On the surface of one of the largest caves in the world. Let's head down to check it out.
This cave was HUGE!
Over 700 stairs to climb.
Can anyone see the bacon? That's what this particular formation is called? Now where are the eggs?
Stalactites and Stalagmites
This place was a hoot! We carried around a tape player, (I didn't realize those were still around) and took a self-guided tour through old barns, graveyards, barber shops and more while listening to the voice on the tape filling us in with all the fun info from the place. This was a great stop on the trip.
Circle the wagons.
Howdy Sheriff!
This place was a ghost town......we were the only ones there.
We started with a walk around the lake....which lead to a swim in the lake of course.
We had to drive through a half a dozen of these one car tunnels to get there.
"Quick dad, pull over! We see a cave."
Paddle boats would've been more fun if Bryce and I could've sat in the back seat! Breven needs to grow a few more inches before he can reach the pedals.
Why not? We had to golf to burn off the 600 calorie frosty!
Belly up!
This was the home of the greatest banana cherry shake EVER!
K Bar S Lodge was great! We stayed here our first night and our last two nights. It was by far our favorite. It was off the beaten path so it didn't feel so "touristy." We enjoyed amazing breakfasts every morning on the deck with waffles that were bigger than our heads!
The boys loved taking the hike from the lodge to the creek! No shirts, no shoes......no problem!
Wild turkeys roam the lodge......no not my boys, REAL wild turkeys.
Always exploring.
Kicking back after the hikes.
The boys had to see just one more! I opted to stay back at our hotel and read while enjoying beautiful views above ground! You've seen one cave.....you've seen 'em all! The boys loved it though! It was a good adventure for just the boys!
It's not every day that you get asked, "Mom, can we ride a buffalo?" And only in South Dakota would my answer be, "YES!" Of course it was stuffed and stationary, but what the hay!
We'd heard all week about a great dinosaur park in Rapid City that the kids would love! This is it! Really! Breven had to pose for a couple of shots, but Brad and I were not very impressed. It did give us few more laughs.
We decided to start our own band! Check out those boots.
During the show I was picked to "join the band!" Lucky me!
I didn't realize that I would have a stylist too! These hats are native to South Dakota.
Eating our last supper at the "chuck wagon supper show"
Birthday Boy in Flight!
Since the boys are already seasoned fliers they decided that it would be a great birthday present for PaPa's 60th, just to make him not feel too old, you know. He did great and so did the boys! Now let's see if we can get him to fly out of a plane instead of in a tube!
Our Fourth consisted of the traditional trip to the ol' homestead. This is the home my great-grandfather, Grumpy, built. My mom now lives there and it has always been the tradition to play in the yard, eat homemade ice cream and lay on blankets to watch the firework show. We started the day by paying tribute to those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms at the Vetrans Memorial. My Paw-Paw's name is on that wall too! What a great day it was!
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE
The boys aboard an aircraft carrier. They felt like little pilots. They got to get into airplanes and climb all through the giant ship. It was great!
Does the salute look authentic? I don't know, the bracelet throws it off a little.
Enjoying the ocean breeze.
Rock climbers....rock squaters....It's all fun when you're on the ocean.
My first time seeing the San Diego Temple up close! Beautiful!
WARNING: A bit graphic. While exploring San Diego we went to the Museum of Natural History where they had Body Worlds on exhibit. WOW! This was amazing. It really is a must see. The human body is so amazing and truly this exhibit made us all more grateful for the wonderful gift that the human body really is. 
On our walk I found myself pretending to be a professional photographer just trying to capture a little bit of the beauty that was surrounding us. From the flowers to the fish, to the architecture and the fountains, this place was great to explore. 
Posing for the camera.
They were hoping the museum would come to life after dark!
We were not sure how many days off Bryce would be able to have this summer with changing to a new office and all, so we decided to milk the last bit of vacation for all it's worth. We headed to San D for a quick exploration to some places we've not yet visited. We went to the Maritime Museum and toured 2 submarines, a pirate ship, and lots of fun boats. We finished the tour on an aircraft carrier that was probably the size of Blythe! We found a great Museum and spent half the day viewing "plastecized" cadavers! Now that's an adventure. After a few full days of fun and adventure we asked the boys what their favorite part was and they both agreed it was seeing the Temple. It was a great getaway!
