Day 6

Kind of a slow start to the morning…must have been to many smores! 

Hot Springs, SD was the destination of the day.  We laid out the course and set off for the 40+ mile journey.  Along the way we entered Wind Cave Park and were immediately greeted by about 50 buffalo.  It was our first close encounter with the Bison.  The two things that stood out most were their immense size and the amount of noise they make while grazing.  The various grunts and groans reminded me of being in the bathroom at KOA!!

The tour was really quite amazing.  The building was actually constructed around the entire sinkhole and they are actively digging as you walk through.  To find out how the sinkhole formed and why there are only male mammoths fossilized…check out the website.  It is pretty cool.  www.mammothsite.org

After the tour, Dawson and Emma took part in a Jr. Paleontologist Excavation.  They learned all about Paleontology and were given tools and instruction on how to dig up some bones!  They had a successful dig uncovering a Mammoth’s femur and an unidentified bone.

Hot and dirty, we then headed to Evan’s Plunge.  It is a spring fed pool – 16,000 gallons of water per hour!  The pool’s water is replaced 16 times a day.  (I wish I read that BEFORE I went swimming – it was very crowded.)  There were a number of slides and other fun activities to do around the pool.  The magical mineral water seemed to rejuvenate us all and we headed to our KOA a short distance away.

On cousin Bryan Brayboy’s recommendation, we picked up some steaks on the way out of Hot Springs and fired up the grill.  To state it simply – they were amazing!  Thanks Bryan!  After a dinner, we played some miniature golf and a quick card game then we all hit the rack. 

Should be an interesting night…the camper is on a bit of a slope.  I hope I don’t end up on the floor!