Day 6 was our last full day in Custer State Park and I was a little sad about it. I really enjoyed making the park our home base and there is so much to do without ever leaving the park boundaries. My vote is to stay longer next time (and yes, there will be a next time!).
The morning started out very exciting when a long buffalo was spotted hoofing it behind our cabins. You can see him in the distance in the above photo. Everyone came out of their cabins to see him!
He kept walking, right in front and behind the cabins. It was really funny and we all kept our distance. I have some good video of this that I'll share once I finish my video.
It made my day! When Scott and I visited Custer before we hiked on the trail that went right by the cabins and we saw buffalo on the walk. I thought it would be so fun to stay in those cabins and have buffalo outside and door and sure enough...it happened!
Scott and Michael got an early start to head to Wind Cave on this morning while the girls hung out with me. They came to my class and did really well, staying entertained pretty much the entire time. The only poor parenting part was when Brynn wanted to use a little rug as a blanket and since it was keeping her entertained, I didn't mind. Not too much anyway, ew!
Scott and Michael had a good morning at Wind Cave. They arrived shortly before nine and still had to wait for two tours to depart before their tour. Luckily they had time to shop in the gift shop for sweatshirts since they forgot them and a cool tshirt for me.
They learned a ton about the cave and had fun facts to share when they returned. It seemed really neat! They took the hour and 15-minute tour which involved taking stairs down and an elevator up. They confirmed my hunch that the girls would not have had a good time as it was very strict about staying on the path and not touching things. Also, there was no quick exit in case of meltdowns or snacks, drinks, or restrooms.
And they got pizza afterwards! This was also the only part of the trip where Michael got carsick. The kids had to take dramamine before every trip due to the windy roads. It even made my stomach queasy if I was trying to read or do homework in the car. Ugh!
After my class success, the girls and I hiked over to the nature center so I could see it in person. It was fun!
We had a quick lunch of spaghetti o's and leftover chili for me and then just spent a few hours playing by the cabin. This was such a fun time as the girls were playing so nice and it was pleasant to sit in the shade and watch them/study.
Michael and Scott arrived early afternoon and then we waffled on what to do for the rest of the day since we didn't really have too many plans. Scott suggested Legion Lake and it was not really on my radar but we gave it a go anyway. It ended up being one of my favorite afternoons, I think due to the spontaneity/lowered expectations of it.
Legion Lake was lovely! It was a very short drive from the State Game Lodge area and was no where near as crowded as Sylvan Lake. The parking was easy and it was a quick walk to the beach. The water was also much warmer here and more pleasant to swim in, I think just due to the fact it was a much smaller lake.
We had the awesome good luck of having a family who was leaving gift us their floaties!! Day made!! I'm pretty sure these two floaties provided at least two hours of entertainment for all ages.
To end our stay at Legion Lake, Scott and Michael did a quick thirty minute canoe (or maybe double kayak?) rental. They said it was the perfect length of time as it gave them time to tool around the small lake a bit.
The girls and I did part of the lake hike while they canoed. It was pretty rocky (duh) but the little rocks were slippery as we were climbing down. I'm curious how the rest of the trail was, the part we did was pretty fun.
To celebrate our last night, we all headed to the fancy State Game Lodge restaurant for dinner. The kids were fairly good and we had a nice time. I had elk, Scott had steak, and Michael had a buffalo burger. I also had a very strong margarita-wowzas.
It was the perfect evening after dinner and I talked everyone into at least starting the "Lover's Leap" trail right behind the State Game Lodge. It is one of the favorite trails in the park and goes right into the woods. We just hiked on it for about 10 minutes but it was a fun little side trip. The whole thing is a loop that is about 3 miles which is much beyond our abilities but I still would have liked to do it. Next time!
When we got back to the cabin we did a campfire and made smores. It was very pleasant. After we put the kids to bed, Scott and I hung out a bit more by the fire and watched the full moon come up over the hills. Our terrible picture does it no justice but it was so beautiful at the time. It was a special night.
The next day we head out of Custer State Park!
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