DON'T Read This TRIP REPORT If You're a Princess Hater!

[mom2rtk]

You're so funny Utah was in there, I must have missed it. The other day I was telling a friend about Mt Rushmore and I took out my photos. I laughed at my 17 yr old attemps a "good" photos. I think cute boys made up a couple of the shots

LOL! Wanna scan those photos and post them??????

I figured Utah was in there somewhere! I'm just partial to it because Arches is our favorite National Park.

I have part of my photos downloaded. After I get some work done tomorrow I'm hoping I can play with them a little and post some.

 

[KCmike]

How was Mount Rushmore Janet? Is it worth a drive for my family this summer? Would love to take a trip to see something to the north.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey Mike! I'm enjoying seeing all your new photos posted on the photography threads from your recent WDW trip! Are you doing a trip report? I'd love to hear how it all went.

I really wasn't sure if we were doing enough on this trip to justify all that time in the car. But Rushmore certainly did NOT disappoint. We also really enjoyed the Badlands and Custer State Park. The scenic drive has 3 tunnels you can drive through and see Rushmore framed by the tunnel. We all thought it was very cool. I do wish we had a little more time in the area to spend in the Black Hills. So we could have done much more. You could easily spend several days in just that area.

Just beware if you go this summer that you should watch the reports on I-29. We came through there yesterday and they have it closed because of the flooding. We had to take a 20 mile detour. Not a deal breaker, but it was late into a very long day of driving for us and it would have been nice to know about. It's funny because I have been watching national news here all day and they keep saying there's a chance they MIGHT have to close the highway near the Missouri river. Uhhh........ that ship already sailed.

Just beware that the Rushmore area gets really busy around the 4th. I loved being able to get around without huge traffic jams. Well, except for that bison jam! When we came through in 06 on our way home from Yellowstone, there was not ONE single hotel room open in the western half of South Dakota.

If you decide to go, PM me or post here and I'll be happy to share where we stayed and what we did. Of course, it sounds like there are some other S.D. experts here too!

 

[jenseib]

I can't wait to see pictures. You should do some sort of photo TR......

 

[mom2rtk]

I can't wait to see pictures. You should do some sort of photo TR......

LOL! Not all of us can keep up 7 or 8 trip reports at once like you can! Heck, you see how much a challenge it has been just to keep ONE up to date!

If I like my photos, I might post a few together in a mini report on teh Photography board. If I do I'll post a link here.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I would LOVE to see your pictures! I know they are wonderful! You don't have to do a full fledged TR. I've seen people just do a picture report without the "story". I'd love to hear the story too, but for times sake, I'll settle for just the pictures.

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

Glad you made it back safe and sound. I'm also glad to hear you enjoyed my home. I live in Rapid City, but grew up every summer in the Hill City area.

I'm glad to hear the Black Hill area didn't disappoint, most people don'r realize how beautiful this area is. When people think SD they think prairie, when in fact the Black HIlls is like an oasis out on the prairie, heck some peopel think we still don't have electricity . All who are listening come to the Black Hills it will be one of the best family trips you can ever take, plus our gas is 3.39 in some parts . All who might be interested feel free to PM me will tell you all about it.

Janet, also sorry I misunderstood what info you were needed. U guess I should have told you more about my area then CO, but from the sounds of it it looks like you guys did great on your own finding the good stuff to do. Did you have a chance to stop at Prairie Berry in Hill CIty? It is the best

 

[jenseib]

LOL! Not all of us can keep up 7 or 8 trip reports at once like you can! Heck, you see how much a challenge it has been just to keep ONE up to date!

If I like my photos, I might post a few together in a mini report on teh Photography board. If I do I'll post a link here.

Hey, I only have one TR going here....and a Cedar Point one on my blog....
And yes it is a challenge, which is why I haven't started a PTR yet

 

[mom2rtk]

I would LOVE to see your pictures! I know they are wonderful! You don't have to do a full fledged TR. I've seen people just do a picture report without the "story". I'd love to hear the story too, but for times sake, I'll settle for just the pictures.

That's really nice of you to say. I'll either post a short photo thread on the photography board, or just insert some into this trip report. I shoot them all in RAW, so it will take me a bit to edit them all. Heck, as slow as my computer is, it will take me while just to LOOK at them all! Not to mention clone stamping out the dirt spot on my sensor in ..... every.......... single..........photo.......... I think Lightroom3 can do that for me, but I need to read that section of the book again. Thankfully I cleaned it when I got home and am good to go from here forward.

NOTE to self.......... check the sensor dust BEFORE leaving town to shoot a couple thousand photos.........

It really is a gorgeous corner of the world, so rest assured I'll have something to share..... Heck, I could have gotten stunning shots here with a disposable camera! Regardless, there's not much around me worth photographing on a routine basis. So I certainly didn't want to miss my chance to play with extra lenses, tripod, circular polarizer, etc.

Glad you made it back safe and sound. I'm also glad to hear you enjoyed my home. I live in Rapid City, but grew up every summer in the Hill City area.

I'm glad to hear the Black Hill area didn't disappoint, most people don'r realize how beautiful this area is. When people think SD they think prairie, when in fact the Black HIlls is like an oasis out on the prairie, heck some peopel think we still don't have electricity . All who are listening come to the Black Hills it will be one of the best family trips you can ever take, plus our gas is 3.39 in some parts . All who might be interested feel free to PM me will tell you all about it.

Janet, also sorry I misunderstood what info you were needed. U guess I should have told you more about my area then CO, but from the sounds of it it looks like you guys did great on your own finding the good stuff to do. Did you have a chance to stop at Prairie Berry in Hill CIty? It is the best

I really can't say enough about what a gorgeous area you live in. It didn't surprise me at all that I enjoyed that more than the Rockies. Granted, we didn't do the Rockies justice, but I'm more into rock formations than actual mountains. And while I'll happily take photos of mountains reflected in a beautiful lake, I really prefer twisting winding roads with vistas of big.... colorful...... rocks. Don't even know why.

We didn't make it to Prairie Berry. What is it? Sounds like it might have been interesting!

Hey, I only have one TR going here....and a Cedar Point one on my blog....
And yes it is a challenge, which is why I haven't started a PTR yet

OK, so perhaps I exaggerated....... But I enjoy your trip reports, so that was a compliment!

And I hadn't even noticed you didn't do a PTR yet. What's with THAT????

Quick Disney update here........... I had booked some October dates so I could make ADR's. But since then, I've been leaning more and more toward December again. I really want to do MNSSHP. But after hitting our first 80 degree day here in the spring, I started having second thoughts. I'm just a huge whiney whimp in the heat. Soooooooo I guess I'll take a chance with the cold again.

Yesterday I changed our reservation to that same week of December again. If all goes as planned it will be the 10th to the 18th. I have to say, I was really thrown off my regular planning by them changing party days this year. (T/W instead of T/Th) We like to go twice, but I don't want to do back to back nights. So that sort of limited what we could do. Right now I'm thinking we'll go Sunday and Wednesday.

Now...... I wonder how many times we'll change it all in the next few weeks!

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

We didn't make it to Prairie Berry. What is it? Sounds like it might have been interesting!


Yesterday I changed our reservation to that same week of December again. If all goes as planned it will be the 10th to the 18th.

As per Prairie Berry it is a local winery that has amazing wine and free wine tasting everyday its a bummer you missed it.

As per Disney that is basically when Jenn and I will be there we should try to meet in person if you end up going It would be great to see one of your dress creation is person.

 

[Scraps-of-heaven]

[From there, we headed north toward one of my favorite stops of the trip.... a chance to have lunch with my friend Gretchen! (scrapsofheaven). We've been email friends for years, so this was really awesome to get to meet her in person.

It was so great to finally have the lunch we've been talking about for years! Wish you lived closer!! Still think we need to work that Disney trip with the girls in some time (you know, after I win the lottery).

 

[jenseib]

Well you are getting better at narrowing it down! YAY! We've had some days in the high 90s with high humidity and I pray it's not like that in Aug when I'm down there. YUCK is all I can say. I am drenched with sweat from doing absolutely nothing. We fianlly cooled off again and it's been wonderful.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

 

[mom2rtk]

As per Prairie Berry it is a local winery that has amazing wine and free wine tasting everyday its a bummer you missed it.

As per Disney that is basically when Jenn and I will be there we should try to meet in person if you end up going It would be great to see one of your dress creation is person.

Aww... that makes sense. We don't drink, so probably wouldn't have gone. But the older I get the more tempted I am to start!

It was so great to finally have the lunch we've been talking about for years! Wish you lived closer!! Still think we need to work that Disney trip with the girls in some time (you know, after I win the lottery).

Wanna meet for lunch today? Your turn to come to my town, OK?

And man, how awesome would that girls trip to Disney be?????????? I'll pencil you in for the 10th, OK??????? Now go buy that lottery ticket!

Well you are getting better at narrowing it down! YAY! We've had some days in the high 90s with high humidity and I pray it's not like that in Aug when I'm down there. YUCK is all I can say. I am drenched with sweat from doing absolutely nothing. We fianlly cooled off again and it's been wonderful.

I think if I don't commit soon, I'll have to give up, so December it will have to be. We were having 90 degree weather before we left on our trip. It was really nice to drive up into the cool (OK.......... COLD) mountains, then find cool weather in South Dakota too. Actually the possibility of cooler weather in the summer is one of the things I like about heading to high altitude national parks in the summer.

It was still warm when we got back home. Not 90 degree warm, but close enough. And warm enough to remind me of the big downside of doing Disney in October. Warm enough to get me to commit on December........

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

It was still warm when we got back home. Not 90 degree warm, but close enough. And warm enough to remind me of the big downside of doing Disney in October. Warm enough to get me to commit on December........

So was it really hot when you went in October? I HATE the heat and we are planning to go at the end of Oct. through the first week of November. What time of the month were you there in Oct.?

 

[mom2rtk]

So was it really hot when you went in October? I HATE the heat and we are planning to go at the end of Oct. through the first week of November. What time of the month were you there in Oct.?

Well, your odds are much higher in late Oct/ early Nov.

We were there 9/26 to 10/3 in 09. We hit record heat up in the 90's with really high humidity. It was summer hot. A couple weeks later they that year they had a cool front come through and people needed jackets at MNSSHP. But it heated back to the 90's around Halloween.

If I could go the END of October, I'd probably give it a go. But Cross Country districts and sectionals are the end of October. That's my son's primary sport. While he wouldn't be going to Disney I wouldn't want to miss watching.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey y'all!

I'm finally working on some photos from our Animal Kingdom day and hope to start on that update soon!

I finally have a day where I'm not getting ready for graduation or vacation or catching up on a ton of work. I'm so beside myself with my newfound freedom, I can't even decide what to eat for lunch, let alone what to do first!

I'm actually considering starting a costume for our December trip......... Or I could take a nap..... or I could update my trip report........ or I could scrapbook........... YIKES! I just can't handle all the freedom!

 

[jenseib]

I'm happy for your freedom. Thats how I feel when Claire is gone..and a nap usually wins out.

I've been trying to work on my Cedar point pictures today. I decided I really need to get it done and out of the way. I enjoy writing it, but it's overwelming to do with my Disney TR still not near completed. Who thought that was a good idea????
I might post it over on the community boards too. I have seen others do that with some of their non disney trips.

hope you had a good lunch. Today is Paige's 19th b-day and we went out for lunch! MMMM! It was good!

 

[Caretames1]

I know what you both mean. This week has been my first week off for the summer and while I have been keeping up with some of my goals, (de-cluttering cabinets, bedrooms, and deep cleaning) I really have been waring with my self about taking one of these days for myself.
I have 4 hours a day with an empty house since Kadence has a fun summer school session and t-ball.

Maybe tomorrow, I do have a good book calling my name. It can lay on my chest during my nap.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm happy for your freedom. Thats how I feel when Claire is gone..and a nap usually wins out.

I've been trying to work on my Cedar point pictures today. I decided I really need to get it done and out of the way. I enjoy writing it, but it's overwelming to do with my Disney TR still not near completed. Who thought that was a good idea????
I might post it over on the community boards too. I have seen others do that with some of their non disney trips.

hope you had a good lunch. Today is Paige's 19th b-day and we went out for lunch! MMMM! It was good!

Well Happy Birthday to Paige!

I still didnt' get much done, but think I decided to work on a costume for December. I bought a holiday Snow White on Ebay and am trying to copy it. Not your traditional Snow White at all..... but let's face it. I've done so many, I needed something new! This one is in blue and white.

I'm still moving pretty slowly on it though. After having weeks of every moment spoken for, when I get a chance to decide what I want to do, I just never can!

I know what you both mean. This week has been my first week off for the summer and while I have been keeping up with some of my goals, (de-cluttering cabinets, bedrooms, and deep cleaning) I really have been waring with my self about taking one of these days for myself.
I have 4 hours a day with an empty house since Kadence has a fun summer school session and t-ball.

Maybe tomorrow, I do have a good book calling my name. It can lay on my chest during my nap.

LOL! Sounds like a great plan to me!

I think you should take a few days (or weeks!) and come clean out MY cabinets!

I'm really wishing someone ANYONE around here had opted for summer school. I love my kids and all, but I'm used to having a LITTLE time by myself in the house........

Of course, it is already vastly better than last year. Timmy runs at 5:30 every morning. And this is the first year he gets to drive himself. Oh MY, what an improvement!