Day 5 and 6 were days that got a little long and we drove a lot.  They were still good days but it was getting a little long for everyone.  Henry was really getting sick of the drive by this day so lots of movies were shown on these days.

We were up early and left Kadoka.  I drove today.  We didn’t get far and we stopped at 1880 town.  Now this was a fabulous stop and so glad we made it.  It is a town made up of old buildings.  There was a jail, church, little houses, a saloon and more.  There were lots of memorabilia from western movies and the movie, Dances with Wolves.  The best part was you could rent a costume and meander around the town in your 1880’s dress.  The kids were so excited for this part of the experience.  Henry decided he wanted to be an outlaw and Greta wanted to be a beautiful young lady.  Henry had boots and chaps and a gun, he loved it and played the part well.  Greta was given a beautiful dress, silk stockings, shoes, a choker and a hat.  They looked great and it made our walk through the town so fun.  Stopping in the saloon for a sarsaparilla and popcorn was a good treat.

After playing dress up was done and yes there were some tears when the costumes needed to be returned.  We continued on driving and some more driving.  We stopped at Al’s Oasis near Chamberlain for lunch and then back in the van again.  We continued driving to Mitchell South Dakota to see the Corn Palace.  I was shocked of how big Michell was.  The Corn Palace is under major construction.  The large turrets on the roof were off and they were changing the scenes on the outside.  All these scenes are made of corn.  It is kinda amazing to think of the work to do these scenes and change them each year.  The inside was under construction also, a new lobby and museum is being made.  We did a little shopping and looked around briefly then we were on the road again.

We made it finally to Sioux Falls.  We found a hotel got some dinner and did a little shopping.  Henry got his first pair of cowboy boots and the same for me.  I had kinda been holding out buying something on vacation and it hit me, BOOTS, that is what I wanted.  We both found a great pair and we both love them.  The kids stayed with their grandparents in the hotel room and played Crazy 8’s and I have heard conflicting stories that some cheating may have happened.  Chad took me for a drive around Sioux Falls.  We found where he used to work, he welded water towers.  We looked for where he lived but that whole area is all new so the house he lived in is most likely gone.  We drove and talked and it was nice.  It was a very nice 40 minutes or so of just us.  We also drove around and found the South Dakota School for the Deaf.  Heads hit the pillow and another day of driving would come soon enough.

   

Day 6 came and it is the last leg of the trip.  I just wanted to snap my fingers and get home.  This was the hardest day for me.  My knee hurt riding in the back seat and I felt car sick all day.  I can’t physically snap my fingers so maybe that is why it seemed so long.  We stopped for a quick lunch in Marshall and then on towards home.

It was a fabulous trip and it is a trip I will always remember.  I hope it was a special time for the kids to travel with their grandparents and parents.  I hope they will always remember parts of this trip.  We all have our favorite parts of the trip.  I think Wall Drug was a favorite for both kids, they loved the donkeys and the prairie dogs.  The kids also love their new stuffed animals a buffalo and jackalopes.  I loved Crazy Horse and fascinated by the dream Korczak had and his family is continuing.  I loved the sheer display of nature we saw out there.  Chad had his favorites of the Air and Space museum, the Railroad museum and the Badlands and the knife he bought.  This blog and the pictures will be here to look at in the future and remember and smile of a wonderful week in our families lives.