal volcano in person. In the future, I would like to bring my parents back to see Old Faithful and Morning Glory.

Yellowstone National Park needs to stay a national park so future families and travelers can enjoy Yellowstone's various geothermal pools. They are like nothing else on Earth.

Hunter--what I learned

One thing I learned at Yellowstone is that it was the first national park. It had a major fire in 1988 that destroyed a lot of Yellowstone. Today most of the vegetation has grown back.

I think Yellowstone should be a national park because of all the stuff that is there. All the life that is there should be protected and not destroyed.

Hannah--what I learned

I did not know that Yellowstone is home to 2/3 of the world's geysers. A geyser is the result of water from the ground coming in contact with heat from magma which is a volcanic source. It then builds up a lot of pressure. The pressure is then released in the air as hot water.

One of the most famous geysers is Old Faithful. Some people think Old Faithful is the oldest geyser, but it is not. Old Faithful is estimated to have been functioning for only 200-300 years. Castle geyser is thought to be the oldest because it has a large cone formation. Old faithful is also not the biggest geyser. Steamboat geyser is the biggest. It's eruptions can reach nearly 400 feet high. Old Faithful's eruptions are 106-184 feet. Steamboat's eruptions though are more unpredictable. Since Old Faithful's eruptions are not the biggest or the oldest, some people wonder why it is so famous. Old Faithful is famous because it erupts more frequently than any other geysers. It is easy to get to for the public. Also the public does not have to wait long for the next eruption. In fact Old Faithful erupts 18-24 times a day. Old Faithful erupts on time almost all the time. When we went to see it, it was exactly on time. It was amazing! This is good because we did not have to wit long. This is how Old Faithful got it's name. In 1870 members of the Doan Expidition named the geyser after it's eruption pattern because it was so "faithful".

Old Faithful is only one of over 200 geysers in the park, but the park is not only home to geysers. It also has hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. These things are very important to Yellowstone and play an important role in attracting the public. This is one thing I learned at Yellowstone that i did not learn before. I also enjoyed seeing them even though they stunk sometimes. You will not be disappointed, so come see, learn, and have a good time at Yellowstone National Park.

There are many reasons we should keep Yellowstone a national park. Not only because of its beauty and tranquility, but also because of its attractions and history. It is home to many kinds of wildlife and visited by many people. It plays an important role in the world.

Yellowstone is home to 2/3 of the world's geysers. Without the park these geysers could potentially be destroyed. This would be a great loss because a lot of the geysers are ll known and have a bunch of history. Along with geysers the park is home to hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. All of these are great attractions in the park.

Yellowstone is also home to a huge volcano under the Earth's . Another huge portion of Yellowstone is the volcano's caldera. This is a very important feature in Yellowstone that interests many people. It is important to Yellowstone's future and history.

Another thing about Yellowstone is that it is home to wildlife including bison, moose, elk, wolves, and bears. There's not only a lot of animals. There's also a lot of vegetation. Without Yellowstone what home do these things have? Yellowstone is a way to protect and preserve the beauty that is still left. It is a home to these things. If we take that away, then tons of wildlife will have nowhere to go.

Anyone who says we should not preserve Yellowstone cannot have a good reason to get rid of one of Mother Nature's masterpieces.

Kirsten--what I learned

The one thing I learned about Yellowstone is that forest fires are not always a bad thing. When a fire occurred, it cleared the old and sick trees, so that now there are new baby trees. We should always remember that rangers do their best to maintain the fires 24/7. Once the fires pass, a new forest will grow and blossom over the years.

We should keep it a national park. The many animals in Yellowstone are unique, and they would decrease if not protected. Yellowstone is different from the other national parks. It has varieties of mud pots, volcanoes, hot springs, and wildlife. We should protect these things for generations to come. Yellowstone is a unique, wonderful place and should be protected and conserved for lifetimes and more.

Brant (age 5)--what I learned

I learned about wildlife. Buffalo, prairie dogs, and elk live there.

It's important so people have places to camp.

Clay (age 7)--what I learned

Yellowstone is as big as Connecticut. There were a lot of campsites. Yellowstone was created by a volcano.

It's important so the animals have somewhere to be.

Sophi--what I learned

I liked Old Faithful. It was cool how high in the air it went. I also liked Morning Glory. The walk was long, but it was worth it when we got there because of the colors. That was my favorite thing. It was too bad I did not get to see a bear.

I think Yellowstone should stay a national park. If it isn't, I think it will be ruined. It has 2/3 of the geysers in the world. It is very amazing and has many things that need to be preserved.

Jordan--what I've learned

One thing I learned when I was in Yellowstone is that there is a hot spring called Morning Glory. Morning Glory is located near Old Faithful. People sometimes throw trash in Morning Glory and the park staff have to remove all of the trash that's down there.

We should keep Yellowstone a national park because of the scenery. Plus the animals here need protecting. Old Faithful, The Grand Tetons, and Jackson Hole have great scenery. Thats why Yellowstone should be kept a national park.

Cameron--what I learned

I learned that Yellowstone was made from a giant volcano. I think we should keep national parks because they are the only land that hasn't had buildings all over it. The views are amazing!

Ethan--what I learned

I learned that Yellowstone lakes can be frozen even in June! We drove by Lewis Lake, and it was frozen. Other lakes had frozen patches as well. It is weird how it was 70 degrees, but the lake was frozen.

We should keep Yellowstone a park because it is a natural beauty. By keeping it a national park, it stays unharmed and protected. If it were not a national park, it could be destroyed and lost forever.

Angel--what I learned

One of the things I didn't know was that geysers need so many requirements to be maintained. First it needs water from rain or snow for releasing, and some of it is turned into steam. Second the geyser needs heat from underground magma. Third the pressure has to be released somehow, right? Holes, cracks, and fissures help the water and steam fnd its way to the surface-almost like an underground plumbing system. Yellowstone has geysers because all the requirements are here. By the way--geysers are natural.

I think Yellowstone should stay a national park because of all its special qualities. It has a large variety of plants and animals. The park has over 100 discovered waterfalls! It's also an active volcano that erupted 640,000 years ago. It has many boiling mud pools and geysers. Everything in the park seems to be balanced.

Lydia--what I learned

I learned many things. I had no clue that there was a major fire that cleared out all of the sick and old trees. I didn't know that Yellowstone is home to 2/3 of the world's geysers or that the whole park is on top of an active underground volcano. Also I knew there were a lot of animals that lived there but didn't realize how many NEED to live there. There are many animal reserves and reintroductions.

Everything I learned about Yellowstone makes it an important place. The fact that people can learn, listen, and watch history and facts about this great place makes me want to keep it forever.

Nina--what I learned

I learned that bears live in Yellowstone. If you are too close to an animal then they will buck at you and possibly kill you. Those are two things I learned well in Yellowstone.

I think it should stay a national park because they help keep the population of animals in place. They also have many amazing sites to see in the park like the mud volcanoes and sites outside of the park like the Grand Tetons, Jenny Lake, and Jackson Hole. The park can help teach people what happens to the earth and what's out there. That is why Yellowstone should stay a national park.

Chaela--what I learned

There was a huge fire a few years ago. Animals were dying. Trees fell because they were burnt. It didn't even look like Yellowstone.

I believe Yellowstone should stay a national park because it was the first national park. It is 139 years old! It is most people's dream to visit there. Why would anyone want to ruin someone's dream?

Adam--what I learned

I learned that Yellowstone has so many animals. It has grizzlies, black bears, sheep, moose, ground squirrels, and buffalo. I never knew that. I always thought that it was just trees, geysers, and hot springs. I also thought that it was really hot-not lots of snow and cold. We saw so many animals. We saw almost all the animals I listed above and more. It was so cool seeing the buffalo crossing the road.

Yellowstone is an important national park, and I'm going to tell you why. It contains many different types of wildlife. All of which play an important role in their ecosystem. Getting rid of one could kill all the others. It's also a home for bald eagles which is our national symbol. Killing one is illegal. If we made it no longer a national park, they could be killed. That's killing our national symbol. Unless you're a terrorist, don't do it. If you are one, then leave. Yellowstone also has 2/3 of the world's geysers and many hot springs.

Doug--what I learned

I learned that Morning Glory is cleaned out every year because people throw objects in it. I also learned that there can be up to 8 feet of snow in June in Yellowstone.

I think Yellowstone is important to conserve natural surroundings and wildlife. It was our first national park, and I don't think we should get rid of it. We also make a lot of money from it. Buffalo were endangered for years because of hunting, and Yellowstone helped bring the population back up. I think the views and beauty in Yellowstone are irreplaceable. The geysers are awesome, and it's neat to know that all of Yellowstone will erupt in a couple million years.

Nick--what I learned

I learned two things at Yellowstone. The first thing I learned is that it's a forty mile wide crater. The second thing I learned is that it has over 2/3 of the world's geysers.

I think we need to keep Yellowstone as a national park. I believe it's nature-you don't mess with it!

Leaving Kansas this morning

We've just departed from Wilson State Park in Kansas and are headed to Missouri tonight. The kids watched the movie "Cars" projected onto a sheet in our picnic pavilion and slept right there on the floor for the night. Even with a little sprinkle of rain, we all slept till 8:30 this morning, late for us.

Yesterday we celebrated Angel's 13th birthday at a rest stop as we crossed into Kansas.




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Arches this morning, Colorado tonight

Hi all - we are now settled with tents pitched here in the Rockies near Georgetown, CO. What a beautiful campground too! This morning we broke camp at the Moab Valley RV Park and went to Arches National Parks for the morning. What an amazing place! The Colorado River is at flood stage and watching it all along I-70 has been fascinating - in places it was right up to the railroad tracks and had even pulled power lines down with the current. The best word I can think of to describe the raging water is "violent"!

Here are a few pictures from the last day:



This would be a picture of "Nowhere" - where were yesterday on the way to Moab. While this picture isn't the exact one (the road is too nice...) we had a real adventure when the road through the desert went from pavement to dirt and we had to turn around. The next photo is at a viewpoint as we climbed and climbed in the vans through the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. I was most impressed by the civil engineering that must have been needed to create the roads that clung to the edges of the mountains, switchback after switchback. (They must have used mountain goats for surveyors.)






Nick's 13th birthday was celebrated last night. Tomorrow we celebrate Angel's.


Tents were not needed last night!


Only .75 mile, but what a climb to the higher viewpoint of "Delicate Arch".


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Location:Chief Hosa's campground, near Georgetown, CO

Getting ready to head east

We left camp this morning and drove through Moab, UT. We're touring Arches before heading back to I-70. Tonight we'll be somewhere in Colorado. (Exactly where has yet to be determined because our original campground is an hour out of the way now that we're coming from UT.)

You should be proud of your children. Last night the woman at the campground assumed that a group of middle-schoolers would be loud and disruptive. This morning the man who was camping next to us went to the campground office to tell them how wonderful the students were.

We'll see you in a few days!

-Abigail

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Location:Arches National Park

Delicate Arch

Arches

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Arches National Park, here we come!

We are leaving Green River, WY, and driving through the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in route to Moab, UT. We'll camp somewhere in the park tonight. It was warm and windy when we arrived last night so everything got dried out and cleaned up from the Yellowstone/Teton slosh. It is a beautiful day today!


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New destination! Arches National Park, Moab, UT

Nothing like making the best of a bad turn of weather! We are leaving Jackson WY now en route to Tex's RV Camp in Green River, WY for the night. On Wednesday we'll complete the drive to Moab and camp there. The last online weather check said it was 85 degrees in Green River and no rain predicted. Dry out tents tonight!
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Hunter June 4, 2011

Hey, Mom and Dad! I am having a blast here. When I saw Mt. Rushmore, I thought it would be bigger, but It was cool. Crazy Horse was okay. I think that if they would take the $10 million, they would be done by now. I have seen a lot of bison or buffalo and their calves. Yesterday, we went to Devil’s Tower, and saw some man climbing on it. When we left, we stopped and saw the prairie dogs; they were cool and cute. Today, we are heading to Yellowstone!! We will be on a different route because the East entrance to Yellowstone is closed. So we are going to the South entrance.

Who would you add to Mount Rushmore?

After visiting Mount Rushmore, the students were asked to journal on this topic:

If you could choose any American who has had a positive impact on our country to go in the empty space between Roosevelt and Lincoln, who would you choose and why?

Here are some of their responses.

If I were to choose a face to put on Mount Rushmore, I would have to first think about why the four faces were chosen. After visiting the monument, I figured it out. All of the faces up right now have changed our country in a dramatic way, either physically or mentally. So in that case, I chose Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave one of the most recognizable speeches in our history. If I were to choose a face to put on Mount Rushmore, I would choose MLK, Jr.
--Lydia

If I chose anyone else to be on Mount Rushmore, I would choose John F. Kennedy. Not only was JFK great in the political area of being a president, but also he was very smart economically. He helped us a lot through the Civil Rights Movement by supporting integration in everyday life. By supporting this, he fended off enemies who were all for segregation. Not long after JFK died, he really began being appreciated for his efforts. I think he should really be on Mount Rushmore with the rest.
--Kirsten

If I could put a face on Mt. Rushmore, it would be Wilbur Wright because he helped invent the first airplane.
--Clay

If I had to put someone on Mount Rushmore, I would put Martin Luther King, Jr. on it because I think he had a lot to do with American history.
--Doug

I think that George W. Bush should go on Mount Rushmore because he brought us through some hard times (9-11, the economy crashing).
--Hunter

Lyne Cox because she helped break the friction between the Soviets and the Americans during the Cold War. Also, she was the youngest swimmer to cross the English Channel, and she also broke the record. Also, she has swum to Antarctica in water that is thirty-two degrees. These are only two of the tons more she has done.
--Hannah

If I had to choose anyone else to be carved in Mount Rushmore, I would choose Martin Luther King, Jr. I chose him because he impacted everyone’s everyday life. He fueled the Civil Rights Movement and was an all-around inspiring human being. Without him, I don’t believe people would be in the same mindset about segregation. He is such an important piece in America’s history and needs to be remembered in this way. When I learned about him in school, I always thought about how greatly I looked up to him. Rosa Parks, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Lloyd Garrsion and so on are all people who worked for blacks’ civil rights. However, the person who impacted the entire nation the most about Civil Rights in general is probably Martin Luther King, Jr.
--Cheyenne

Devils Tower Cinquains

Here are the cinquains about Devils Tower.

Devils Tower
Tall, Rigid
Eroding, Climbing, Star Gazing
Tower of the Indians
Sacred Place
--Doug

Devils Tower
Rocky, Humongous
Climbing, Hiking, Running
Standing on the top
Mountain
--Jordan

Devils Tower
Amazing, Huge
Climbing, Sleeping, Hiking
Fun place to see
Rock
--Clay

Prairie Dog
Small, Cute
Eating, Squeaking, Digging
They are so cute
Devils Tower
--Brant

Devils Tower
Inactive, Crevices
Towering, Attracting, Climbing
A scared Indian legend
Volcano
--Hannah

Devils Tower
Large, Rugged
Saving, Praying, Killing
Praying place for Indians
Place of prayer
--Adam

Devils Tower
Tall, Rigid
Glowing, Eroding, Mind-blowing
Natural and graceful monument
Hell’s Skyscraper
--Ethan

Devils Tower
Strong, Powerful
Abducting, Extending, Interesting
The Tower of Doom
Plateau
--Kirsten

Devils Tower
Curious, Strange
Hiding, Knowing, Exploring
The mysterious, beautiful rock
Mystery
--Lydia

Custer State Park Cinquains

Custer State Park The kids were given a writing assignment to write a cinquain about either Custer State Park or Devils Tower. Cinquains are French in origin and have five lines. Normally, they follow a pattern of syllables. We did a modified version that followed the following format:
Noun
2 Adjectives that describe the noun
3 –ing verbs about the noun
4 word phrase about the noun
Synonym for the noun
Here are the poems about Custer State Park.

Custer State Park
Buffalo, Rocky
Fishing, Animal-grazing, Camping
Home of the buffalo
Lively
--Sophi

Custer State Park
Buffalo, Clean
Walking, Fishing, Camping
The home of buffalo
Wild Animals
--Chaela


Beautiful, Clean
Walking, Shopping, Driving
The place of animals
Wildlife
--Nina

Custer State Park
Wild, Natural
Preserving, Sharing, Saving
Home to many animals
Wildlife Preservatives
--Hannah

Custer State Park
Nice, Clean
Fishing, Camping, Seeing
Very peaceful and quiet
Sanctuary
--Hunter

Custer
Amazing, Scenic
Fishing, Camping, Traveling
Fun place to camp
South Dakota
--Cameron

Custer State Park
Beautiful, Placid
Ravishing, Living, Moving
Close-up daily wildlife encounter
Incredible Experience
--Cheyenne

Wet Tetons

Well, we are headed South toward Jackson, WY this morning, three soggy, steamy and stinky van-loads. (Think wet dog/locker room aroma...) Yesterday, it started raining as we left Old Faithful and has not stopped since. Despite the damp, the girls managed to cook a fantastic supper of pork chops, boiled corn, broccoli and asparagus, working under our canopies, and everyone actually got their laundry completed. Even though it poured all night, we all managed to stay mostly dry in our tents. Taking them down this morning was really a mess. They are basically stuffed in garbage bags awaiting a dry-out somewhere South tonight.

We just stopped at the Colter Bay visitor center in Grand Tetons. The peaks are completely hidden behind the clouds, so none of the anticipated beautiful photographs will be made today. (See below, just snapped at Willow Flats, where we would expect to see the jagged snow-capped peaks behind a meadow of wildflowers.) We do hope this glum weather might draw out some animals for wildlife we wouldn't see otherwise.





The lakes in Tetons are unusually low, with lots of bare earth, looking very different (but not deterring the fly fishermen who are out there in the rain.) We learned that they have released water from the damns in anticipation of the heavy snowmelt from Yellowstone. Even with this precaution, they are expecting the 100-year flood below.

After our next stop at the Moose visitor center and a stop in Jackson, we'll check the weather and aim for a stopping place for the night. Thank goodness Ms. Littlejohn has the flexibility (and countenance!) to go with the flow of the weather and adjust plans as we go along!


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In Yellowstone - ever-changing weather...

We have just left Old Faithful and struggling to find the time to make blog posts in the tiny windows of Internet connectivity to be had here. Cell phone and wifi service are not the norm here! There are 10-15 feet of snow of the sides of the road - so much that you can't see past it in places. It has been blue skies and sun but clouds are moving in now and we hope rain will not follow. A few pictures:

Wall Drug

*this took place on May 30*

Wall Drug was indeed an amazing place to shop. Everywhere you went were different shops filled with souvenirs, whatever you wanted! Some shops were candy stores and ice cream shops, we all bought at least one item of food while we were there. I must say that the fries tasted better than they looked. After that we went off with our partners and walked around talking and looking at stuff we knew were too expensive to buy, laughing at some of the funny cards or posters. It was a great time. But, although the weather was rainy and dreary we all had a wonderful experience at Wall Drug.

~Kirsten

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Leaving Devil's Tower

Photo taken about 30 minutes ago as we broke camp at the Devil's Tower KOA. We have a small change of route for today. It turns out the East entrance to Yellowstone is closed during daylight hours for construction, so we cancelled our reservations in Cody at Buffalo Bill State Park and are going to drive a different route to enter from the South and go straight to Flagg Ranch today, a day earlier than planned. We're not too sad about staying at the same place five nights in a row and skipping another set up and tear down of camp :)

A few more photos from yesterday's visit:



Hiking the trail through the boulder field around the base of Devil's Tower.





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From Jordan

Today we went to the mammoth site and I thought that it was a great place to go. I learned about the wooly mammoth and more extinct animals. One thing I learned was that the mammoths died by falling in a sink hole and being preserved by limestone and sand. After we went to the mammoth site we went to Evans plunge and swam for 4 hours. At Evans plunge I went down all the slides and one slide I couldn't stop getting off of. It was really fast and I couldn't pick my head up when I went down it. Having a great time here.

Jordan

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As promised...Two Voices: The Story and the "Real" Story by Leah and Catherine

Leah: For all of those doubted (and laughed out LOUD at me), I am surviving and having a blast. I made it through the first night of rain, sleeping in the van (if you want to call it that), not taking a shower, and, wait for it...wearing the exact same outfit for forty-eight hours. You heard it folks, no lie.

Catherine:
That is correct. Leah did survive the first night, and didn't cringe at the thought of the same clothes for 48 hours. I think she has made great progress, but still "vetoes" some public restrooms, won't eat anything that has touched the ground, or drink out of an unmarked water bottle, unlike Carole who said, "Whose water is this...oh, well...." and then takes a drink. The look on Leah's face was priceless. So, needless to say it has been a trip of extremes.

Leah: Yes, progress has been made, but I say this as I sit poolside at Evan's Plunge. I still can't do a public pool (even though Abigail assures me that it cleans itself sixteen times a day). I would need some solid proof on that one.
While the reactions from the kids and most adults have been "How beautiful" and "Is that a real buffalo?", nothing can compare to Patty's reactions to local "attractions." Here are a few of the reactions: Look, they have a new Sam's! Geico? I didn't know they had an office! Look, y'all, they have a new Dairy Queen! All kidding aside, Patty is a pro at this traveling/camping business.

Catherine: However, on a more sentimental note, there are no words to describe a child's reaction to the first sight a"real buffalo," Mt. Rushmore, or the experience of sleeping in a tent for the first time. When the buffalo walked through the campsite at Custer, and the kids rushed to take photos, Leah said, "Oh, look a herd of buffalo!" Patty had to say, "No, Leah, five buffalo don't make a herd..."

Leah: Who knew?

More to come...stayed tuned.





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Location:Somewhere out west...where the buffalo roam

Pictures -

I'm going to hold off on the narration and let some of the kids share their thoughts later - that is, if they're not too tired! Right this minute, they are all swimming at Evan's Plunge, the hot springs-fed pool in Hot Springs, SD. Too soon to tell who will make it across the swinging rings over the pool...

Here are just a few pictures from the last day or two:







Lots of fishing but not much catching at the pond in front of our campsite at Custer State Park. We drove over to the Crazy Horse Monument yesterday and got to take the bus tour around the bottom of the mountain to get a closer look. Afterward we watched some traditional dancing presented by a local Lakota family.


-





Here the grandfather who did the drumming and announcing for his grandchildren's dancing starts us all in a circle dance.










This morning's drive to Hot Springs was the scenic route out of the State Park with plenty of wildlife to see. Only the burrows that roam the park are safe to get near.









At the Mammoth dig site outside Hot Springs -













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Hunters

Hey mom and dad I cant find my phone so I need a new one thanks I am having a good time. Thank you!
~Hunter

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First Day

So far the trip has been amazing! The first two days we mostly drove. The girls all drove in the same car. I thought that the drive was going to be one of those "are we there yet" types of things, but it was nothing like that. For us girls it was a time to bond and get to know each other. I mean it took a while to get us talking, but soon we were laughing uncontrollably! We had a blast, and made a great team setting up the tent that night.

When we got to out first campsite it was dark and muddy, but we set up our tent, and fussed about not being able to take a shower. In the middle of the night we had to go sleep in the van during a storm. Now I will say that it was not fun. It was not comfortable, and we were all over each other. None the less we fell asleep. ~ We woke up at 4:30 because we wanted to get a head start cleaning up, in hopes that we could take a shower, which never happened. When we woke up we were still in the van and informed that we could of gone back to the tent where it was more comfortable, but we were too knocked out to hear. So we all ended up somewhat getting over the fact that we could of had more then about three hours asleep. This resulted in tons of sleep in the car.

The rest of the day was great, and so were the other nights. We are all getting a long great, and having a good time. Post more soon,

Hannah


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Lots of rocks today!

We're out in Rapid City at the moment, refilling our pantry at Sam's and Walmart for the next few days of cooking. We drove through The Needles highway first and stopped to climb on the rocks. That took us to Mt. Rushmore. Gorgeous weather for a nice change!

The Badlands

It's a day after we've been to the Badlands, and I'm still thinking about them. The endless array of reds and browns stacked into mountainous heaps of strong, hard rock. I wish I could of stayed there forever and stared, wide-eyed, at the magnificent colors in which was created by our home. I wish I could of stayed and experienced the winds and rain that weather away this great attraction. Have you ever leaned back into the wind and waited for it to push you back up? If you're like me, sometimes that doesn't happen, ending in a hard fall to the ground. In the Badlands, it's a different case. Anyone, big or small, can lean back, using all force, and come right back up. The wind sweeps though your hair and washes away all of your thoughts. It's a day after we've been to the Badlands, and I'm still thinking about it.
~ Lydia
Date: May 31, 2011








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