South Dakota Sights

8/5/16

Dear H-,

I know you are still on your trip but I thought you'd like to have a letter to open when you return. How has your trip been going? I am very interested in hearing how the safari is going.

I don't remember if I told you before I left, but I went on a road trip just after you left. So far, I've been to Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, and now Nebraska.

Today, I started in a town called Deadwood, South Dakota.  This town is famous for being the Wild West and for people like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hikock. They were both famous for various skills, including being sharpshooters. While in Deadwood, I visited their graves. (They are buried next to each other.) Wild Bill was assassinated by a man named Jack McCall. Calamity Jane died a few years later from illness.

Posing with Wild Bill Hickok

Wild Bill's resting place on left and Calamity Jane's on right

downtown Deadwood

After visiting Deadwood, I went to Mount Rushmore where four presidents' heads are carved into the Black Hills. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln can be seen. I was very much impressed by this National Monument. It seems crazy to me that George Washington's nose is 21-feet long, AND it was carved mostly using dynamite!

On the way out of the National Monument, I spotted mountain goats on the side of the road! There was a mama and a baby!

The last big thing I did today was visit Wind Cave National Park. I was able to go on a tour of part of the cave. I went down about 200 feet into the earth and saw many cave formations like box work, cave popcorn, and small stalactites. I'm so glad I had the chance to visit this cave.

inside Wind Cave

box work inside Wind Cave

Finally, I traveled from South Dakota to Nebraska. I expect I will have more adventures here tomorrow.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your teacher,

Elaina

Heading to South Dakota

8/5/16

Dear NH,

How are you? By the time you get this letter, camp will be over, and you will be back home. How was camp? Did you get my two letters? I hope so.

I have traveled a long distance. I left Grand Tetons National Park yesterday and made it to a town in Wyoming called Casper. Casper is the 2nd largest city in Wyoming.

This morning, I started my day by visiting the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. This center is a museum that provides information about the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, California Trail, and Pony Express Trail. I hadn't realized there were so many trails. Even though some of these trails shared some of the same pathways they all ended in different places.

Here, I am trying to see how hard it would be to pull a handcart.
A handcart is one of the ways pioneers carried their luggage.

After visiting the interpretive center, I made my way northeast toward South Dakota. My plan was to visit Mount Rushmore yesterday, but I ran out of time, and that didn't happen. However, I still did some cool things. I went to a place called Devils Tower. Here, the land looked like it had risen up to form a flat table on top with long lines going up and down the sides. Up close, you could tell that the lines were formed by hundreds of columns of rock in geometric shapes. Basically, you could see rock tables that had 3-7 sides. I had never seen anything like it!

In the land near Devils Tower was a prairie dog community. They are super cute!

After visiting Devils Tower, it was getting a bit late, but I went off roading in the Black Hills and found a place to camp. (Off roading is basically driving on a dirt road.) Today, I will continue off roading east through Black Hills National Forest until I hit a paved road in South Dakota. I look forward to hearing about camp!

Your teacher,

Elaina