Day 5: Mount Rushmore and Sylvan Lake

This morning we went to Mt. Rushmore.  I don't think Cameron really believed that the pictures he had seen were of a real place.  He was so excited and he even volunteered several times to let me take his picture. ;)  This place is very inspiring and makes me proud to be American.  I am also impressed with the artistic talent and vision of Gutzon Borglum.  He made many scale drawings, and models so that the dynamite could be precisely placed.  As blasting happened he made modifications to his models so that the fissures in the rock could be accounted for.  Totally amazing!

Later that day, we hiked the mile long Sylvan Lake trail.  The trail was relatively easy and mostly flat. The neat thing about the lake is that "National Treasure 2" was partly filmed here.  It is a beautifully scenic lake.

Day 4: We Have Arrived

After awaking to puddles in one campground, we drove for awhile longer and finally arrived at Horse Thief Campground.  Along the way we passed the edge of the Badlands National Park.

Day 3: Travel Resumes

Justin is well enough for us to travel today.  Yipeee!  I must get the inside stuff ready to travel. 

We made it through Iowa and across a chunk of South Dakota today. Saw some pretty neat things traveling.  Some cool sculpture in Council Bluffs, IA marked the beginnings of a catwalk that crossed the interstate.  Somewhere along I-90 there is a sculpture garden with a huge cow head that Cameron was impressed with.

We stopped for fuel at a Buffalo farm and Cameron got to see some buffalo calves.  Ever since, anytime we saw black dots in a field he would ask if those were buffalo. 

We stayed at the KOA in Kinnebec, South Dakota tonight, a nice campground, super friendly hosts and a pool.  Cameron enjoyed it.  I think the kid would be content to just ride his bike and swim for the rest of our vacation time.

The picture above is of the Missouri River at Chamberlain, SD which is of note because this is where Lewis and Clark supposedly crossed during their exploration time.
 

Storms rolled in during the night LOTS of wind and a 30 degree drop in temperature. 

Day 2

We will be getting a later start than originally planned. Justin is dehydrated and weak from being ill in the night.  Actually, we decided to remain in St. Joe another night. So I taught Cameron to play Uno and Mastermind. We swam and I was simply exhausted by the time bed time rolled around.

Worrying and trying to keep Cameron entertained drained me of my energy. ( I have some pictures to add to this post when I plug my phone in.)  Cameron and I also spent some time by a small pond in the campground.  He saw what I think was a muskrat.  It didn't have a flat tail like a beaver plus it was quite a bit smaller as well.

Saw some interesting people at the pool today.  This one woman would have made "The People of Walmart" easily.  She had on her swim suit and combat boots and NO I AM NOT making this up.

Departure Date

After several days of stomach virus in the family, everyone seems to be well enough to travel. Time to finish packing up, load the kid, and head north. We have two very long days of driving ahead. Oh boy, oh boy!

We arrived safely at the AOK Campground in St. Joseph, MO. A long way from home and further to go.  The pool is very small, chat on the drives is loose and not easily navigated with a bike and there is a LOT of highway noise.  We selected the campground for its convenience to the interstate.  So, those were just statements not complaints.

Cameron and I swam for about an hour, then some grilled burgers, showered and went to bed. Around 10:30 p.m. Justin got sick. So, no rush to leave in the morning unless I drive HAHA. I haven't pulled anything in 20 years and I don't figure to start today.

Preparing for Vacation

The preparations for the annual Holder Family Vacation have begun.  Thus far they include, new hiking boots for me as we are planning to visit the Black Hills of South Dakota.  When Justin and I were there in '94 we did quite a bit of hiking.  Back to the boots, I have done some walking/hiking in the boots and made sure they don't cause blisters. (picture of me and "C" on the recent hike to the Johnson's Shut-Ins.)  Blisters are no fun on the best of days but being a mile or two from transportation with sore feet is NOT the way I want to do a vacation.

"C" has gotten some new shoes as well and some new socks that aren't worn out for the same reasons.  He has also gotten some new shorts.  Just because the kid has grown so much.

 I have also begun researching the area's trails and have been printing maps and such.  I am very excited to get there and for us to do some hiking and biking in South Dakota.  The drive will take about 3 days we figure and thus I have looked into good places to stop along the way.  This is much simpler now than it has been in the past.  Searching using apps on my phone and on my laptop is much quicker than using the old Woodall's Campground Directory.

Justin has taken the Dodge in to have the fluids changed, belts checked, etc.  A bit of frustration as the mechanics didn't get the fan belt back on properly which caused us a scare that the engine could be damaged.  I am not certain of the details involving this but Jonesboro's Dodge Service center has completely lost our business.  I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of things to come.

Anyway, I plan to post about our adventures. So, stay tuned.

Blogging with Students Presentation

 The presentation I will be sharing at a Nettleton Public Schools workshop and also at ASTA.  This presentation was created using Prezi.  Prezi is simple to use but be careful not to get too carried away with all the cool and different features.  After all, you don't want your audience to become ill from the movements of the presentation.  I have had my students make prezis instead of powerpoints for several years and many of the kids really like them.  If you decide to have your students make a prezi using a laptop, they will find it more manageable if they use a mouse. 

I am also excited to see that the newest version of Prezi allows you to upload power points.  That will be an incredible time saver. 

Blogging with Students on Prezi