Photo Friday- Black Hills Vacation Part 1

We just got back from our Black Hills vacation and boy did we have a great time!  I grew up in the Black Hills and love going back every year. I really miss the hills and all of the activities there are to do there. I almost always end up wanting to move back and this year the boys said they wanted to move there too. We got quite a few activities in and had a great time visiting my parents and brother and his family. I took a lot of photos so I'm dividing our vacation into two posts. This week I'm sharing my iPhone photos. There were a few times that I didn't want to carry my DSLR along (like going down 300 feet into a cave!) so my iPhone saved the day. Have I mentioned how much I love that little camera?!  So here is part 1 of our Black Hills vacation!

One of the first things we did was go to Devils Tower in Wyoming. I had never been there before so that was a treat. It is awesome and gorgeous!  I'll have more pictures of this from my other camera but here are a couple to tide you over until next week. The first was taken as we were driving away and the second was taken using panoramic mode.  I don't often use that feature but with that view I couldn't pass it up!

 

  

The next day we went to the Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns. I hadn't been in a cave since I was 6 or 7 so this also was a first of sorts for the whole family. We had to go 300 feet down into the cave and it was chilly!  It was well worth all the steps and the cold though.  It was hard to imagine that two boys found the cave when they were 9 or so while they were just out exploring in the 1930's. I can't imagine if my boys had found a cave like that!  People sure were adventurous back then. With my husband just having hip surgery not that many months ago he stayed out with our youngest and walked the nature trail. That was gorgeous also. The path wasn't very obvious so it almost felt like we were exploring in the hills just like those two boys from long ago.  It was a fun time. 

                                  

                                  

     

    

                      

We recently watched one of my favorite movies, Dances With Wolves, as a family and I knew that we wanted to see something from the making of the movie on our trip.  We found just the thing at the Fort Hays Old West Town. Here they have the Fort Hays building that was on the set of Dances With Wolves!  It was so awesome to stand right where Kevin Costner stood in the movie and see the bullet hole in the window.  The boys also got to help make a rope. It was a great afternoon. 

                                  

                                  

                                  

 

    

Our trip wouldn't have been complete without a few photos taken of the prairie. I just love the wide open space. The first is my parents 'backyard' and the other two photos were taken as we drove down the interstate. 

    

   

Stay tuned for next week where I'll share a few more photos of our amazing trip. I'll leave you with my cute little boys. A couple of shots at my parents and one of their new haircuts done just today (nothing to do with our vacation but my parents will want to see). Thanks for stopping!