Week 21

This past week we took our biggest adventure in 5 months.  We headed out on an RV adventure with some friends to South Dakota.  Our first stop was the Oregon Trail rutts, which was pretty amazing to see.  

Our first overnight stop was in Hot Springs, South Dakota at the cutest little campground called Hidden Lake. 

All 8 of us piled into this 32 foot camper.  It was tight, but manageable and except for the first night, we had great weather and were able to spend most of our time outdoors.

The lake had kayaks and canoes to rent, as well as a dock to jump off of and swim in the lake.  We spent most of the first day swimming and boating.

We met a really friendly dad who had brought his 12 year old daughter on an adventure as well.  We ended up building a big fire and roasting smores with them (socially distanced).

After two nights, we headed to the Mount Rushmore area.  We realized how different South Dakota is handling this pandemic when we arrived at the campground.  There were very few masks and so we mostly stuck to our area.  The same was true at Mount Rushmore.  Brian estimated 5% of people were wearing masks.

The kids passed the time whittling wood, shooting arrows and using sling shots.  We also braved the pool, but honestly it was too crowded.  

Crazy horse, while you can only see it from a distance, is truly amazing.  I was there 20 years ago, and while they have made progress, its indicative of just how large this project is and how long it takes to create such a massive art piece.

After Rushmore, we headed over to the Badlands.  While beautiful and incredible, it didn't capture us the same way some national parks do.  We only spent one night in that area, though the campground was fun.  It also had a pool, bikes to rent, a mini golf course and ice cream.