Jewel Cave

 Jewel Cave was awesome!  The pictures don't do it justice, but it was really neat to see all the rocks and caverns.  I can't imagine how the early explorers braved it, though -- it was fine with paths and electric lights, but it would have been super-spooky with just candles!

(It seems like it would be claustrophobic to be 300 or so feet underground, but it wasn't -- for most places on the tour, the cave is pretty big.  There are other parts, which only the professionals attempt, called "The Miseries", because it's a long stretch of crawling.)  The name is a bit misleading.  The cave has lots of neat rock formations ("the geologists say it's like being inside a geode"), but none of them are especially valuable stones.

We didn't actually see any bats in the caves (apparently they're in another part when they're there), but all the grandchildren were delighted to get stuffed bats as souvenirs.  (Thanks, Grandma!)

Jabba the Hutt

Bacon!

Custer Playground

 The cousins enjoyed the playground even more than the mini-golf -- especially the caboose and the "spinning thing."

Cousin Golf

 We had a wait in the morning before our cave tour, so we hit the mini-golf course.  The boys were racing through, with Quinn and Grandma behind them and Mike and Grandpa bringing up the rear.

(As you might guess from the pictures, James made up for in enthusiasm what he lacked in technique.)

All the Great Faces

 Our route to the hotel took us right by Mount Rushmore.  :)