An Early Start

This morning started bright and early at 5:30AM and we were on the road by 6:30AM because this was gonna be a long drive from Kansas City to Rapid City, South Dakota.  The six hours that I drove in the morning were pretty uneventful, besides a few photos of random things out in the countryside (a weird giant bull head sculpture and a replica Washington monument?).  After Mike drove for awhile we took a short detour to Cabelas in Mitchell, South Dakota where we saw all the stuffed animals (trophy deer, elk, and other North American game) and cool fish in tanks.  It was also where we tried not to buy any fun camping equipment...

Soon after, we took an awesome detour to the Badlands (also free b/c of National Parks week), also in South Dakota, where I took a million pictures and Michael and I "ooo"-ed and  "aww"-ed at the huge rock formations that make up the entire national park.  Not only were the rock formations neat (with cool geological stratigraphy!), but the views of the prairie were amazing, which is probably why I took soooo many pictures.  At the park Michael and I took a nice trail that went within the rocks and gave us even cooler views, and went on a fossil trail where we saw fossils of prehistoric animals like the many that can be found in the Badlands still today.  While in the park, we came across the local wildlife: prairie dogs, wild sheep and turkeys, as well as the occasional South Dakota bicyclist.

After that it was off to the hotel in Rapid City to get the turtles (who had been really good sports about a long days travel) settled in.  We were met at the front desk by a very nice lady with an authentic South Dakota accent; very similar to a Minnesota accent.  The hotel has a western feel due to the abundance of wood furniture and paintings of cowboys that seems fitting for a town like Rapid City.  Tomorrow we are off on some adventures to Deadwood, Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore!