Wyoming and South Dakota

This will sound like an awful lot like a travel log!  I hope you enjoy seeing what we've done and where we've been.  We haven't had reliable wifi until yesterday when we checked in near Kirkland, but it's not a secure connection, so I don't really want to use it much.  The problem with unreliable wifi is my pictures are taking forever to upload to my laptop, so I'll have to add those later.

We blasted off last Monday (July 2nd) and got as far as Martins Cove.  They have a missionary campsite where there are spots for their big rigs, and another area for families and Trek groups.  We noticed early on in Wyoming that the wind is constantly blowing.  After we got the trailer set up and everyone settled, Brooklyn pulled out one of our kites and tried to fly it in the close to 40 mph gusts.  It would swirl around and crash into the ground, but I figured out how to pull it just right to keep it in the air (mostly).  She took it back from me and did fine until she let out more string.  She lost her grip on the handle and that kite took off wildly!  It was hilarious to watch all the girls chase after it and try to grab it.  The string got caught in one old mostly dead cottonwood tree, the kite got caught in the next one.  There was no way to retrieve the string, but we did retrieve the kite by standing on top of our Honda Pilot with Mat standing on his tippy toes breaking dead branches until it came down.

We brought a little portable vacuum because a broom can only go so far.  In Wyoming, we learned real fast the value of zipping up the canvas correctly.  The bugs there are ones I've never seen before and were quite skilled in finding our tiny openings.  The vacuum came in handy for catching them off guard.


We went through the visitors center and saw Devils Gate (which I learned the pioneers didn't travel through, it was just a landmark.  There's a river that runs through it!)  Those companies endured so much.  We usually only hear about the Willey and Martin companies, but there were two wagon trains behind them.  Willey and Martin companies were devastated because they had so little protection from the elements.  They have a plaque there that lists the names of everyone in those four companies and have marked those that died.  Considering what they went through, I was kind of surprised there weren't more that died.  But many of those that lived suffered the effects of exposure, amputation, and loss of loved ones for the rest of their lives.  It's a sobering but spiritual place.  You can definitely feel the Spirit there.

The drive into northern Wyoming and southern South Dakota was fantastic.  The grasses and trees turned from brown to green, we haven't seen a single brown blade of grass since!  Our next stop was to Mount Rushmore, we arrived kind of late on the 3rd.  As we traveled into the area, we could see dark clouds not to far away.  A storm was obviously on it's way.  It started to sprinkle as we put the trailer up.


We had read online that they do fireworks on the 3rd and 4th.  What they really do is a patriotic program on the 3rd and light the guys up in the evening.  Just with flood lights, not with fireworks.  😂 Just part of the adventure of a trip like this!  You just roll with it.  After we ate dinner and we finally got to Mount Rushmore, the guys were already lit up and people were pouring out to the parking lot.  And then the heavens opened and big, saturating raindrops came down in sheets.  There was lightning everywhere, sheet lightning and bolt lightening.  Thunder boomed all around us - for 2 ½ hours.  I've never seen anything quite like it!  After we got back to our campsite, it started to hail, marble-sized hail.  We thought for sure it was denting our car and trailer (it didn't).

Trying to act Presidential!  What do you think?

We went back to Rushmore on the 4th.  It really is a sight to see!  Before we got there I had this troubling question in my head about why someone would be allowed to chew up a mountain like that.  You know, in this day of environmental activism and political correctness.  The project was started in the late 1920's, so that explains it.  The process was quite fascinating, as is why those particular four presidents were chosen.  I recommend you check it out if you've never been there!

On our way toward Wisconsin, we stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.  I'd say it's cool enough to just see pictures online and not make the effort to get off the freeway.  It's basically what you see on the outside, and a gift shop.