Mount Rushmore - Part 3

After Bear Country, the kids were ready for lunch but we had one more stop we wanted to make before heading back to Rapid City. There really aren't any restaurants between Bear Country and Rapid City.

We made our last stop at Reptile Gardens. We timed our arrival perfectly with the bird show.

We even had two co-stars in our presence. 

After the show, we wandered the gardens enjoying the snakes, prairie dogs and crocs.

Even in mid-October, the gardens were beautiful.

Seeing/touching these old tortoises was a highlight of the trip.

It was funny how they would stretch so that the kids could rub their necks.

We would have spent a bit more time in the garden if the kids weren't hungry. But, it was time to head to Rapid City for lunch. After our late lunch we rested in the hotel for about an hour before going to the adjacent water park. The kids spent HOURS playing at the park. Best $5 spent on the trip. We ended up eating dinner poolside (food was about what you would expect). By 7 am the next morning, we were on our way back to Denver.

Mount Rushmore - Part 2

After leaving Mount Rushmore, we started heading back toward our hotel. We stopped at Bear Country where we learned that these elks are considered the most dangerous animals in the park.

Apparently, it was mating season so the elk were very protective of the herd. Though, none of the animals seemed phased by our presence.

We enjoyed seeing the wolves and marveling how much they look like dogs.

Bear Country is a drive-through zoo. The animals have a nice habitat and seemed content with their surroundings.

A little bit better photo of a cousin of the sheep we saw at Mount Rushmore.

The cats were separated from our cars by cages. But, all other animals were free to roam.

Of course, the most amazing part was the bears.

They really look uncomfortable when they walk. It's hard to believe they can move so quickly. 

The bears were feasting on hamburger buns. If my photoshop skills were better, I would turn that bread into a salmon for a more authentic look.

After the bears, you can visit a mini walking zoo with smaller animals and babies.

These little ones were frolicking happily when we drove by on the way to Mt. Rushmore and were all tuckered out by the time we visited.

The grizzly bear is not part of the drive through experience. Hard to remember that these guys are so much more ferocious than the other bears. We were happy he came out of his cave while we were visiting. We spent a little over an hour at Bear Country and everyone enjoyed the experience.