South Dakota: Rocks and Reptiles! (Part Three)

After a great first night at the cabin we were rested and ready for another adventure.  We had breakfast on the deck and it was nice not having to pack up before we headed out.  Best and I had been to Reptile Gardens on our honeymoon and knew it was a great place for hands on fun!

 First we saw a snake show and then on to the alligators.  It was the same guy doing the show that was there 6 years ago so I guess he knows what he's doing!

 This was one of the big reasons I wanted to bring the kids.  I knew Peanut would LOVE to be able to pet a real live alligator.  He's so funny now when he tells people he always adds, "it was a baby and it had it's mouth banded."  Almost like a "don't try this at home kids" warning...

 And of course Sissy needed some bragging rights too so we made sure she got to get her hands on something just as impressive.  This Boa Constrictor fit the bill and his mouth was not banded...

 The kids split a bison burger for lunch and said it was delicious! 

 I had totally forgotten about this part of the gardens and it was actually my favorite this trip.  So cool to watch these giant tortoises lumber about and get to see them up close.  Bree kissed one.  Does that surprise you?  It didn't me in the least.  She loves everyone and everything. 

 In addition to giant tortoises, scary snakes, and fierce alligators they had some of the most beautiful tropical birds.

Not to mention some gorgeous orchids and other flowers that reminded us of Grandma Sharon!

After a half day of reptiles Sis was pretty tired and Best was kind enough to stay with her in the van while Peanut and I conquered another first for him.  Cave tour!  Oh, and don't feel sorry for Sis.  She was snuggled up in the van with plenty of snacks and air conditioning watching her favorite episodes of Daniel Tiger!  Peanut was not a bit hesitant about going on the tour.  He felt confident that he could do it and I knew he could too.  All 444 steps. Pardon my pictures, cave photography is a skill I have yet to acquire and we were pretty much moving the whole time...

He was so interested and asked lots of questions and kept up with the group.  About half way through the tour the guide told our group that if we were tired we could wait where we were and rest and rejoin the tour on the way back.  Peanut immediately looked at me and said, "We are NOT going to do that."  Smile.

 Cave Selfie

We had fun talking about what it would have been like to discover such a cave. 

The tour was great and if you talk to Sissy she will tell you she went too (which Peanut will quickly correct "She only went in the gift shop").  I have a feeling it won't be long before she is going on cave tours too, but in the meantime it was such a special date for just Peanut and me.  I was telling Best that although sometimes it feels like his childhood is whizzing by (and I get a bit emotional that it won't last forever) it's experiences like this that show me what fun it is to have a big kid in the family now.  So many new experiences for us to share. 
   After all that we actually got back to the cabin around 2 and we had a relaxing afternoon before another fun surprise!

 Although we had done pinatas at friend's birthdays, we had never had our very own!  Peanut and Sis were very excited, even though we tricked them into thinking it was full of vegetables, ha!  We said that since we had been having so many treats on vacation that we wanted it to be fun but healthy.  Peanut bought it hook, line, and sinker and was even optimistic about it: "That's ok because I like carrots!" What a great kid. 

 But look what was really inside.  He was pleasantly surprised and admitted our joke was pretty funny.  We just needed about 10 more kids to share the loot!

So four days in we are still going strong.  Amazingly we got these two to bed on time again and we were fresh the next morning for our last full day in South Dakota!  Coming up next...