Hot Springs, SD

What do you do when you've just moved somewhere new and your household goods aren't showing up for 4 weeks?  Go exploring, of course! 

We drove to Hot Springs and checked two items off of our South Dakota bucket list. First we stopped at The Mammoth Site which is an active dig site.  It was pretty awesome to check out and see all the great fossils they have dug up so far, but being able to witness the unearthing of fossils made it even more fun.  The kids love anything that deals with the past and history, so they thoroughly enjoyed this.  Our next stop was to Cascade Falls which was a great idea since it was a very hot day.  My little swimmers couldn't believe that we were swimming in spring water and were even more fascinated by the cliffs that allowed for some pretty epic flips and jumps.  The kids mentioned how both places didn't disappoint, so I see us going back to both.  

The Mammoth Site 

Dance party in the Mammoth Bone Cave 

Cascade Falls 

So we hit a rough spot that day.  Lexie isn't comfortable walking on uneven surfaces. Really though, who is?  However when most of us just try to be extra cautious, she just melts down.  She LOVES to swim and has no problem staying afloat thanks to her puddle jumper, but when something isn't perfect for her, she hits the sensory brick wall.  She would've done fantastic in the deep end, but seeing how my swimsuit was with the packers, I wasn't comfortable letting her go without me.  I have a feeling she will love the next visit when we can all get in.