Dakota Getaway

For those of you looking for a great family vacation - look no further than the Black Hills. There are some wonderful and varied sights in a relatively small area and we had a GREAT time. Here are some pics of the more than 50 things we visited in our two-week jaunt (June 30th-July 12th). Other cool places that are not pictured: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Jewel Cave National Monument, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Lead, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Fort Meade, Custer State Park, Fort Robinson State Park (Nebraska), Wounded Knee, Pierre, and Bismarck (North Dakota).

We got the idea to switch to a rental car in Spokane and leave our car in a safe place. As we were making a loop, it made sense to put the miles on a rental. It ended up being a good idea, as we logged over 4000 miles. Many of the rivers we passed along the way were in flood stage, but it didn't end up being a problem getting around, although there was major damage to many homes along the bigger rivers. The rodeo in Belle Fourche on the 4th of July was a highlight. A small-town feel, well done, and some good cowboys. For the kids, check out the bears and other North American mammals at Bear Country and the buffalo herd at Wind Cave NMT. We even managed a side trip to Devil's Tower. Before we were through, we explored parts of Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska.

(Pictures: Old Postcard, Switching Cars in Spokane, the Flooding Yellowstone in Billings, Ellsworth AFB Air and Space Museum, KR Motorcycle Watching in Sturgis, Belle Fourche Rodeo, Deadwood, KR Cooling Her Feet in Spearfish Canyon, Howling Mammals at Bear Country, an Angel at Devil's Tower, Another Face on Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument (a Work in Progress), Snake Attack at Reptile Gardens, Buffalo at Wind Cave, the Stark Beauty of Badlands NP (2), Wall Drug in SD, Flood Discharge at Garrison Dam, Flooded Minot, SD)