Ok, who thought it was a good idea to drive to Indiana?

I mean, really, who decides to drive 5,000+ miles with a 5 and 3 year old?

Well, it wasn't that bad. Matter of fact, I'd do it all over again and maybe add in some other stuff. On our last day, I realized that a slight detour N/NW would have put us within striking distance of Glacier N.P. It might have added some hours on the final day of driving but it would have been worth it. But I think it was better to miss out on somethings and remember it as a good trip than do too much and regret it.

We had a great time in Yellowstone. The girls had a ball seeing bison, bears and elk. It's quite amazing how bold people get when approaching wildlife. This one on the side of the road had people taking pictures of it from 12-15 feet away. And not from inside the safety of their cars. The next day, three bison were traipsing through a parking lot and people were circling them to get pictures. The girls and I were safely ensconced inside the van.
The geysers were very groovy. We got lucky and arrived at Old Faithful about 20 minutes before it erupted. The wait is usually not more than 60-90 minutes between eruptions but we got to sit down for a bit, talk to some people around us and then ka-boom. Ellie told me it was "one of the coolest things she had ever seen!" Campbell wanted to know why we couldn't walk up to it and take a shower. We tried to check out some of the other stuff but the sulfur smells were overpowering. I don't think we missed out on much.
As much as the girls enjoyed the wildlife and geysers, I was kind of underwhelmed. It was nice seeing the girls get excited but I'd already seen a ton of bison and bears when I drove out of Alaska in '07. On the first day in the Park, we had walked to the top of the Lower Falls. It was a great view but kind of anti-climactic. The more famous Upper Falls were visible too but it just wasn't a great vantage point. And the walk down was way more fun than the walk back up. Especially since both girls wanted me to carry them. That wasn't going to happen. On the second day, as we got ready to leave, I stopped into the Artist's Point viewpoint.

It was all that I had imagined it would be and more.
Only a handful of other people were there. It was quiet and even a little chilly in the shade. Ellie and I were awestruck by what we saw. It was the thing I had come to Yellowstone to see. The Upper Falls, from this place, were incredible. I was reminded of why I had planned this detour all those months ago. I could have sat down on a bench and just stared for a long while.

It was off to Rapid City, S.D. after that. We had a date with the Presidents, as Ellie calls Mt. Rushmore.
Mt. Rushmore is all about being touristy. There aren't whole lot of locals milling about. And the gift shop was booming even at 8:30 in the morning. The girls were fascinated by the rock carving methods. Campbell, at one point, asked me "Why would they do that?" I didn't really have a logical reason.

We got on our way toward Indiana and arrived 2 days later. A week hanging around with family was a big boost for all of us. Ellie and Campbell had a blast playing with cousins and swimming their hearts out in the pool. I enjoyed being amongst people who truly love and care about us.

We took the scenic loop through the Badlands on the way back. Pictures don't really do it justice. I could spend days there photographing the formations.