On our way up North we stopped in Lost Springs, Wyoming for some lunch. It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and it's a bit old fashioned, but it was all you need for a picnic and a place to get the wiggles out.
The grass was so lush, and soft. The slides were a little hot, but the kids loved the merry go round and we loved the adult sized swing that you can barely see in the trees on the left. This is a must stop place if we are in the middle of nowhere again.
We arrived at our destination around 4 pm and found the best place to set up camp.
Our spot was so beautiful. Who wouldn't want to wake up to see this every morning.
The tent was covered by shade most of the day, we just had full sun in the morning, which helped warm it up as everyone was waking up.
Friday morning, July 12, we had breakfast and then hit the dock to do some fishing. It's been a little while since the kids have been fishing, and they had ants in their pants and could hardly wait. Everyone eventually caught one. Mason's only fish was really small and I wasn't at the dock to take a picture, so Mason doesn't have a picture of his only fish. We caught a lot of small catfish and decided that we would cook up some of the bigger ones and see what they tasted like. Emma decided that she likes catfish better than trout.
Before we could clean the fish and gut them, the girls played with them as if they were best of friends.
That afternoon, we jumped into the lake to cool off and play. Oh did we play.
The kids had so much fun squirting each other and really enjoyed just relaxing in the water. Our kids have always loved the water and if we would let them, they would probably become fish and never get out.
That evening a storm moved in and it rained on us a bit. We usually have one really good storm while camping and this one didn't compare. It rained but there was no thunder and the rain didn't last long. It was long enough that we needed to cover up the dutch ovens, but then things started drying out. That night we realized that our tent wasn't as waterproof as it had been for the last several years. We had puddles in our tents and some of he sleeping bags were damp. Our zipper decided it was time to not stay zipped anymore either, and we decided it was time for a new tent. The next morning we awoke to a bright sun and everything was drying out. We decided to go to Rapid City, SD to get some new supplies, and to head over to Keystone and visit Mt. Rushmore. We talked the kids into a day trip and set out.
Mt. Rushmore was a lot smaller than I had thought it to be. We had taken Luckie with us, but when we got to the park there were no dogs allowed in the park. We parked the car, walked in, got some pictures, which weren't all that good cause the sun was in our eyes, and then we left. It was short, hot and fun.
Going back into Rapid City on Highway 16 we stopped at Bear Country to have a drive thru wildlife tour. The kids all got out of their seats and were glued to the windows of the car. It was so fun to see so many bears and other wildlife so up close but still being very safe.
We got back to camp and set up our new tent, which is one Shawn has been eyeing for about 2 years. There is so much space for stuff and a bit more room to grow if we want. We could even put a few guest campers in with us if we wanted to.
Shawn caught a frog for the kids. Emma and Paige were the ones who were holding it the hold time, but Carter and Mason were interested and found it exciting. They were so heartbroken when we broke the news that they had to put it back in nature.
Sunday we went out in nature and enjoyed the beauty and creation of the forest. We got misted on for a while, but then the weather cleared up and it was nice for the rest of the day. Carter loves our new Polaris Ranger and was always asking to go bye bye. He usually fell asleep about 5 minutes out of camp. We had a lot of fun trail riding and being in the back country as a family.
In the middle of the day we stopped where a few trail road met and had some instructional shooting lessons from the Dad. He was so excited to finally get me with a gun in my hands. I have to stay it was pretty fun and I was a pretty good shot for my first time.
That evening back at camp, Shawn and the girls were trying out a different fishing spot when Mason decided to jump into the lake clothes and all. By the time I got there with the camera he had taken off his shoes, socks and pants. Oh, he was a muddy mess.
Paige had gotten her bum dirty, and her shorts were wet, but not like Mason.
We turned one of the totes into a tub, warmed up some water and the big kids got a bath.
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