Eat Your Heart Out!

Jealous?  You should be!  I picked these peaches off the tree in our backyard.  One morning I walked outside as the sun rose bright and warm over the mountains and checked how the peaches were coming along.  I gently twisted one and it came right off in my hand, so I stood there and ate it.  It was perfection, juicy and sweet and everything a peach should be.  Over the next few days I picked them all and we ate some and made jam out of some and canned some.  I love growing my own food!  I just wish I was a better gardener!

Guess Who Got Into The Flour Bucket?

Joseph, that's who!

Independence Rock and Martin's Cove

 

On Monday morning we said our goodbyes to the Whartons and headed off back toward home. We knew, however, that our vacation wouldn't be complete if we didn't stop in at the two famous historic sites between Casper and Rawlins: Independence Rock and Martin's Cove. Traveling toward Rawlins you pass by Independence Rock first, so that was our first stop. The kids were so excited about climbing on the large, loaf-shaped granite monolith and, after Merritt scrambled up the side quick as a wink and I complimented him on his sure-footedness, he declared, "I climb like a mountain goat!" I can't disagree with that, he didn't slip once and showed no fear.

We enjoyed hunting around for names from the days of the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.  Since the rock has only been a historic site since 1961 you can find names from later dates, but they aren't the interesting ones.  It really is an amazing thing is to stand at the top and look for miles in every direction and know that the scenery (minus the visitor's center and highway) is unchanged from the days that scores of pioneers, including ancestors in Chad's family and my own, stood and surveyed the same landscape.  Our feet could have stood in the same spot, we could have clambered up the same side of the rock, our hair could have been tossed by the same strength of wind.  It was a wonderful moment when we touched history.

Grant in a tree at the picnic area.

After making a few wrong choices in what direction we should go to get down off of Independence Rock, our feet were once more on level ground and we got back into the van for the short drive to Martin's Cove.  The area now has a lovely green space with picnic tables where we ate our lunch and enjoyed a respite.  It was interesting to note the changes there.  The Visitor's Center has grown marvelously since I first visited as a teenager, even since my last visit eleven years ago.  That time we actually walked out to the cove pulling a handcart.  The feeling at the cove where so many died is both somber and sacred; the sacrifice and faith of those pioneers left an indelible mark.  On our way back, Chad and I actually pulled my mother in the handcart because her hip, which at that time was soon to be replaced, was paining her badly.  This time around we did not walk out to the cove...somehow the thought of dragging four children on a five mile round trip hike didn't sound like lots of fun.  Instead we watched a video, toured the Visitor's Center, found the names of our ancestors (both Chad's and mine) who had been in the Willie Company (as well as Chad's ancestor who had been a rescuer), visited the blacksmith's shop where we received prairie diamonds, and had the kids pull a handcart along the small trail in the park located near the visitor's center.  The experience impressed the children and I look forward to when we can visit again and partake of more that Martin's Cove has to offer.

A loaded handcart in the Visitor's Center.

My family: the Gadds; Chad's family: the Dorney's.

A view of Devil's Gate.

Pulling a handcart...Merritt is doing most of the work.

Our greatest treasures; if we have them we have everything!

 We said our goodbyes to Martin's Cove and all the kindly missionaries there and set our faces firmly towards home.  We arrived on our own doorstep to find a lawn in need of mowing, a garden that had grown by leaps and bounds, and our own beds to sleep in once again.  What a great trip!

Mt Rushmore At Last

We were rained out on Friday, but Saturday dawned blue and clear and hot once again and we were off to see Gutzon Borglum's mammoth creation.  We drove through Keystone, making sure to stop at the Silk Fudge Shop which was highly recommended by friends who had gone to Mt Rushmore the previous year.  We were not disappointed...yum!  I know, fudge in the morning sounds totally weird, but we weren't going to pass through Keystone again so we had fudge at 10am and were happy.  We pulled into the parking lot and amused ourselves by shouting out different state license plates while we looked for an open space.  After snagging some decent spots, we piled out and entered the viewing area and Avenue of Flags that leads to the amphitheater.  The kids oohed and aahed upon seeing the famous sculpture and I turned to see Chad's reaction, since he hadn't said anything yet, but he just shrugged and remarked, "I thought it would be bigger."  We laughed at that because it is true, the visitor's center is so far removed from the actual carving that you don't get a good feel for Mt Rushmore's size.  Plus all the pictures you see are close-ups, so you think that when you visit the monument you will be a lot closer than you actually are.  It didn't help that we had seen Devil's Tower just two days previous because you walk around the Tower and it just looms over you.  Mt Rushmore doesn't loom, it sits on its lofty pedestal and you gaze at it from afar...kind of like Romeo and Juliet.  Chad did quickly add, however, that it was still cool.  :) 

Ahh!  Don't face the sun to take a picture!!

Here's a cool little cave we found while hiking around Rushmore.

Our plan after Rushmore was to stop at a picnic area for lunch and then head down to Jewel Cave before starting back to Casper.  We did find a fun place to eat off the beaten track with clean outhouses, potable water, fun rocks to climb and duel on and lots of squirrels to entertain the kids, but after we had set up and were cooking hotdogs the local forest service ranger stopped by and charged us $4 a family to have lunch.  We're pretty sure he just pocketed the money but, oh well.  Grace finally lost a tooth that had been wiggling mightly and, since Eli lost one the day before, we snapped a picture of them together.  We ate lunch, the kids ran and got their fidgets out, and Sandra became the Mighty Squirrel Tamer who got the little beasties to eat out of her hand.

The toothless wonders!

 We drove past lots and lots of local Rushmore-area caves on the way to Jewel Cave, which later made us go "Shucks!", but we were excited to see Jewel Cave which had lots of rave reviews.  There was, unfortunately, a wild fire down by Wind Cave, which forced the Forest Service to close it, and thus Jewel Cave's traffic was more than doubled.  We just missed getting a space on the tour by minutes and we didn't want to backtrack an hour or so to visit a different cave, so we turned for home and consoled the kids with the promise of pizza and rootbeer floats when we got back to Casper.