South Dakota Trip - Day 9

This morning we went to breakfast. We were up a little later and we had to hurry. We ate and then got in the shower. We got dressed and then walked to the cabin. We got in the car and headed towards Devil's Tower. When we got there we went to the Visitor Center. Mollie did another Junior Ranger. The rest of us looked around. Then we went to a ranger program. They told us about how scientists think the tower was formed and about the wildlife and plants in the area. Then we went walking on a nature trail, looking for wildflowers. After that we went back to the Visitor Center so Mollie could get her Junior Ranger badge. When we were about to leave, Erin came running and said "A bull snake is on the side of the building!" Then, before we could say anything, she pulled us outside. There it was, slithering on the chimney. It was eating baby birds out of a next. Then, all of a sudden, it fell off - and everyone ran! We stopped at a prairie dog town on the way out of the park. The little animals made funny noises at us as we got close to them. We ate lunch nearby, in Hullett, Wyoming. The restaurant was called Charlie T's. Everyone had subs and chips - they were really good. We drove north [on WY-112 and MT-323] and were soon in Montana. We took a back road that was sometimes paved and sometimes gravel. As we were driving north [switched to MT-7], we saw a park called Medicine Rocks State Park. We stopped and took pictures. Daddy pointed out some missile batteries along the road - he said they could stop missiles that were coming to America. After we drove through a lot of construction, we were in North Dakota [US-12]. Daddy found an interesting place called Fort Dilts. We stopped and learned that people in a wagon train got off the trail and were killed by Indians [including a young Sitting Bull]. After we got gas in Bowman, we drove back to the KOA - towards a huge thunder storm! [Used US-85 and then SD-168 and SD-79 back to I-90]. Because we had used so much time today we had nachos for dinner in the car. One special thing that happened on the way home was that we got to see Mount Rushmore lit up. And, we even saw a cool (lighted) sign for Custer on a hill above their town. It was a great way to finish our visit to South Dakota!