South Dakota Day 3 8/31

South Dakota, day 3!
First up, a tour of Jewel Cave.
I did not like the light before the flash, so I kept turning my head during the pictures!

Jewel Cave's most popular tour, the Scenic tour, provides an opportunity to visit chambers decorated with calcite crystals and other speleothems along a paved trail with electric lighting. The tour lasted about an hour and 20 minutes. The cave temperature is 49 degrees year-round.

The tour route involves walking up and down 723 stair steps along a 1/2 mile loop, (equivalent to 40 flights of stairs, which Mama carried me the whole way because backpack carriers were not allowed). During the tour, we saw the "jewels" of Jewel Cave. Known as dogtooth spar and nail head spar, depending on their shape, these calcite crystals line the walls on the Scenic Tour route. We also got to see boxwork, cave popcorn, flowstone, stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, and a long piece of cave bacon (Daddy's favorite).

Here I am helping Daddy as he was trying to fit through the Spelunking test area. Mama finally made it through, but it was a really tight squeeze
(8-1/2"H x 24"W)

Next up: Old time photo and a beer at the Saloon! This is the third dollar Mama and Daddy have posted on the walls in the Saloon. Apparently the other two were relocated, but we couldn't find them.

This is one of Mama's favorite parts of the trip...the begging burrows!
Those guys are not shy!

I thought it was pretty cool that I could put my feet
up on the back of the front seats!

Last up: a hike up to Lover's Leap. I took a little snooze while Mama did all the hard work (which is why she's so flushed!).