Deadwood Continued

We were in South Dakota a week before the famous Sturgis motorcycle rally and we drove through Sturgis a few times while we were there. We saw all the vendors getting ready and all the motorcyclists gathering. It was crazy! Nate would've liked to have stayed a little longer to see it all, but I was glad we were going to be gone before it really got out of hand!  

Deadwood

In South Dakota we camped the first night and then stayed in a hotel for the next couple nights in Deadwood, an old wild west town near Mt. Rushmore. We spent a day exploring the museum and cemetery there. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane spent time there and are buried in the Deadwood cemetery. There wasn't as much in Deadwood as we were thought there would be, but it was still a fun place to visit. 

Jewel Cave

South Dakota has several underground caves, including this one, Jewel Cave. It was pretty impressive. The most memorable part for me was when Megan told me she had to go to the bathroom half way through our hour long tour. There were no bathrooms down there and they didn't want us touching anything or stepping off the path, so we REALLY did not want to have any accidents down there! Thankfully we made it out in time and she got to wear the ranger's hat on our way out.

Mt. Rushmore

After leaving Martin's Cove, we drove to South Dakota to spend another few days. We made it in time for the evening program at Mt. Rushmore. It was really cool and made me feel very patriotic. We went back to see Mt. Rushmore a couple more times while we were there. The kids thought it was pretty cool to see it in real life. Josh called it "the four heads." He fell asleep in the car the second day we were there and woke up just in time to see them and yell out, "Hey, the four heads! Hey, it's mustache man! Megan, look--it's mustache man!" He named three out of the four: mustache man, beardie, and Joseph Smith. I was surprised by how beautiful South Dakota is. I guess I pictured it more like Wyoming--a desert. But it was really pretty and the weather was great!

Martin's Cove--Part 4

On Sunday we went to church at the branch there and toured the museum. We then said good-bye to Oscar and Janet and Kent and got ready for the next part of our trip--Mt. Rushmore. Martin's Cove will always be a special place for Nate and me and now hopefully for our kids. I'm so grateful for the sacrifices that were made there and I'm grateful we were able to experience a little of what they experienced, without the bitter cold and terrible conditions. This was one of my favorite trips ever with the kids.

Martin's Cove--Part 3

We did about a five mile loop to the cove and back. Thankfully the weather was cool and we even got a few rain drops, which was better than hot and dry like we thought it was going to be. We told the kids stories along the way about the pioneers who walked that same trail and found shelter in the cove. It is a sacred place and I'm so glad we were able to go. I was really impressed with how well the kids did. 

Martin's Cove--Part 2

Josh found a friend along the way...a dog named Oscar. He's been at Martin's Cove for years and helps the visitors there along the trail. He stayed with us the whole time and was Josh's little buddy. 

Martin's Cove

In August we took a trip to Martin's Cove. Nate and I had been wanting to take the kids there since we did pioneer trek there with our ward a few years ago. Janet and Kent had also been wanting to go so we invited them to come with us. When we got there, we watched a video and had a short presentation from the missionaries about the history of Martin's Cove. I think Megan was more excited than anyone. She was so cute and so excited about being a pioneer!

 We then got our hand cart and started on the trail to the cove. The kids were great helpers and all took turns pulling and pushing the cart.