Road Trip to South Dakota

National Geographic Traveler is the only magazine I subscribe to, and when it comes in the mail I check the contents immediately. What destinations did they write about this time? The newest issue came with several good articles, including "Zigzagging the Black Hills".

I smiled when I read the article because it reminded me of our first big road trip with the boys (they were 6, 4 and almost 2 years old), although our itinerary varied a bit from Traveler's. It was a 9 hour drive from our house to Badlands National Park with 1 hour stops in Sioux Falls for a picnic lunch and in Mitchell to visit the Corn Palace. We arrived in the Badlands in time for a short hike before dinner.

We decided to hike the window trail near the northeast entrance. The boys loved the climbing, and we had to hold on to our youngest who thought he could do whatever his brothers did. After dinner we did some more exploring. The striped sandstone hills were amazing to see as the sun set. If you don't have young children with you, there are more difficult trails to hike. My brother wrote a post about his experience hiking the Badlands.

The next morning, we drove on to Wall Drug. Kitsch at its best, but the boys had a great time. The rest of the day we visited Reptile Gardens, Crystal Cave, Storybook Island and Dinosaur Park, all fun places to bring children.

I enjoyed Crystal Cave the most. We went on a nature walk through the woods and to a replica Indian Village. The boys kept stopping to smell the Ponderosa pine trees. The trees smell like vanilla, and we kept taking deep breaths as we walked along. The cave itself was interesting, and a fun tour for all of us. The picture above shows us feeling the rough, scratchy walls. They are made of the sufactants they use in Comet and Ajax scouring powders. Our guide told us that a long time ago, they used it in toothpaste, but stopped when they realized it took off the tooth enamel!

Another day we visited Mount Rushmore National Monument and hiked the Presidential Trail. It was a beautiful walk, but a lot of steps for young boys (and parents who had to hold them when they got tired). The visitor center had interesting displays about the monument. The boys liked the one where you can push down on a replica detonator and see a video of a blast on the mountain. You can also visit sculptor Gutzon Borglum's studio.

After Mount Rushmore, we went to Hill City where we visited the Black Hills Museum of Natural History and ate lunch at a deli. From Hill City, you can go to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Long lines and not so patient boys kept us from stopping. We drove on to the Needles Highway in Custer State Park. The road is a series of winding turns past rock formations called needles. A great place to stop for a picnic is Sylvan Lake. NG Traveler recommends a turnoff at the Cathedral Spires Trail for a 3 mile hike, and we also liked the pullout at Needles Eye. If you go, be sure to allow for stops at scenic overlooks. It took us over 2 hours to drive the short distance from Hwy 385 to the Wildlife Loop and we could have easily spent more time.

The Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park was a nice drive. Watch for the burros. I was leaning out the car window taking a picture of the burro at the car ahead of us when I caught site of one out of the corner of my eye. It startled me because its head was less than a foot from mine. The burro had sneaked up from behind, looking for food. Doug and the boys thought it was hilarious.

We saw the bison at the end of the loop. I was about to video a huge bull right outside my window, maybe 30 feet away in the grass, when it started to charge. I sucked in my breath and Doug said one of those words the boys took great delight in repeating. He tried to pull the car forward (we were in a line of cars), when the bison stopped right at the edge of the road and stared at us before walking away. It was a heart stopper, and the adrenaline was rushing through us. From my journal, "He had a huge head and he was right there. All the people in the cars on the other side of the road were startled, then they started laughing. 'Did it scare you?' someone called out. Once the shock wore off, we laughed, too."

After the park, we drove Iron Mountain Road back up to Keystone. It is a fun road with tunnels and pigtail turns. Coming from the south, we had great views of Mount Rushmore framed by the tunnels in front of us instead of behind us.

After dinner, we drove on to Sturgis where we visited Bear Butte State Park. The visitor center had closed, and no other cars were in the parking lot. We hiked halfway to the top of Bear Mountain, walking past trees decorated with prayer cloths. It was a beautiful walk, so quiet and peaceful as the sun began to set. Park signs had cautioned us that this was a sacred place for many Native Americans. The signs requested that visitors show respect to anyone who was there for religious purposes by not talking and not taking pictures. We didn't see anyone, but we were very quiet anyway. Even the boys were affected by the mood of this special place.

This day had way too much packed into it. In hindsight, I should have broken it up more so we could spend more time at the different places. Of course, young children can get bored easily, so it worked out to keep them moving. Older children and adults would probably do better to break these activities up into at least two days. I would have liked to visit Crazy Horse and spend more time at Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake.

During our road trip, we also visited Deadwood and Mt. Moriah Cemetery. If you have any interest in the wild west, this is a must see. The Adams Museum was very interesting, with three floors of historical artifacts. The boys enjoyed it, but they were too young to really appreciate everything that was there. I could have stayed for much longer than we did.

From Deadwood, we drove through Spearfish Canyon on the scenic byway. Take your time, because it is a beautiful drive. NG Traveler recommends the turnoff to Roughlock Falls (FR 222) at Savoy, "where you can view the falls and relax in the picnic area above the cascade." We also liked the stop at Bridal Veil Waterfall.

Check out the July/August issue of National Geographic Traveler for more information. I also recommend the South Dakota Visitors Guide. It is one of the best state guides I have ever seen, with great tips and trip suggestions.

My pictures from our trip were taken on an old point and shoot. The scanned prints don't look that great, so I turned to photographs on Flickr that are shared under a Creative Commons license.
Thank you to Matt Binns for the picture of the Badlands, ppczgg for the picture of the bison, and Roger Meyer for the picture of Bear Butte.

Keystone and Copper Mountain Ski Resorts

Keystone

This year, we went back to Keystone and Copper Mountain for our annual ski trip. The weather was perfect, sunny days with temperatures in the 30's.

Because of a late start on Saturday, we went to Keystone first so we could take advantage of the night skiing. There was fresh snow, and we had a great time on our favorite runs. It felt so good to be back in Colorado.

We went to Copper Mountain on Sunday. It was very crowded, and later on, people were being turned away because all the parking lots were full. The older boys went off to ride the bowls, and Doug and I stayed with our youngest, who favors the blue runs by the TRex Grill.

Doug is learning how to snowboard this year. He was doing great, connecting his turns and controlling his speed, but something went wrong, and he took a bad fall at Copper Mountain. We called the ski patrol and their preliminary diagnosis was a broken collar bone, or "right distal clavicle fracture" to be exact.

The ski patrol guys were so calm, patient, and friendly. Exactly what you need in a situation like that. They wrapped Doug up in a sled and a snowmobile took him down to the clinic. He told us to keep going, so we had lunch and did a few more runs, then met him at the village. We saw his x-rays that confirmed the fracture. He has a sling, and has to keep his shoulder immobilized for 6-8 weeks.

The hardest part for Doug? Having me drive back to Minnesota the next day.

Road Trip to Colorado

We drove to Colorado for a President's Day weekend ski/snowboard trip. It's usually a 14-15 hour car ride from our house in Minnesota to Dillon or Frisco, Colorado. We've done this trip several times, leaving after school on a Friday and driving through the night. Doug drives most of the trip, and I take over for a few hours in Colorado so he can nap before we get to the mountains.

The weather doesn't alway cooperate, and one time we drove through a blizzard in southern Minnesota. We made it through by going into 4 wheel drive and slowly following the semi truck in front of us while the boys counted the vehicles in the ditches. They stopped after 40. This year, we experienced high winds and white-out conditions near Council Bluffs, Iowa, so we stopped in Omaha, Nebraska and stayed overnight. The news said the winds were up to 60 miles per hour. Yikes!

We slept until 3:30 the next the morning, then finished our drive to the mountains. The Eisenhower Tunnel was open when we got there, but there was a lot of traffic. We found out later that after 18 inches of new snow, and high winds blowing more into slide areas, the Colorado Department of Transportation closed the tunnel for a few hours that morning while they triggered avalanches on both sides of the tunnel. This dumped up to 10 feet of snow on the highway that had to be cleared before the tunnel could be re-opened.

Skiing and snowboarding report tomorrow....

Driving around Lake Michigan, part 2

In the morning, we followed the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive before driving back to Empire and then to Traverse City, Petosky, and Mackinaw City. We did not visit Mackinaw Island, but drove across the bridge to the Upper Peninsula. We stopped at several beaches along the north eastern side of Lake Michigan before we drove up to Munising.

We visited Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore in Munising, and hiked up to Miner’s Falls, Castle and Beach. You can also take a Lake Superior Cruise, with great views of the cliffs and shoreline.

Later on, we drove to Silver City and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. We grilled dinner at a picnic site on a hill overlooking Lake Superior while the boys played in a driftwood fort on the beach.

Porcupine Mountains is a great place to explore. We hiked to Lake of the Clouds, climbing over the rocks, and walking through the woods. We also hiked to the Summit Peak Observation Tower. At Presque Isle Falls, we walked across the bridge to the island, then walked through the woods to Lake Superior.

From the Porcupine Mountains, we made our way home. This was a great road trip for our family. It had frequent stops with fun things to do for younger children. If you live in the midwest, and are looking for something to do this summer, think about driving around Lake Michigan.

Driving around Lake Michigan

One summer, when the boys were younger, we decided to drive around Lake Michigan. Our first stop was Kenosha, Wisconsin where we enjoyed our first view of the lake. We explored the beach, climbing on large rocks and walking on sand that was soft beneath our feet. We continued down to Gurnee, Illinois for a visit to Six Flags Great America. The boys posed with the cartoon characters, and we had fun going on rides and playing in the Foam Factory.

The next day, we stopped near Mears, Michigan where we toured the Silver Lake Sand Dunes with Mac Woods Dune Rides. Our guide shared some of the history of the dunes, including the fact that most of the pine forests in the area were cut down for wood to help rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. The few trees that remained were destroyed by lightning fires, so erosion is a big problem.

We had lunch and played at the beach in Manistee. Again, the sand was softer than we were used to. In Minnesota, the sand is rougher, and grittier, so we kept noticing the difference.

After lunch, we drove up to Empire where we visited the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore. The boys had a great time climbing the dunes and running or falling all the way down. We camped at D.H. Day campground and spent the evening exploring the rocky beach and skipping rocks.

To be continued...

Ephesus, Turkey

Another stop on our cruise was Kusadasi, Turkey, where we visited the Roman ruins at Ephesus. As we walked down the marble-paved Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus, we looked at the sidewalks decorated with mosaics and the remains of old buildings. Only the façade of the library is still standing. It was one of the largest in the ancient world, with almost 12,000 scrolls of papyrus manuscripts.

We also walked to the Grand Theater where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians. Our tour guide shared interesting stories about the economic realities of the time and how it affected the reception of St. Paul.

It was very crowded at the site, especially walking down Curetes Street, but it gave us a good feeling for what it would have been like to live there, in a highly populated Roman city.

Legend has it that St. John the Evangelist went to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Near the ruins of Ephesus is a house believed to be where the Virgin Mary lived at the end of her life. After Ephesus, we visited the site. The shrine is popular for Christian and Muslim pilgrims. If you are lucky enough to visit Ephesus, I would definitely include a stop at the House of the Virgin Mary.


For more pictures from Turkey, you can watch my slideshow on YouTube.

Hawk Walk at Ashford Castle School of Falconry

Ashford Castle, located in Cong, County Mayo, has a falconry school on its grounds. As a surprise for our sons, we arranged for them to go on a Hawk Walk. It was an amazing experience.

We had one instructor and two Harris Hawks for the three boys. They wore heavy gloves called gauntlets, and took turns holding the birds. The instructor told us about the hawks, and we saw other birds of prey, including falcons. They use the falcons for hunting crows around the garbage dumps.

As we walked, the hawks would take off, fly around, then come back and land on the boys’ fists. When they flew through the woods, it was like watching an air force jet doing maneuvers. They glided side to side through branches and flew just over our heads.

We passed a large family with several dogs walked down the path the path we were on. The hawks perched on tree branches above us, making all kinds of noise. The instructor said the hawks think the dogs are coyotes, the hawk's biggest predator. The hawks were not happy, and you could hear them up in the trees, hissing and growling quite loudly. Once the dogs were gone, and the hawks calmed down, they flew back to the boys.

This was one of the best parts of our trip. If you go, remember to bring backup batteries for your camera to record this great experience.

Driving Around County Clare, Ireland

One of my favorite days in Ireland was spent driving around County Clare. Starting in Ennis and driving toward Ballyvaghan, our first stop was at Dysert O'Dea Castle. It is a smaller castle surrounded by beautiful countryside. The tower house was built in the 15th century and has an interesting history. If you go, be sure to take the time to walk the trail around other historic sights, including a monastic site with a 12th century High Cross.

After the castle, we drove a short distance to the Poulnabrone Dolmen in the Burren. The land is very rocky, like something from an old Star Trek episode, but with a wide variety of plants. It reminded me of the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park; all those pretty flowers managing to grow in between the rocky steps. Poulnabrone is a portal tomb from over 4000 years ago. We were lucky to visit when few other tourists were there and had fun exploring the area around the tomb.

From Ballyvaghan, we took the coast road to Black Head. Along the way, we made several stops to take pictures of Galway Bay. I liked how the stone walls here were stacked vertically instead of flat. At Black Head we stopped for a long time, exploring the rocky coast. The water was splashing up on the rocks, getting us wet.

By this time, we were getting hungry for lunch so we stopped at a pub in Lisdoonvarna. After enjoying beef stew and fresh soda bread, we drove on to the Cliffs of Moher. I was prepared for crowds, but it wasn't that bad, especially for someone who has been to the Grand Canyon. The pictures do not prepare you for the size of the cliffs. Walk as far south as you can and the crowds thin out quite a bit.

We also stopped at Lahinch Beach, where we watched the surfers and did some shopping, before making our way back to Ennis. I would love to do this day again, but spend more time at Dysert O'Dea and Black Head.

I am posting more pictures from Ireland on my Flickr site. There is also a slideshow on YouTube that you can watch.