Visiting Mt. Rushmore for our Bucket List

Can you even believe that we are winding  down the summer?  Where has time gone?  Oh I know, we spent much of it moving!  Because of that I was determined to fit as much as we could into the little time we had left before our oldest went back to college.  We may not have too many summers left with her and we are trying to make the most of our time.  

As soon as we found out we were moving to South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore went our our Bucket List!  We have been there before minus our youngest and loved it then.  Now that we have added to our family AND found out that old friends of ours own a campground there, the deal was even sweeter, so off we went for a fun filled four day trip!

OK, work with me...pretend you are watching a slide show...

We took a slightly longer trip into the area so we could see the Badlands.  We had not done this before and it was worth the extra hour.  Next time, I hope we can stop and do some hiking there!

The scenery is stunning!

Even the 6 year old thought it was pretty!  Can I just say that this kiddo has turned into the best traveler?

Yes, a rare sighting of the parents! ;)

Oh, my girls!  How I love these two and the sweet relationship they have.  Don't ever let anyone tell you the teen years are bad!  I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Our friends own the Spokane Creek Cabins and Campground.  If you ever are looking for a place to camp this is a place you will want to stay.  They have cabins, tent sites and RV sites.  There is a pool, miniature golf course and a cafe that serves amazing pizza and the BIGGEST cinnamon rolls I have ever seen.  CJ will tell you that the camp store was his favorite place!  The campground is just off Needles Highway which is a sight to see all on its own!  That is, if you can handle the twists, turns and dropoffs!  ugh!

Have you seen the movie National Treasure 2?  Anyway, this is the lake where it was filmed and it is beautiful.  On our next trip, we plan to hike this area and get in the boats.

And of course, there is Mt. Rushmore.  A simply amazing place and if you have not gone I would strongly encourage you to do so.  Pictures just cannot do it justice.

Oh, and then there is Bear Country USA, where my oldest faced her fears!  Really.  For many years she has had an irrational fear of bears.  Not sure when or why it started but it was bad.  So we of course, being the caring family that we are, drove her through a reserve of about a hundred bears, many of which were in reaching distance from the cars.  Hence, the no getting out and keep your windows rolled up rule!  Several times we had to stop the car to let one walk in front of us.  And not one time did we get eaten, child of mine!  ;)

Not sure what she was doing here...might have been praying! heehee

And one of the best parts of the weekend...coming back to a camp site with friends!  It was wonderful to catch up and just relax...  and who doesn't like s'mores at the end of a busy day?  They blessed our family beyond belief for hosting us and we are extremely grateful! THANK YOU DARRYL AND CHRISTY!!

Darryl and Christy, camp hosts and awesome friends!

Also, not in pictures...we toured a cave, visited Crazy Horse, olders went on a zip line and the girls went and saw a play!  All in all, one of the BEST vacations we have had!  We are already planning our next trip out...ready for us, Christy and Darryl?

What about you...have you finished your bucket list or are you still holding on to a few more warm weeks of summer?

Blessings,