Day 18: Custer, South Dakota & Mt. Rushmore
Hi everyone! It’s your favorite group again, the happys! Today we woke up in Ponderosa after a great night and being able to sleep in
till 7am. Everyone had time to pack up, get ready and get on the bus and
didn’t have to worry about being in a rush!
Once on the bus, we traveled for a long time. It was worth
it though as we saw many great landscapes, it was like the Grand Canyon part
three as we passed through Shell Canyon! The breakfast was something new as
well. A good mixture of peanut butter, bananas and honey all wrapped up in a
tortilla. Lunch was pizza wraps with cheese, pepperonis and sauce all on a tortilla. Our new cooks are doing a great job!
our scenery for most of the day
After a stop at a well decorated Walmart, we all grabbed
what we needed and jumped back on the bus. Some girls drank a tad too much
coffee though and had to make a bathroom break in a cup instead of a toilet… As
the ride continued on, the bus played some interesting games such as bean
boozeled in hopes of winning a free desert from KS. Some people got good
flavors, but not everyone was as fortunate. Cade took the biggest bet of all as
he took a whole handful of the jellybeans and ate them in hopes for a free
meal. Some bean boozeled jellybean flavors include dead fish, barf, lawn clippings, moldy cheese and spoiled milk. Cade took it in stride and ate them all without hesitating for a single
moment. The smell was enough to affect the entire bus though! In summary, while
the ride was long, it was still full of good naps, good lessons and fun games.
Finally, we arrived in Custer, South Dakota at a local park.
Once there, counselor Daisy announced that we had some time to get in our groups
and plan some awesome dances to a remix of the Post Malone song
Congratulations. Before starting our dances, a few people spoke about their
research. Landrie gave an awesome talk on South Dakota, Taylor spoke of Mount
Rushmore and Caroline talked about Custer, our sleeping spot for the night.
listening to research
Landrie H. presenting her research
Caroline W. presenting her research
Taylor G. presenting her research
meeting with Custer Mayor Corbin
After the research was done, all groups were dismissed and
we got down to business. Teams worked hard to make the best dance they possibly
could, but we know ours will be hard to beat. Stay tuned… Before dinner though,
we got the awesome opportunity to hear from Custers mayor, Corbin! After
learning lots, it was time for dinner. The meal we had all been waiting for…
Ramen noodles with the option of beef, chicken or oriental flavor for the vegetarians. Yummy!
Andrew F. helping get ready for dinner
some T-dubbers enjoying dinner
A few of our cooks!
After dinner, we all hopped on the bus once again and
finally made our way to Mount Rushmore. Upon arrival everyone dispersed for ice
cream and pictures in front of the monument. The ice cream was super
delicious! We all knew though that at 8:30, it was time to be seated for the show.
A ranger came onto the stage and we waited for the sun to set so we could
watch the video, she asked us all some trivia questions. Of course, the teens
westward bound participants got all of the answers correct! The video began
soon after, and shed light on the history of America. It gave some background on the
importance of the people who are represented on the rocks of Mount Rushmore. At
the end of the video, everyone joined together to stand tall and proud as we
all sang the national anthem underneath the shining faces of our founding
fathers. It was a moving moment for sure. Once the singing was completed, the
ranger came back onto the stage and invited any past and present soldiers onto
the stage so that we all could honor them. A group of them lowered the American
flag as the finale of the night. We all shared one last round of applause for
our soldiers and then made our way back to our vehicles.
TWB at Mount Rushmore
our staff imitating the rocks
Ready for the show!
Alex F. enjoying his ice cream
Cade M. enjoying some dessert
Mitchell S. at Mt. Rushmore
Ansley F. enjoying some ice cream
Some of our ladies plus Daisy and Grant
Sealey S., Hannah C. and Alex A. having some ice cream
Landrie H., Cam S., Madalynn P. and Andrew F. trying to keep straight faces
Tonight we bed down in the worlds largest externally supported
log cabin. Somewhere that even Eleanor Roosevelt stayed while her husband
worked on Mount Rushmore. It is a blessing that we all are given the
opportunity to stay here tonight. Now it is almost 11:30, which is our bedtime
as we are waking up bright and early tomorrow morning.
Goodnight and until tomorrow,
The Happys!
