Buffalo Bill....and Bears

This museum was great!

They had a weapon section,

filled with antique guns,

a great art section,

filled with paintings of the west and Cowboys and Indians,

and everything you would want to know about Buffalo Bill. 

We could not get enough of it.

But there was one section that I gravitated to.

 They had a section of stuffed wild animals

labeled with their world record size.

And among them were several .....BEARS.

Now this one in particular didn't bother me too much.

I mean it's a polar bear.

I don't think they live around here.

 But this one stopped me.

That's a Grizzly.

They live here.

Year round.

This one was positively ferocious.

I think it will visit my dreams.

And not in a good way.

 O.k.

My mother bear instincts are really kicking in now.

Can I go back and buy that bear spray?

Well, at least this one isn't a bear.

Maybe I should stop hyperventilating.

I don't want to worry the kids.....

.....or my husband.

Hey.....

Doesn't this remind you of a Tauntaun from Star Wars?

Just saying.

Still Moving West.....

Along the way to Yellowstone.....

we see more historical sites.....

 like this old Buffalo Bill hotel.....and.....

No.  Wait a minute.

It's not the "Outlet Store" that caught my attention here.

Please notice the sign below that.

~We sell Bear Spray~

What?!

Do I need that?!

I was beyond curious so I went inside to ask about it.

"Yes", they said.  "We sell bear spray."

My next question was, "How close do you have to be to spray it?".

Their answer, "60 feet. And it will stop a bear."

Wow.  O.K.  But do people really need this stuff?

Their answer, "Well, yeah, someone gets attacked by a bear every year."

Oh.  Really.

Well, I didn't buy the bear spray

but I don't plan on being a statistic either.

From now on I am on the look out for bears! 

Custard's Last Stand.....Out West

 We saw Custard's Last Stand.

On a hill in a beautiful meadow.



By the looks of this crowd,

if they don't have lunch soon it will be their last stand too.

The sweeping praire views were sublime.

The Native American's memorial.....

and the U.S. Soldier's memorial....

were thought provoking.

Standing where history happened gave us pause.....

but not for long....

we still are moving.....West!

Way Out West Rest Stop

Even the rest stops are filled with history!

This potty break happened to be the end of a long road.

Cowboys and their herds traveled from Texas to Wyoming

and ended their long ride here.

I bet they were glad when that long ride was over.



We were glad for the stop.

And the field full of dandelions.

Onward to Yellowstone!

Way Out West Vacation Continued.....

 Mt. Rushmore

It was so surreal eating lunch with this view.

Of all the times I have seen pictures of Mt. Rushmore,

we were actually looking at it in person.

What a difference.

We just had to pause and take it all in.

Quite a sight.

 Right after this picture we hiked the trails.

The weather was sunny and cool.

We left all the humidity in Florida I guess.

 I loved looking in the tepees on this trip.

It was so interesting to look inside and imagine living there.

They had clothes, bedding and tools inside.

It looked like they had just left and would be right back.

While on the trails we got a little closer.

The terrain was so different from home.

The trees and climate were different too.

It really opens your eyes to see new places.

And no one fell off a rock today.

So far......so good.

VACATION !

 We finally went on our

gotta do it,

wanna do it,

when will we ever do it,

it's time to do it,

way out west vacation.

Our first stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial.

It's a work in progress

and a magnificent site to behold.

We bought a ticket for a short ride on their bus

to get a closer look.

They were working, as they are most days,

but no explosions were scheduled this day.



This is what it will look like when it is completed.

Wow.



The museum was great too.

(Are my kids yawning or suprised?)

We all enjoyed it I assure you.

Notice the large rock pile behind them.

The nice people here will let anyone take as many rocks

from this site as they can carry.

How lovely.

As if our checked bags don't weigh enough.

What an impressive first stop.

We came, we saw, and we are off.

Next stop.....Mt. Rushmore!

Happy Graduation Alex!

My second child has graduated.

~ be still my heart ~

I'm telling you, life goes by fast.

 It was a great ceremony and a happy time.

I couldn't be more proud of him.

Congratulations Alex.

I love you so much and wish you the best.

And when you go off to college

please remember these words of wisdom:

Don't forget to call your mother.

Because I'll be waiting for your call,

so I can tell your little sister you're o.k.

you love her and will be home to hug her soon.