we did a LOT while we were in custer. i didn’t even realize how much we kept on the go until i was composing all the posts for the things we did. but i also have a lot of fond memories of the downtime. the kiddos loved the little campground we stayed at. there was a giant rock formation near our site that they climbed around on every chance they got. and the park was small, so they felt comfortable going over to the “playground” (swingset) alone. our neighbors were some of our favorite and our dogs played together so well. i don’t know why i don’t have any pictures of any of this stuff. sigh.
anyhoooo…. here’s some tales of the rest of the things that happened while we were in custer. on our last day, derek took the two big kids out on an atv tour. they had a blast.
they each had a turn to drive. i’m not sure that anna could see where she was going so i’m thankful they all made it home alive.
they went all up in the black hills, and derek snapped a few photos for me. 🙂
while they were gone, i scrubbed the camper from top to bottom. (we had full hookups and were heading towards a long stretch of reservations with limited or no hookups. it was no or never).
that evening, we went on a proper shopping trip in downtown custer. there are bison statues all along the sidewalk, each decorated with some local themed art. of course i took photos of them all while we walked around searching for my perfect t-shirt. i regret not buying one i liked in hill city, but at the time we were there, i had yet to thoroughly experience the area, which is a requirement i have before purchasing a t-shirt.
i did eventually find one that would suffice. also, while shopping, i found a perfect christmas gift for some lucky family member. and we stopped in the candy shop for treats for anna (the only kid to join us) and sugar free chocolates for me. yes. i regret putting these photos side by side.
and lastly, a photo dump for pics that didn’t have a home in previous posts.
on our way to and from wind cave (and the mammoth site), we passed by the tiniest little town that had a giant pile of bikes out by the road. like i wasn’t fully sure if it was an art installation or just a garbage dump. maybe a little of both? we made several stops in rock shops and derek picked up a few geodes for the kiddos to crack open. on the night we went out to dinner, we noticed a little carnival in town. we bought tickets and then the kids refused to ride anything. i finally talked anna into a ride on the ferris wheel. it was lame. and lastly. hazel. with some of her beloved collection of stuffed animals that she acquired on this trip. can you tell which one is real?
we really had the best time in custer. anna and i talk all the time about how much we loved that area. its definitely on my list of places to head back to. but for now, it was time to head on down the road.