Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    Not far from Badlands National Park is Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. We went to check it out mainly to escape the heat of the afternoon and it was a fun, quick way to earn some Junior Ranger badges.
 

    Throughout the prairies of South Dakota and surrounding states there are still over one thousand nuclear missiles ready to be launched. This site is decommissioned and lets you explore the history of how the men that worked in the launch silos lived on a day-to-day schedule.

It was a quick visit and a definite change from the Native American and pioneer history we had been absorbing for the past week. Its so strange to think that we can drive through this area without knowing whats hidden below. Very interesting.

Badlands National Park

    We visited the Badlands last time we drove out west, but the weather wasn't the best so we were all looking forward to returning and exploring the park more. The campground was the breeding ground for all mosquitoes in the Great Plains so we didn't spend much time there. The plus side was that we were forced to explore most of the time.

    After seeing a billion signs for the famous Wall Drug Store we decided we had to give it a look. We had some pretty bad food there and wandered around the tourist trap for a little while before agreeing that it wasn't for us. We drove back to our campground through the park and enjoyed the sunset hitting the walls of the Badlands.

    The next morning we got an early start to beat the heat and the crowds. We did a fun little hike to a great viewpoint that had the side benefit of being very birdy. Our next hike was more challenging as he had to ascend a very steep trail to get to flat prairie above the buttes. It was fun seeing the rocks change color as we went up though; it was like we were traveling through geologic time. At the top, we wandered down a trail through a pretty meadow, but our legs started to itch from brushing against all of the grasses.

    The way down was even trickier, but somehow we all managed to keep our butts clean. We took it easy after that and found a ranger giving a talk about the fossils found in the park. The kids then took their booklets to the visitor center to earn their Junior Ranger badges.

    Our visit ended with a long drive through the park's scenic drive. We were searching for Bison and managed to find two. Tons of prairie dogs, a herd of bighorn sheep, and a few burrowing owls kept us entertained the rest of the time. It was a great trip to such a unique place.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead

    Leaving Minnesota, we crossed into South Dakota with the goal of reaching De Smet. Not far from this town is where Laura Ingalls Wilder's father moved his family to set up a farm after receiving land from the Homestead Act. The girls have read most of the "Little House" books so everyone was excited about the visit.

    It was a beautiful day so the kids had a great time running around and learning how to pump water from wells, clean laundry with a washboard, and make rope. We all took a wagon ride to the nearby one-room schoolhouse and were led through a lesson that would have been given to a room full of first graders through eighth graders. And I’m proud to say the girls came in first and second during a spelling bee. They even beat out a couple of high schoolers!

    The highlight for the kids had to be the barn full of kittens. All of the chickens and the calf were ignored for the little cats. We pulled them away and I still maintain that the sod house smelled better than the barn. It was a great visit and after having lunch we hit the road for Badlands National Park.