Surviving The Chaos: Family Road Trip - Day 6 - Caverns, Bison and Bears, Oh My! (Thursday, 6/29)

Our last day in the Rapid City area was a long fun day of more local activities. Unfortunately, rain had come and was expected throughout the day so we tried to pick activities that would keep us somewhat dry. Our first stop of the day was the Black Hills Caverns. The boys really wanted to pan for gold but this place had panning for gems. It also was a done in a controlled covered area which meant less messy and more convenient way to accomplish the task. By the time we arrived the rain had stopped but it was still freezing cold and quite windy. We had to wait for our tour through the cave so the boys panned for gems before our tour. They both got a lot of neat rocks/gems. Lincoln has been into collecting coins and special rocks, so this was something he was excited about. Also, unlike the wind caves, this cave was filled with crystal like formations or geodes. I think that part was more interesting for the boys than the box work because the crystals shined in the dark when they put the flashlights on them.

After the caverns we drove through Custer State Park in hopes of spotting some beautiful views and wildlife. While it was certainly pretty scenery, we struck out on the wildlife - for the most part. We did get to see a bison up fairly close but the two main herds where way far off the roads so to the naked eye they just appeared as little brown dots. Not impressive for the boys. We drove into town and had lunch at Custer Cafe. Food again around these parts was very hit and miss. Ricky's burger was good, my sandwich wasn't my favorite but hey, it was somewhere new.

One of our highlight excursions of the trip was a visit to Bear Country USA. Ricky loves seeing bears and this was a way to do that - up close! It as a drive through area where we saw a white fox, reindeer, elk, mountain goats and bears! Lots and lots of bears! It was breathtaking and amazing! We drove through the park, with our windows up which made it hard to take pictures but it was better than being eaten, and took about an hour to watch the bears interact. They walked inches from our truck on all sides. A couple of them stood on their hind legs and fought with each other. A few were peacefully sleeping but for the most part, they were active and walking around. While the car gave you a slight false sense of safety, it was still a feeling of danger knowing if one of them really wanted to cause harm, they could. I don't think the boys really grasped how rare it was to see bears that close up for someone who doesn't hunt or live in Alaska. We all loved it and it was definitely something none of us will forget.

After we drove through Bear Country, we parked and got out to experience the rest of the animals that they have which is in more of a traditional zoo like setting. They had baby bears that were absolutely adorable. The boys got a kick out of watching them for quite some time. They had a dozen other animals that we don't see too often either, including a huge grizzly. We stayed for hours, taking pictures and watching the animals (mostly bears) play around.

We were threatened with rain, and the place was closing down so we left and headed to dinner. After such a long day, we were all exhausted and wanted a quick, easy and simple dinner before heading to the hotel. The boys had been begging for Taco Bell the entire trip so they could have their chicken chips that were a limited time item. I don't typically love Taco Bell these days but I have to admit, it hit the spot. It was nice to have food that I know was going to be good (by fast food standards) and I knew the boys would eat a lot, so it turned out to be a great dinner choice. We headed back to the hotel for showers and bed knowing that the next day was going to be a long drive to Montana.