Brilliant Ideas and Ramblings of A Crazy Woman: Visit the Black Hills

Last month the Mister and I went to visit the grandkids. My sons and their wives and we rented a cabin outside of Lead, South Dakota at a resort called Terry's Peak. It was roughly a 15-20 minute drive in to Deadwood. Beautiful area. The only down side was there were a lot of areas where they had road construction on 2 lane winding country roads. The weekend was filled with sightseeing and shopping. Of course, no trip to the Black Hills is complete with out a trip to Mt. Rushmore. Admission is free but it is $11.00 to park. Deadwood is a fun area too, but not a lot to do for kids. Lots of fun and gambling for adults. (We'll save that for later).

After leaving Mt. Rushmore, we went to the Cosmos Mystery area. This is a tour. You can't go in by yourself, but it is a fun tour. The guide takes you through the cabins that were discovered in the 1950's by a couple of college students. This is probably one of the greatest things I have ever experienced. The farther in to the cabin you go, the more weird you feel. Word to the wise: Hold on to the rails they provide. My 3 year old grandson let go and took a nifty little roll across the floor. Gravity whisked him away. You will watch nature defy the laws of gravity. My grandies faced each other and were eye level. They switched places and one was taller than the other. My son stood on a block and leaned forward and assumed a Superman pose. Water flowed uphill and tennis balls sit still on a slanted block. Trees bent into a dome and 9 year olds balance on a chair with 2 legs of the chair suspended in air. The tour is $9.50 for adults and 11 and under are free (when accompanied by an adult.) Well worth the money and time

The high point for the grandkids was Reptile Gardens in Rapid City. Admission for the summer season (May - Sept. 2) for adults is $16. Kids ages 5-12 is $11 and 4 and under are free. Lizards and gators, and frogs (OH MY!) Oh, and snakes, too. For the record, I dislike frogs with a passion.

Also, just right down the road from Reptile Gardens is the Putz N Glo Putt-Putt course. Black light putt-putt that starts in the 50's with Elvis and takes you through the 90's. Grab a light lunch and then play a round. A round for adults will run $8.95 and kids 5-11 $7.95. Right outside and across the parking lot is the Maze Run. Try your hand at spelling out the word GOLD throughout the maze. Make it a package with the putt-putt and the maze and it's $12.00.
Majesty of Mt Rushmore