Friday, June 06, 2008

The Adventure Continues

After a very cold night, we woke up this morning to a beautiful, bright, sunny day.
The camp ground we are at is in a lovely wooded area and is conveniently close to activities.
Since our first go at Mt. Rushmore was so wet and cold, we decided to try it again.
We were not disappointed. It was breathtaking and awe inspiring.
While the actual monument is quite amazing, God is not to be outdone. The surrounding mountains and valleys are beautiful and the shimmering rocks and crystals are amazing.
It was a great family outing that brought out many interesting discussions about Presidents, current and historical, and how they lived and how they died. I think we all learned a thing or two.

Next we were off to the
1880 Train
Much to the Joy of our Sweet Jonah!

It is a beautiful historical train ride that goes from Keystone to Hill City.
It was an hour long ride, meandering though forest and over streams with lots of wildlife peeking out to say hello. We got off in Hill City to discover a crowd of children waiting for Thomas the Tank Engine who was in town for a special appearance. That was a fun treat for Jonah. We took the return train back to keystone, had a quick snack and then set off for....
Reptile Gardens!
It was a large reptile habitat where we got to pet crocodiles....
Pet snakes....
And see lots of other creatures. They had a bird show, an alligator show and a snake show, all which were thoroughly enjoyed by our budding animal conservationists.

So now we are all just a little tired. The kids are sound asleep and David and I are not far behind. We are so thankful for the beautiful weather, God's amazing creations and this precious time to be together.