We drove through Custer State Park, and it was an adventure! It was a BEAUTIFUL drive--full of wildlife, rock formations and GREEN! The roads were EXTREMELY windy, so poor Cooper got carsick for the first time. I crawled into the backseat, and he snuggled up to me and his pillow and fell asleep. Poor Coop!
The ultimate destination of the drive were the Wind Caves. It ended up being an hour and a half windy drive around the park. We had packed a picnic lunch, and as soon as we made it there, we ate right in our van.
We went in and bought tickets for the soonest cave expedition! It was about 1.5 hours away. We ate, packed up, used the potties and then waited for the tour to begin!
We lost poor Quinn's jacket the day before at Mount Rushmore, and we didn't realize it until that morning. We found a gift shop leading into the park, and I was able to find a buffalo jacket that was a size 2T...for our 4 month old son. It worked, and it kept him warm...and it fit him better than I thought it would!
There was an interactive visitor's center right before the cave tour began. The kids had fun playing with the displays (and Jemma danced across the floor...she is so spunky and had been confined for too long!).
Quinn didn't sleep at all in the car. Scott strapped him to his chest, and the poor kiddo fell asleep right before we entered the cave!
Jemma was our crazy wild card through the cave. You weren't allowed to touch the cave walls, and Jemma dances and leaps (and screams...Miss Independent!) through most of life. As luck would have it, the tour was right through nap time, and she did not want to be held.
Honestly, our little family could not have made it through that cave without my family's help. This was the one day I felt completely out numbered by my kids (which, we literally were) and I was so glad there were more willing hands to help!
The cave tour was a little over an hour long, and at the very end, we took elevators back to the surface. Our little family was ALL done! There was a bathroom at the exit, and in between taking kids to the bathroom, I had to take a picture of this man--what a good Dad!
I am usually ultra, ultra prepared as a mom. I (usually) have diapers, wipes, bottles, snacks, and formula on hand. After 5 years, it's become second nature. I can count on my hand all the times I have been stuck without something we needed.
Well, we realized while waiting for the cave tour that we had 1 bottle worth of formula left for Quinn. The closest town outside of the park was 9 miles away, and the nearest store was about 21 miles away. I was panicked the entire time. I couldn't believe I did that! And we were in the middle of nowhere--literally!
Thankfully, Quinn slept through most of the tour, chugged the bottle when he woke up, and we were able to make it to Lin's Dakotamart, 21 miles away, to buy another container of formula. Quinn started crying for another bottle about 5 minutes away from the store. It was perfect timing...such a huge blessing!
