Omaha to Rapid City

Waking up to the sound of little ones is a joy, indeed! It is amazing to think how fast we all grow up, and we are reminded when we see small children. Lyla and Emma are absolutely amazing - so sweet and smart. Emma is walking confidently and Lyla is such a helpful big sister. Jen and Clay took such amazingly good care of us in their beautiful home. We also had a great visit from Bridget Cannon Hale, who lives in Jen and Clay's neighborhood. What more could we ask for than to be surrounded by the love of family and friends 700 miles from home?

Our trip from Omaha to the Badlands was calm and uneventful, which we all appreciated after the excitement of the day before. The landscape of South Dakota is flat, then hilly as we approached the Badlands. I was completely unprepared for what I saw when we pulled into Badlands National Park. The wall of rock and the geologic formations were astounding and other-wordly. It was a combination of feeling like walking on the moon and being in the middle of a Gaudi landscape.

From the Badlands we drove to Mt. Rushmore, which was remarkable in its uniqueness. As many times as I've seen images of this iconic sculpture, I appreciated the chance to see it in person to understand the geographical and geological context, as well as the true scale. Everyone remarked how small it was, compared to the images we all in our heads.

From Mt. Rushmore, we raced to the Crazy Horse memorial, knowing the museum would be closed. The gate attendant let us in, even though they were closed. Again, just the chance to see this colossal sculpture, the world's largest, was amazing.

We had a great dinner at the Colonial Inn Restaurant in Rapid City before hitting the pool at the Cambria Suites. Six in a room isn't bad at all, despite the noise complaint we received from the guests on the floor below us. The sheer enormity of this journey is beginning to dawn on me.

Today, off to Yellowstone!