back in the 'burb again

Well, we are back on the road again!  On Saturday, we left Michigan and started heading back home through Indiana and around Chicago, Illinois.  From Illinois we went north through Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Both states looked quite a bit like Michigan with the forests and cornfields and very green surroundings.  We could see why it was so green there, as it rained most of the day.  We crossed over the Mississippi River at the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota, which was exciting.    For dinner we ate at an A&W, where Joshua had been wanting to go for a while.  Then we crossed over the border to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we stayed the night.  I think we set our record for most states in a day on Saturday.  Six states in one day!!!

Yesterday we traveled through South Dakota and the Black Hills National Park.  In the afternoon we went to Mount Rushmore and hiked around a bit.  I took lots of pictures which I'll post soon.  It was really cool to learn the dimensions of all of the faces.  For instance, we learned that George Washington's nose is 21 feet long, while all other noses are only 20 feet long.  Also, I hadn't known this, but there's a hall of records behind Lincoln's head which was intended to house important American documents and explain the purpose for the monument.  Also we visited the Crazy Horse Monument.  It was amazing to see not only the progress they've made since it was started in the 1940s, but also what it'll look like when finished.  Only the head is completed right now, but when finished it'll be the largest manmade monument in the world, taller even than the Washington Monument.  

After leaving South Dakota, we drove to a small town in Wyoming called Lusk.  Today we're going to try and make it to Salt Lake City, so we can spend tomorrow with some friends of my mom outside Salt Lake City.  And by Wednesday we should be home, so I can post the rest of the pictures.

Under the mercy,

Elizabeth