Oregon Trip Day 1

Sunday night (later than planned) we left my parents house in route for Keystone, SD.

Home of Mt Rushmore

(a 10 hr. drive)

Before even checking in to our campsite, we explored Rushmore Caves.

I know, I live on the edge.

While traveling with toddlers, I wear white.

(Also, let's pretend I didn't sleep in those clothes in the back of a truck between two car seats all night)

It was extremely hot in South Dakota. who knew?!

But the caves promised to always be a nice, refreshing 60 degrees.

Not that we merely stopped by on a whim.

Don't you worry 'bout a thing.

I had this trip pre-planned front and back. top to bottom for weeks before we left.

(just ask my poor SIL who I emailed multiple times a day, "check out this place, should we go here?" or "what do you think about this one?" ," we must go here!")

I didn't take many pictures in the cave as I had to have my hands on Andy at all times.

Oh, Andy.

There's a reason my friends call him "the heart attack kid"

Because he's sure to give me a heart attack.

I am pretty sure he's destined to be a free runner

(see this youtube video if you need to educate yourself).

He uses any wall, ledge, platform to launch himself.

This is obviously a very bad idea in a cave with low ceilings, narrow pasages, steep (and slippery) stairways, deep drop offs into the unknown and stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

I didn't feel like I could get a tight enough grip on him.

Pictures were not a option.

It wasn't much of a concern as we had our family photographer with us ;)

(I will put a link up to Erica's page when she gets her pictures up on her family blog.)

Rushmore Cave was discovered in 1880 when a log flume that supplied water to the local town of Hayward broke and spilled onto the side of the hill. As the water flowed down the hill it started flowing into a small hole in the side of the hill. The miners who went up to fix the flume noticed this abnormality and became suspicious of where this water was going. After fixing the flume, the men decided to go inside and explore. After about 30 feet, the men came to a large drop off which went down about 15 feet. They exited the cave, and went out into the woods where they cut down a tree and then used this tree as a ladder to access the cave. The miners then noticed that the majority of the cave was made out of limestone. Knowing that limestone doesn't contain any gold, they abandoned the cave as a mining opportunity, and left it alone. Some of the local townspeople heard news of this discovery, and became very curious as to what they might find inside the cave.

The white parts are "active" formations, where the stalactite is still growing.

I spy some tight hand holding.

Our group: My neice, my mom, SIL, my nephew, my brother, Nate and my dad

My sister-in-law is one amazing woman.

She did all of the hiking and exploring at 5+ mo. pregnant.

A round of applause, if you please.

After our cave adventure we hooked up the camper at the campsite.

Erica and I took the kids swimming.

I am sure we ate some sort of dinner, but I can't remember what... but I sure remember those pancakes my dad made the next morning:)

Just before dark, and right as it started to rain, we went to see Mt. Rushmore for the nightly lighting ceremony.

My good lookin' parents

I read in one of the (many) travel booklets my dad picked up along the way that a New York attorney (go figure) named Charles Rushmore was looking at some land for a client in the area. He asked the guide what the name of the mountain was and the guide said it was first something like big cat valley (or mountain lion something or other ...) and then it was named Massacre Mountain... but it would be better to be named Mount Rushmore. They all laughed (clearly having no idea how famous it would become), and the name stuck. Years and years later, Gutzon Borglum carved his sculpture.

We sat in stadium seating and watched a video.

I am pretty sure it was about Lewis and Clark... I was tired

At the end of the video, when it was completely dark out, they slowly lit up Mt. Rushmore

(think LED light bulb slowly getting brighter).... (isn't that the kind?)

Anyway, we all stood and sang "My Country Tis of Thee"... I think... again, I was tired.

It was heart warming and stirred a little patriotic spirit in me.

It made me wish I had payed more attention in 5th grade social studies.

I hope encourage my boys to be more patriotic than I was.

Favorites from this day:

Loving the cave adventure with the boys, but feeling so sad because I know Chris would have absolutely loved it!

Falling in love with South Dakota. So beautiful!