TheVBs
08-30-2013, 09:11 AM
Well, we did it! And we had such an amazing trip. We left Michigan and took our time driving out to visit my sister & b.i.l. in Montana. Stayed with them a week then drove down to stay in Yellowstone for 4 nights. Here are the highlights:
First stop, the Corn Palace. This was a fun stop, but not one I'd ever feel the need to repeat. There was a lot more to it than expected, but still very touristy and (forgive me) corny.
Next stop, the Badlands. Loved it! The prairie dog area as you drive in was a total surprise and was so cute. The drive through the Badlands was easy, relatively short, had beautiful scenery and some great, short hikes. We also got to see mule deer and big horned sheep.
Stopped at Wall Drug. Had no idea really what to expect. Again, it was much more than we were expecting and I would stop again. In fact, we did on the way home. This wasn't one big store, more like a complex of stores. Don't expect any fabulous finds, but it was a fun, silly way to spend some time and there were some goofy photo ops. My favorite souvenir, DD9 decided to do the photo booth and it printed Wall Drug at the top. So cute!
Our next stop was Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. It was so amazing! Well worth it to park and hike around it. While we were in the area we also drove to the Mammoth Site, which we loved! It was really something to see all of those bones still in the rock. We also did a lantern tour of Jewel Caves. We wanted to do the scenic tour, where you got to see more kinds of crystals, but it was completely booked for the day when we got there. We opted for the lantern tour which was really cool, but a little intense. The only light is from the lanterns the group is carrying and there are some very steep stairs and one tight area. Very cool though, glad we did it!
From there we drove up to see Devil’s Tower. We drove up at night with plans to stay overnight and see it in the morning. Fair warning, if you plan on staying in the Devil’s Tower area, there is only one hotel there, a Best Western which was sold out when we got there. The other options are as motel-y as it gets. We ended up at one of those. Clean room and it was a place to sleep, but certainly not what we’re used to. Checking in, I was looking over the desk into the owner’s kitchen! Devil’s Tower was really something to see in person. But due to time constraints, we opted not to do the hike around it.
First stop, the Corn Palace. This was a fun stop, but not one I'd ever feel the need to repeat. There was a lot more to it than expected, but still very touristy and (forgive me) corny.
Next stop, the Badlands. Loved it! The prairie dog area as you drive in was a total surprise and was so cute. The drive through the Badlands was easy, relatively short, had beautiful scenery and some great, short hikes. We also got to see mule deer and big horned sheep.
Stopped at Wall Drug. Had no idea really what to expect. Again, it was much more than we were expecting and I would stop again. In fact, we did on the way home. This wasn't one big store, more like a complex of stores. Don't expect any fabulous finds, but it was a fun, silly way to spend some time and there were some goofy photo ops. My favorite souvenir, DD9 decided to do the photo booth and it printed Wall Drug at the top. So cute!
Our next stop was Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. It was so amazing! Well worth it to park and hike around it. While we were in the area we also drove to the Mammoth Site, which we loved! It was really something to see all of those bones still in the rock. We also did a lantern tour of Jewel Caves. We wanted to do the scenic tour, where you got to see more kinds of crystals, but it was completely booked for the day when we got there. We opted for the lantern tour which was really cool, but a little intense. The only light is from the lanterns the group is carrying and there are some very steep stairs and one tight area. Very cool though, glad we did it!
From there we drove up to see Devil’s Tower. We drove up at night with plans to stay overnight and see it in the morning. Fair warning, if you plan on staying in the Devil’s Tower area, there is only one hotel there, a Best Western which was sold out when we got there. The other options are as motel-y as it gets. We ended up at one of those. Clean room and it was a place to sleep, but certainly not what we’re used to. Checking in, I was looking over the desk into the owner’s kitchen! Devil’s Tower was really something to see in person. But due to time constraints, we opted not to do the hike around it.