Day 2

Oakdale, Wisconsin to Interior, South Dakota

It was a long day across the last bit of Wisconsin, all the way across Minnesota and most of the way across South Dakota.

We had some fun though...the pic above is from a stop at a geocache in Minnesota. We also picked one up in Wisconsin. Had a picnic lunch at one of the cleanest rest stops we've ever encountered. A man was there cleaning up--even washing the picnic tables! Great sunny afternoon with a breeze & a playground to boot!

We stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Each year they spend $100,000 to cover the outside of the building with 600,000 corn cobs in a themed design. This year is a salute to rodeo. Worth the trek off the interstate. Rachel says this was the best part of the day--except for when she broke 6 birds by knocking down the display shelf. YIKES! Thankfully they didn't make her buy them! Whew!

Worked on our 50 states licence plate hunt. Added a few more today. Total is up to 37 + 2 Canadaian provinces.

We decided to stop off at a scenic overlook almost to our exit. It was our first view of the Badlands. An amazing site. God really has made some beautiful places here on earth. The highlight was meeting a family from Connecticut on a 5 week trek across America! One of the sons spotted my Chris Tomlin Tshirt & asked if I liked his music. He commented that he had Tomlin on his Ipod. We got to talking--he's also a DC*B fan! Had some conversation, took each other's family pics with the Badlands in the background & had a prayer together for each other's safety & fun times ahead on our respective trips! A God moment for sure. You never know where you are going to meet a brother or sister in Christ! (This entire encounter thanks to a free tshirt for preordering the See The Morning CD, a willigness to step out and inquire about someone's beliefs & an openness to the Holy Spirit.) God is good. All the time.

Drove through Badlands National Park on our way to the KOA campsite. Lots of gigantic rocks sticking out of the ground in an amazing arrangement.

Cooked dinner, played at the playground, took a walk, the kids did their Summer Bridge books & now it's bedtime.

Tomorrow we'll explore the Badlands up close & then move after lunch to Custer, South Dakota. Planning to see Mt. Rushmore at least by nightfall.

Luke's verse of the day from his Summer Bridge book.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,with all your mind and with all your strength. Deut. 6:8

Blessings,
Liz & all