Tuesday, July 24

We got up early and left Custer State Park and headed North.  Our first stop was Reptile Gardens, which was one of USA Today's top 10 roadside attractions to visit in the US or something. 

It was really neat, they had huge crocodiles, alligators and a ton of posionous snakes.  And giant  pythons and boa constrictors.  We were there around noon and it was a hot day and the snakes and bugs and huge crocs were in this doomed building, very warm and tropical inside.  Well they were all awake and moving, we watched a mamba try for 10 minutes to shed his skin, rubbing his face on his trees.  Blair was enthralled.  There was also this Chicken in a box that answered questions Yes or No and of course got food for doing it - that is the pick below.

Then outside they had two giant tourtises, one was 600 lbs.  He was very nice and you could reach in by his neck and scratch him and if you scratched him under the chin he stood up he loved it.  We could have stayed there all day.  Blair and Lauren below.

Last interesting thing was the Alligator Show.  Looked really boring at the beginning but again we were there at about 1 now and they were awake and started moving.  We were both like this kid doing the show is going to get bit and were ready to grab the kids.  They were all snapping and fighting in the water around him, very exciting but we were nervous.

Drove through Sturgis on the way, much smaller than I expected but all motorcycle.  Actually there are motorcycles EVERYWHERE, not just Sturgis.  At the campgrounds on the roads, which I can see why the highways are not congested.

On toWyoming and Devils Tower.  Wyoming is beautiful (SD had a lot of burned trees or dead diseased trees) and the campsite at Devils Tower was the best so far.  It was at the base of the entrance to the park and right there was Devils Tower from 'Close Encounters with the Third Kind', the campsite shows the movie everynight.  We went up to the tower visitor center (Lauran ran onto the main road not looking - bad girl) and there is a path you can walk around it 1.3 miles.  It seemed like 3, worst marked path ever but you were just going around it but it was through the boulders that had fallen off of it and all around the base there are trees so it was hard to tell where you were.  The kids had a good time but we had a great time at the campground, they had a playground with big kid stuff and a pool, very cold. 

We had a little 'Listen Here Kids' meeting with them at Devils Tower.  After Sturgis it started raining and it gets a little dicey with the camper.  They were crazy in the camper playing but of course someone always gets hurt.  I think I started to loose my voice and if I'd had muzzles I would have used them.

The electronics ban is easier than expected since we have such spotty service.  Grant still doesn't have his ipod, and I won't let him touch the computer.  We have been watching a movie at night, it's either Ratatouilee, How to Train your Dragon, or Madagascar.  Yep that's our selection since I brought blu ray discs that won't play.  We also broke down at Devil's tower and bought french fries and onion rings from the camp restaurant - 4 orders they were soo good.
Thunderstorm, that night was a terrible thunderstorm, the kind where it lightenings and the thunder is immediate.  RV is swaying in the wind the power goes out, but we didn't realize it at first.  It rained for hours.  We have had thunderstorms every night since we left and some showers during the day.