Lewis And Clark Interpretive & Keelboat Center and Minuteman Missile NHS - June 2017

On the third day of our journey out west in 2017, we were headed to Badlands National Park from the Ingalls Homestead.  We had a planned stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site for a picnic lunch and short tour, but did not know about or expect to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive & Keelboat Center Rest Area on I-90.  What an amazing place - and we are very glad one of the kids needed a bathroom break because this place was worth stopping.


Heading west on I-90, we were surprised by an awesome stop between Exits 263 and 265 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive & Keelboat Center.  It's just before crossing the Missouri River near Chamberlain, SD.  It's free with great views, sculptures (like the Dignity sculpture above), and tons of historical information and exhibits.  After utilizing the rest area facilities, we browsed the interactive exhibitions and the kids had a thrill "sleeping in teepees" and climbing on the keel boat.



Upon exiting the building to the west, we were treated to a spectacular view of the Missouri River and surrounding landscape.  You can also see the bridge that we would travel over on the way west.


Two beautiful sculptures were immediate eye catchers and looked absolutely beautiful under the brilliant sun and gorgeous blue skies.  The Teepee and Dignity sculptures were amazing!

                               


Since this was an unplanned stop, we didn't have time to take a hike along the path that led down to the river.  We did see this sign at the start of one of the paths which was a good heads up for the family that we weren't in Michigan anymore!



After getting back on I-90, we headed west across the Missouri River.  It was a big thrill to see the river that Lewis & Clark navigated on their exploration.  Our next stop was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.  This museum details much of the "Cold War" between the USA and USSR and the build-up of nuclear warheads between the nations.  You can also go on guided tours of the underground launch control center but our children were to young to plan this into our trip this time.  Definitely going to schedule when we come back this way.  Upon entering the center, we made sure to get our stamp in our National Passport books!

 

It's neat place for history buffs with lots of information!  Tabi also talked grandpa into getting a new buffalo at the gift shop - even though we hadn't see one yet on our trip, she was now prepared!

 


























Next stop - Badlands National Park!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Winning New York! Feb 2015

Image
This was a whirlwind trip with lots of thrills!  There's nothing quite like New York City. Prior to this trip, I had been to Manhattan twice before, so I felt comfortable heading there with my two oldest kids in tow.  Anna was 8 and Paul was 6 and we had the time of our lives! It all started when an amazing deal for airfare showed up from Spirit Airlines.  The three of us were able to fly round-trip from Detroit to NYC-LaGuardia for $75/ea!  We had one backpack each as a carry-on but that's all we would need since we would be in NYC for about 44 hours total!  The flight left Detroit at 6:00 am  and we were fortunate to stay with Aunt Katey and Uncle Rich the night before.  The flight was on time and we were on our way! We touched down at LaGuardia at 7:30 am and hopped a cab to our hotel near Times Square.  We were staying at  Staybridge Suites Times Square  and were able to check our luggage for the day.  This hotel was perfect for us - and the receptionist even offe
Read more

Old West Dinner Cook-out Yellowstone National Park - June 2017

Image
Our first night in Yellowstone was one to remember!  We had made reservations long in advanced for the Old West Dinner Cook-out  and we were very excited to take the wagons out into the wilderness.  You could also choose to go there on horseback if you'd like, but we opted to keep the family together since we all hadn't reached the appropriate age and/or height to ride the horses.   The wagon ride, although a little dusty, was a lot of fun.  Each of the kids were able to help "drive" the team across the prairie and the driver pointed out all sorts of wildlife and geological features.  We saw lots of yellow-bellied marmots and bison. The cook-out was nestled in a little grove of trees in a location that seemingly felt in the middle of nowhere.  There were quite a few people attending but we still felt the remoteness of the location.  They had some interactive animal skulls and antlers for the kids to touch and observe.  When it was time for dinner, the li
Read more

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument - June 2017

Image
Day 8 on our 2017 out west vacation was one of our longest days on the trip with over 7 hours of driving but with some amazing memories.  I've broken this day into to two posts.  Our first planned stop that day: The Little Bighorn Battlefield and National Cemetery. BUT....  thanks to reading through my favorite resource - Moon Yellowstone/Grand Teton Guidebook  , I had discovered something that by pure coincidence would be a memory our family would never forget.  The Battle of Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand) occurred on June 25th, 1876, and every year on the weekend nearest that date, the Real Bird family hosts the Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment .  The cost is very reasonable ($20 per car) and the history and entertainment value is tremendous.  There are bleachers for spectators to sit in and a narrator reads the story of the events leading up to the battle.  Actors posing as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Two Moons, and General Custer among others bring the bat
Read more