My Treasure = Nature, THEIR Treasure=Ice Cream

Part 4 of Our Family Adventure Treasure Tale

(If you haven’t heard the beginning of this adventure tale, go back in my blog posts and listen to my podcast, Healthy Mom Crazy Life, to catch it all from the beginning!)

With the death-defying events (hopefully) behind us, there were nothing but clear skies and smooth sailing coming our way - although, it was very windy, and it was actually a little overcast, too . . . but the fact that there were no tornados was a bonus!

With smiles on our faces, we began Day 2 of our Family Adventure Treasure Tale and set off to the west down I-90, ready to make up some precious time. It wasn't too long and we arrived in the southwestern quarter of South Dakota. We enjoyed the change of landscape from the endless flat fields as we entered the much more diverse Badlands National Park. The buttes, gorges, and various layers of different colored sediment made this national treasure look like we stepped into another world. While this wasn't the treasure my boys had in mind, the uniqueness we took in was nothing short of a miracle that God created - wow!

We marveled at the vastness of the unique multi-colored layers on the steep gorge sides.

We welcomed the opportunity to stretch our legs as we explored this mysterious new land hiking around on the curious greasy textured ground; formed from an interesting mix of volcanic ash and clay.

We also tried not to fall into the deep gorges as the wind quickly passed around us. It seemed that danger couldn't escape us completely.

Spotting our first bison, sheep, and prairie dogs added some extra excitement - wildlife is truly a treasure to be had!

After spending a few hours in the park, we finally made our way out, bidding adieu to our first found treasures in nature!

Day 2 was far from done. By this time, we were getting a little hungry after trekking through the Badlands, but luckily we were just a skip away from one of the most iconic pit stops in South Dakota - Wall Drug. A bison burger was on the menu for us, and I hate to say it, but Adam said it nudged out beef as the #1 burger meat . . . I say it was just a fluke due to the novelty of the experience that skewed his judgment, nothing can beat some homegrown moo!

Continuing on our quest for more Americana treasure, next up on our stop list that day was Mount Rushmore. Although we didn't find a treasure like in the movie National Treasure 2, a mini history lesson combined with some hiking was perfect to do on a now bright and sunny afternoon.

If you ask Brett, the best treasure there was the ice cream cone! Just when he thought the world was coming to an end and he just couldn't go any further, the ice cream did help provide a "surprising" boost of energy and spark of excitement. It came just in time as we conquered the steps that led us closer to the big guys on the hill. And while Brett's ice cream 'treasure' wasn't exactly that in my eyes, it did make hiking around the park more enjoyable for everyone (read "less whining"!) so it was also a "win" in my eyes!

After a few more hours, the party kept rolling as our car traveled on through the hilly landscapes of the Black Hills. I marveled at the endless gorgeous hills, and looked wistfully at all the hiking trails that we drove past. I wonder how long it would take to hike each trail that we passed by?

The passing miles soon took us out of the Black Hills National Forest and brought us to Wyoming. We found ourselves staying that night in Gillette, Wyoming, in a hotel that had a legitimate pool - not just one formed on our floor from the torrential rains like the night before. After an hour of swimming and eating some pizza, the boys (and I) were tired, but definitely ready and excited for yet another day of treasure adventure that would come on Day 3!

Two days in, and 5 more to go, and continued treasure discovery . . . what's coming next?

❤️ Brianne