Mom's Adventures (Amy's Road Trips): July 2013

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

3 Mamas, 8 Kids and a 12 Seater

This trip is planned from New Brighton, MN

Day 1:

7:00am - Leave New Brighton, MN

8:45am to 10:00am - Minneopa State Park - 54497 Gadwall Rd Mankato, MN 56001
8:45am - 9:00am - Seppmann Windmill
9:15am - 10:00am - Waterfall Trail Loop - 0.5 mile
Hours: 9am to 3pm
Admission: Free

12:30pm to 2:00pm - Falls Park - 131 E Falls Park Dr., Sioux Falls, SD
Hours: 5am to 10pm
Admission: Free

3:15pm to 4:30pm - Corn Palace - 612 N Main St., Mitchell, SD
Hours: 8am to 9pm
Admission: Free

5:40pm to 6:30pm - Pizza Ranch - 801 7th St Platte, SD 57369
Dinner Buffet - $8 Adults

9:30pm - Hotel in Wall, SD
America's Best Value Inn, 201 S Blvd, Wall, SD

Day One Cost:
Gas: 591 Miles - $197
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $70
Admissions: $0
Hotel: 3 Rooms $211
Total: $498

Day 2:

8:00am - Leave Hotel

9:00am to 11:00am - Bear County USA - 13820 S Highway 16, Rapid City, SD
Hours: 9am to 4pm
Admission: Adults $16, Kids $10

11:05am to 3:30pm - Reptile Gardens - 8955 S Highway 16, Rapid City, SD
Hours: 8am to 6pm
Admission: $16, Kids $11
Eat a packed lunch

3:45pm to 5:30pm - City of Presidents - 631 Main St., Rapid City, SD
Hours: Monday thru Saturday 12pm to 9pm

Little Ceasers - 1601 Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD

5:40pm - Hotel in Rapid City, SD
Super 8, 2124 N Lacrosse St., Rapid City, SD

Day Two Cost:
Gas: 78 Miles - $26
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $15
Admissions: $179
Hotel: 3 Rooms $211
Total: $451

Day 3:

7:00am - Leave Hotel

8:00am to 9:00am - Crook County Courthouse - 309 Cleveland St., Sundance, WY
Hours: 8am to 4pm
Admission: Free
Sundance Kid Statue and Jail

9:30am to 12:00pm - Devils Tower National Monument - US Hwy 14, Devils Tower, WY
Hours: 9am to 4pm
Admission: $10 Car
Tower Trail - 1.5 hours/1.3 miles

12:00pm to 12:30pm - Picnic Lunch

2:45pm to 4:30pm - Black Hills Institute Museum - 117 Main St., Hill City, SD
Hours: 9am to 7pm
Admission: Adults $8, Kids $4

4:45pm to 9:00pm - Crazy Horse Mountain Memorial - 12151 Ave of the Chiefs, Crazy Hourse, SD
Hours: 8am to Dark
Admission: $27 car
Museums
Laser Light Show at Dark
Dinner at Laughing Water Restuarant

10:00pm - Hotel in Custer, SD
Days Inn Custer, 519 Crook St., Custer, SD

Day Three Cost:
Gas: 239 Miles - $80
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions: $84
Hotel: 3 Rooms $224
Total: $508

Day 4:

8:00am - Leave Hotel

8:20am to 10:00am - Jewel Cave National Monument - 11149 US Hwy 16 B-12, Custer, SD
Visitor Center Hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Cave Tour: Discovery Tour - 9:35am (20 minutes) Adults $4, Kids Free

10:30am to 11:00am - Custer State Park - Gordon Stockyard - Stockyard Lake Dr, Custer, SD

11:15am to 11:45am - Custer State Park - Mt. Coolidge FireTower - Off SD-897 S, Custer, SD

12:15pm to 1:00pm - Wind Cave National Park - Rankin Ridge Trail - SD-87 S & Rankin Ridge Rd.
1 Mile Loop Trail - 14 Interpretive Stops

1:15pm - 3:10pm - Wind Cave National Park - 26611 US 385, Hot Springs, SD
Hours: 8am to 6pm
Admission: Free
Cave Tour: Fairgrounds Cave Tour - 1:40pm (1.50 hours) Adults $9, Kids $4.50
Junior Ranger Program

3:30pm to 5:30pm - Mammoth Site - 1800 US 18 Bypass, Hot Springs, SD
Hours: 8am to 8pm
Admission: Adults $9, Kids $7

5:30pm - Hotel in Hot Springs, SD
Super 8, 800 Mammoth St., Hot Springs, SD

Day Four Cost:
Gas: 71 Miles - $24
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions: $144
Hotel: 3 Rooms $252
Total: $540

Day 5:

8:00am - Leave Hotel

8:45am to 11:45am - Custer State Park - Entrance Station - SD-87 N & Wildlife Loop Rd, Custer, SD

9:15 - Buffalo Corrals
9:45 - Peter Norbeck Visitor Center - 30 minutes
10:30 - Badger Hole - 30 minutes
11:15 - Tunnel 6
11:25 - Tunnel 5 and Needles Eye - 15 minutes
11:45 - Tunnel 4

12:15pm to 1:30pm - Mount Rushmore National Monument - 12000 S Dakota 244, Keystone, SD
Hours: 8am to 10pm
Admission: $11 Car
Junior Ranger Program

1:45pm to 2:30pm - Cosmos Mystery Area - 24040 Cosmos Rd, Rapids City, SD
Hours: 8am to Dusk
Admission: 12+ $10, Under 12 Free

3:00pm to 5:00pm - South Dakota Air & Space Museum - 2890 Davis Dr., Ellsworth AFB, SD
Hours: 8:30am to 6pm
Admission: Free

5:15pm to 6:30pm - Arnold's Classic Diner - 1940 N Lacrosse St., Rapid City, SD

6:30pm - Hotel in Rapid City, SD
Super 8, 2124 N Lacrosse St., Rapid City, SD

Day Five Cost:
Gas: 129 Miles - $43
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions: $51
Hotel: 3 Rooms $211
Total: $425

Day 6:

8:00am - Leave Hotel

9:15am to 2:00pm - Badlands National Park - 25216 Ben Reifel Rd, Interior, SD
Hours: 7am to 7pm
Admission: $15 Car
GPS Adventure Activity Book
1-Notch Trail - 1.5 miles - 2 hours RT
2-Cliff Shelf Nature Trail - 0.5 miles - 30 minutes RT
3-Saber Site
4-Erosion Study
5-Sea of Grass

2:30pm to 4:30pm - Wall Drug - 510 Main St., Wall, SD
Hours: 7am to 10pm
Admission: Free + Lunch Cost

5:00pm to 6:00pm - Wall Drug Restuarant

6:15pm - Hotel in Wall, SD
Americas Best Value Inn, 201 S Blvd, Wall, SD

Day Six Cost:
Gas: 109 Miles - $37
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions: $15
Hotel: 3 Rooms $ 211
Total: $383

Day 7:

7:00am - Leave Hotel

8:00am to 11:00am - Minuteman Missle National Historic Site - 21280 SD Hwy 240, Phillip, SD
Hours: 8am to 4:30pm
Admission: Free
Guided Delta-01 Tour
Self Guided Delta-09 Tour

11:30am to 12:00pm - Picnic Lunch

12:00pm to 2:00pm - Badlands Petrified Garden - 23104 SD Hwy 248, Kadoka, SD
Hours: 7am to 7pm
Admission: Adults $5, Kids $3

5:30pm - Hotel in Sioux Falls, SD
Microtel Inn and Suites, 2901 S Carolyn Ave, Sioux Falls, SD

Day Seven Cost:
Gas: 295 Miles - $99
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions: $39
Hotel: 3 Rooms $193
Total: $451

Day 8:

9:30am - Leave Hotel

10:00am to 11:00am - USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial - 2705 12th St., Sioux Falls, SD
Hours: 10am to 6pm
Admission: Free

11:30pm to 1:30pm - Devils Gulch Park - Devils Gulch Park Rd., Garretson, SD
(5th St) Near Split Rock Park

2:30pm to 5:00pm - Pipestone National Monument - 36 North Reservation Ave, Pipestone, MN
Hours: 8am to 5pm
Admission: $3
Junior Ranger Program
The Circle Trail/The Old Stone Face

9:00pm - Arrive at Moms - New Brighton, MN

Day Eight Cost:
Gas: 265 Miles - $89
Food: Lunch $20, Dinner $100
Admissions:$9
Hotel: None
Total: $218

Total Trip Cost: All
Ford Econline 350 or similar Rental - $1500 ($1482)
Day 1: $500 ($498)
Day 2: $450 ($451)
Day 3: $510 ($508)
Day 4: $540
Day 5: $430 ($425)
Day 6: $390 ($383)
Day 7: $450 ($451)
Day 8: $220 ($218)
Total: $4990 ($4956)
Divided by 3: $1664 ($1652)

Total Trip Cost: Individual
Amy: Van - $500
D1: $174, D2: $165, D3: $186, D4: $202.50, D5: $159.50, D6: $140.50, D7: $164, D8: $85
Amy's Total: $1776.50

Sarah: Van - $500
D1: $159, D2: $138, D3: $154, D4: $153, D5: $130, D6: $120.50, D7: $135, D8: $65
Sarah's Total: $1554.50

Keri: Van - $500
D1: $164, D2: $149, D3: $157, D4: $164, D5: $125, D6: $115.50, D7: $136, D8: $60
Keri's Total: $1570.50

Mammoth Cave National Park - 2 Day Trip

This trip is planned from Jackson, TN. It can be revised to fit your location.

*Because of delays in our plans caused by our car getting broken into at the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park, We did not get to do a few things on our schedule. (Cedar Sink Trail, River Styx Spring Trail, Junior Ranger Track)

Day 1:

7:00am - Leave Home

9:00am to 9:30am - Narrows of the Harpeth - Narrows of the Harpeth Rd, Kingston Springs, TN

11:30pm - Mammoth Cave National Park - 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY

Visitor Center Hours: 8am to 6:30pm
Camping: Mammoth Cave Campground $17-20 night

Site #3

Reservations: 270-758-2424
Cave Tour: Historic Tour - 2:45pm - 4:45pm
Cave Tour Admission: Adults $10, Kids $8

Fat Man's Misery

Preventing the spread of White-Nose Syndrome

Junior Ranger Program

Junior Ranger Oath

11:30am to 12:00pm - Cedar Sink Trail
12:05pm to 12:30pm - Sloans Crossing Pond

12:40pm to 1:45pm - Mammoth Cave Campground - Check-In, Lunch, Set-Up
1:50pm to 2:45pm - Visitor Center
2:45pm to 4:45pm - Historic Tour
5:00pm - 5:15pm - Sand Cave Trail

5:30pm - Mammoth Cave Campground - Dinner

Day 2:

9:25am - Leave Camp

9:30am to 10:00am - River Styx Spring Trail

10:30am to 11:15am - Junior Ranger Track

11:30am to 12:30pm - Big Mike's Rock Museum & Gift Shop - 566 Old Mammoth Cave Rd., Cave City, KY

Ari is searching for the perfect rock

Hours: Monday thru Sunday 9am to 8pm
Mystery House Admission: $1

Notice the front legs are in the air

Kerry aka Superman

*The kids and Kerry proclaimed this the highlight of the trip. It really was a cool place, it was well worth more than we paid to get in.

He really can climb the walls!

1:30pmCT/2:30pmET - 3:30pmET - Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob Creek
7120 Bardstown Rd, Hodgenville, KY
Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm ET
Admission: Free

3:45pmET - 4:45pmET - Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park - 2995 Lincoln Farm Rd, Hodgenville, KY
Hours: 8am to 6:45pm ET
Admission: Free

Lincoln Memorial

Sinking Spring

Junior Ranger Program

My Junior Rangers

9:00pm CT - Home

Secondary Plan:

Day 1:

8:00am - Leave Home

10:00am to 10:30am - Worst Train Wreck in US History - White Bridge Rd., Nashville, TN

12:00pm - Mammoth Cave National Park - 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY
Visitor Center Hours: 8am to 6:30pm
Camping: Mammoth Cave Campground $17-20 night
Reservations: 270-758-2424
Cave Tour: Frozen Niagara Tour - 1pm, 3:15pm and 4:15pm
Cave Tour Admission: Adults $10, Kids $8

Junior Ranger Program

Trails: Cedar Sink Trail - 0.8 mile
River Styx Spring Trail - 0.6 mile
Sloans Crossing Pond - 0.4 mile
Sand Cave Trail - 0.1 mile

Day 2:

8:45am - Leave Camp

9am to 10am - Big Mike's Rock Museum & Gift Shop - 566 Old Mammoth Cave Rd., Cave City, KY
Hours: Monday thru Sunday 9am to 8pm
Mystery House Admission: $1

10:15am to 3:00pm - Kentucky Down Under - 3700 L and N Turnpike Rd., Horse Cave, KY
Hours: 9am to 4pm
Admission: Adults $22, Kids $13
Outback Cafe

6:30pm - Home

Other lodging options:

Wigwam Village Motel - 601 N Dixie Hwy, Cave City, KY - $50-$70 night