Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Buffalo

After leaving Wall's Drug we headed on to Badlands National Park. Then on to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. This is a trip we had made with our kiddo's 13 years earlier and thought it was worth a repeat with the grandkids. The Badlands Park didn't disappoint, the main attraction there are the buffalo. You can get fairly close to them and just sit and watch for a while.This is a shot from the van window, it shows just how close they come to the car. Not to mention we couldn't move for quite some time as one buffalo had decided to stand, yes just stand, in front of a car. We are not allowed to try to get them moving in any way, so you wait.

Look what else we got to see!! Burrow's. They are looking for goodies from the car, we found some crackers to feed them. We also saw a lot of antelope and prairie dogs.Here we are at Mt. Rushmore. The kids didn't know what to make of those faces carved in the rocks. Michael got it a bit as he understood presidents, Isa wasn't real sure about it (keep checking Nicole's blog as I'm sure she'll share a cute story from little miss). Kai didn't voice his opinion and Kevin liked it a lot, he just wants to know were Obama is. Isa hearing about the presidents.The kids in front of the Crazy Horse Memorial. It hasn't progressed much in 13 years. A couple of days ago they showed an explosion that blew away 5 tons of rock. Now maybe they will be able to get more done on it.Keep your hands off my uncle!!
Looking around the building at Crazy Horse.

Kevin and HSM3

While in Disney World we went to Hollywood Disney. Hollywood Disney is one of Kevin's favorite lands, I believe the reason for this is that the HSM gang has performed there both times he's been. Just like last time, he was one of the chosen to perform with the group. Needless to say he was thrilled. In the video you can also enjoy little miss swiveling her hips too! They both enjoy music. Michael on the other hand wasn't to impressed with the whole thing.

More on our Adventures

We have traveled across country a couple of times. Now I've always seen signs for Wall Drug Store and have wanted to stop, no one every wanted to stop. This time I'd been told be a few friends, you have to stop at Wall Drug. So I made it known to all that this time we'd be stopping! I must say it has to be the largest (as advertised) drug store ever. It is blocks long and wide! We spent probably two hours there and never saw it all.

Isa found a saddle, must practice riding.

The kids playing cards with a card shark.

This is a hillbilly band. Michael and Kevin could have stayed there all day.

A lovely saloon gal.

Next time we drive through we'll stop and see the half.

Blue Earth, MN

While on our journey cross country this summer, we came across who else. but the green giant!! We were thinking about making a bathroom stop, at the next exit I got off just seeing what they had to offer (in bathrooms). Who did I see looking at me? None other than the big green guy. Naturally I had to stop for the photo opportunity. There was a mini museum there too, it's goal was to get you to the big green giant museum downtown. I however could not convince Calvin or our daughter to give it a go.
We decided to use the DQ, which was in walking distance of the green guy for a bathroom pit stop, then decided to just grab burgers there too. While we waited for Calvin to come back with our food the kids played monker (Michael's word for monster). Uncle Kevin is always the monker.Michael trying to scare the monker.

Dog pile, dog pile!

Oh no, the monker is getting away.

Get him down again, come on Michael help me out here.

Run KaiKai, run. The monker is coming.

Oh KaiKai, it's OK little buddy, sissy has you!Time out. Grandpa Cow is back with the food.

After lunch I took the kids back up for one more photo, suddenly Isa announces I gotta poop. What do ya think, does she look like she needs to poop?

Noah's Ark

After we left ON we headed to Detroit to spend the night as Mark had a very early plane to catch the next day. After we all got up a ready we headed off to Indiana to meet up with Sam and Family, I've already blogged about that so scroll down if you haven't already read it. Then we headed off to Noah's Ark, America's largest water slide park! We got there too early to check in so the kids got to play on the playground at the hotel, then we changed them and went into their splash area and pool. Look at Kai, that boy always has a stick. After we were done playing we went to Paul Bunyan's to eat. It is a favorite of ours from the first time we went to The Dells. The kids seemed to enjoy it too. It's made up like a lumberjack camp and the food is brought to you family style. There isn't a choice on the menu, it's fried chicken, veggie, salad, bread and dessert. It didn't disapoint it was awesome.Finally, a good nights sleep, hearty breakfast and off to Noah's Ark we go!! Nicole and Kevin went straight to the Anaconda Ride, it's a water roller coaster. Kevin loved it, thanks Nicole for going with him.After they got off that one Kevin spotted this one right next to it and he grabbed a mat and off he went. That boy has NO fear. Heather see the one next to it (the beige one) that's the family tube ride that Michael didn't like. We kept getting airborne.Grandpa keeping an eye on the little ones while we wait for Coley and Uncle Kevin (I was keeping an eye too it was just through the lens).Michael waiting to go on the river ride, it was one of his favorites.Isa with life jacket waiting to go back in the wave pool. She seemed to like it, but it really bounced her around, even when being held on to!
Kai at the wave pool, this is about as far as he wanted to go.
Kevin in front of the wave pool. At the shallow in they an area where it goes into a small pool. This allowed the little ones to be able to play in it a little easier, you just had to watch out as not to get pushed into walls! But if you did loose grip on a little one they would have been easy to grab back onto.

The little slides for the littler riders, even had a life guard to catch them at the bottom. Michael liked these a lot and did them several times. Isa did it a couple of times, she was so small though that she easily flipped around and didn't like that so that was the end of it for her. If you click on the pictures they enlarge for you and I did get her flipped around on the right bottom picture.

The kids in one of the splash areas. Kai really liked the swing, it was fun to drag his feet in the water.
I think we all enjoyed the river ride. At one point Calvin let Kevin go on it alone (we had been giving him some Independence). The first time he went on his own he did great came back to were we where sitting very pleased with himself. Then there were some medium sized water slides that ended by where we sat and we let him do those on his own also. I'd gone on the river ride with Michael and when we got off Cal asked if we'd seen Kevin? I said nope, we figured he'd just come on around in a few minutes. Well a few minutes turned into 15. We started kind of looking for him but he was no where to be seen. Cal decided to go look on one of the rides a little further up, Kevin had been told we were not about to wait an hour to go on. Sure enough the guy at the top said oh yeah, he's been here and went down already. On Cal's way down there was Kevin going back up to do it again. Our little boy is growing up.
There was so much to do at Noah's Ark, but so little if you're Isa and Kai. Calvin and Kevin headed off to do the Sponge Bob Dive Inn and we took the little ones back to the hotel to play at their splash park. The kids enjoyed it as much and no crowds so the adults could relax a little bit.

Have I mentioned how much fun this trip has been? There have been some rough spots, but all in all a good trip. We were happy that Nicoleand her two could join us. Thank you Heather and Brian for letting us take Michael on our adventure. Stay tuned there is a few more posts to come before we "get home".

Our Finale Day in Ontario

Well, I must say when I originally planned this trip for Kevin's graduation/birthday, it was not with ON in mind. Originally I has planned to go to D.C. then head back west and take in the Grand Old Opery, and go on over to Graceland, as not only does Kevin love Disney he also loves his music. One day while talking to my daughter, Nicole, she said why not go to ON instead of Tennessee? I thought well, why not? After all it had been awhile since we'd been there and family is always a good thing to visit with so change of direction it was! We are all happy that things were changed. It was great to reconnect with everyone. They are all fantastic people and we probably won't wait as long to get back there again. Everyone needs to remember we live in a pretty fun town also! Not to mention our winters are much better than yours so plan your trips soon. Lil, my dear I hope you are paying attention. I know you want to head this way!

Michael, Carols husband, Ken, Lil's husband and Calvin.
The Randal clan, Kathy, Ken and Lil.Everyone that could make the lunch altogether.

Loretta, Bob's wife, Flo's sister, Kathy, Calvin, Lil, Ken and Carol.

Lil, I must say she is just as I remembered her. Happy-go-lucky, always has a joke to tell, ready for a good time.

Loretta.
Calvin having a chat with Ken and Lil.

Michael and Michael enjoying their lunches, well poor Michael B. is still waiting for his to come.

Cal with Carol and Michael, Kevin and Michael, next time Laurie will need to be there so we can get a picture of all three siblings together.

Fun shots of the two girl cousins together. Doesn't it look like they are having the best time? Sharing secrets from the past maybe?

After lunch we made our getaway to the border, we thought we might have some problems as we were traveling in separate cars. My van had been across the boarder a couple of times already that week, when Nicole went to pick up Mark they didn't like the fact that we'd already been across once that day and were going back already. Everything went fine, Carol was nice enough to drive down to Detroit with Calvin and Kevin so we didn't have to make two trips, we couldn't get everyone in our van. Laurie was on top of things and reserved us a room in Detroit so we didn't have to worry about that we just had to get there.

We arrived about three and that gave us plenty of time to do laundry and let the kids swim.

We are really thankful to everyone who made this a great visit for us. We truly hope to do it again sometime.