Day 5: Rapid City to Cody, the trek across Wyoming

Day 5 has been an odyssey and we are still going, with a likely 4 more hours ahead of us.  We got up early this morning and broke camp for the first time.  We were most nervous about whether everything would fit in our minivan but, with the help of a cheapo roof carrier we bought at WalMart, we fit no problem.

Our original plan for the day had been simply to make the 6 hour drive to Cody, WY, but there were so many things still to see in SD, we revised our plan and started the day with a detour to Jewel Cave, the 3rd largest cave in the world. Unfortunately, after the 1 hour drive there, we learned that the earliest cave tour we could do was an 11am.  Not ideal.

We decided to go for it anyway, and we were rewarded with a cool trip underground and close up views of cave formations that resembled everything from mummified bodies to rivers of caramel.  The highlight was a 20ft long formation that looked truly indistinguishable from a humungous piece of fresh bacon.

Thanks to our jaunt, we got a very late start on our very long drive. The funny thing is, the prospect of hours more in the car doesn't really bother us grown-ups because the drives are so interesting.  Today, on a route that is largely highway and NOT designated scenic, we have seen vast, rolling green meadows; rushing waterfalls; a spectacular lightening storm (still waiting to find out if our roof rack is waterproof!) plunging canyons; flat, ragged cliffs; the snow-covered Bighorn Mountains; and--as I was writing this sentence -- 2 moose out for their evening meal. Literally every bend in the road brings a new wonder.  I can't say spectacular enough times.