South Dakota Trip: Martin's Cove and Wind Cave

Starting on Memorial Day, we left on the most wonderful road trip to South Dakota. We packed a ton in to one week and loved every minute of it! 

Day 1: 

We drove through snow at the top of Parley's summit on our way to Martin's Cove. It was NOT the warm start to our summer vacation that we imagined, but we bundled up to enjoy it anyways. 

After touring the visitor's center and helping the kids learn the significance of Martin's Cove, we grabbed a handcart and hiked up to the cove. The views were stunning! We also had the entire trail and cove to ourselves! We didn't see a single other person the whole 5 mile trip. We did see a pronghorn and a badger that warned us not to get too near. 

 

The weather forecast called for rain that night, but the kids still insisted they wanted to camp at the church owned site near the cove. We went ahead and got all settled, cooked dinner over the fire, and enjoyed the incredible calm and quiet. Then the rain started. It rained ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Not just a drizzle - it downpoured! Did we get wet? Yes. Very wet in Hazel and Michael's case. Did we get a ton of sleep? No. Did we end up all crammed into the three most dry sleeping bags by the end of the night? Yes. However, did we gain a much deeper appreciate for all the pioneers sacrificed at Martin's Cove? Absolutely. Did we have a wonderful conversation about what we learned from our experiences? Yes! We had kids sharing how blessed we are with modern conveniences. We also had kids making connections that the hard things we face today are much less physical, but much more spiritual. Would I change one minute of that day? Not for anything! 

Day 2: 

We woke up soaked, but got changed in to dry clothes and warmed up with some hot cocoa. As we packed wet sleeping bags and tents in to the car and loaded up in search of a warm breakfast, we realized the car battery was dead. Thankfully, there was ONE other person in an RV at the camp who kindly came to jump our van. We also got to see a bald eagle nest with momma, dad, and their fledglings! 

When we stopped for lunch, we found a laundromat and threw the wet clothes and sleeping bags in the dryer. A kind woman exchanged my $20 bill for two rolls of quarters when I realized there was no change machine! She saved us a trip to the bank and was a second tender mercy from a stranger in our day. 

By afternoon we made it to Wind Cave National Park for our first South Dakota adventures! We were able to grab a quick hike to a buffalo herd. Michael's biggest hope for the trip was to see buffalo. We were not disappointed! 

We then went on a tour of the Wind Cave. We learned that the site is sacred to the Lakota and other tribes as they believe men and beasts first emerged from the cave. This tiny hole is the only natural entrance. You can hear the cave "breathing" hence the name, Wind Cave. 

We had requested and ASL interpreter for Michael, but instead of an interpreter, they had a ranger that signed. He wasn't highly skilled, but he was very kind. Instead of trying to keep up with the other tour, he took just our family on our own private tour! The kids had lots of fun taking their time and enjoying the cave. 

That night we settled in to our nice, warm, dry cabin near the Black Hills. More adventures to follow...