We wished we could have stayed at the luxurious Fairfield Inn even longer. However, it was time to move on. Being from the Midwest and Hawaii, we found the tumbleweed that rolled our way endlessly fascinating.
Auntie Grace had never seen a lilac bush before so the trip would not have been complete until we found a wild bush to take a photo of and pluck a small sample of the blossoms to savor during the long road trip.
We stopped at Lead's Homestake Mining Company in South Dakota to learn all about gold mining and the famous Gold Rush.
Mom, Auntie Grace and KC tried their hand at panning for gold. KC liked playing with water. Auntie Grace was determined. Mom thought it was too much work for not much results.
Back in the minivan and we were on to Devils Tower, Wyoming.
Devils Tower was AWESOME!I got this from the National Park website: "Why is it called Devils Tower? Some Indians called it Mato Tipila, meaning Bear Lodge. Other American Indian names include Bear’s Tipi, Home of the Bear, Tree Rock and Great Gray Horn. In 1875, on an expedition led by Col. Dodge, it is believed his interpreter misinterpreted the name to mean Bad God's Tower, later shortened to Devils Tower.".
Wikipedia has some really great information on Devils Tower which was featured in the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
But what did KC love the most? Yup! The prairie dogs!
