Yellowstone Vacation Day 14: Indian Cave and HOME!

Today we headed home.

First, we took a detour to the much-acclaimed Indian Cave State Park.

Oh, what a disappointing way to end our two weeks.

The park itself is well-maintained and newly paved. There are some interesting features and if you lived nearby you'd probably be very proud of this park.

But for those of us who traveled off the beaten path to get there....well, let's just say it didn't live up to the hype.

There were some neat old buildings that have been preserved and outfitted. We couldn't go inside but we looked in through the windows. There was an old schoolhouse and an old general store, both fully stocked.

[caption id="attachment_3223" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Peeking in through the window. Peeking in through the window.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3222" align="aligncenter" width="300"]The old schoolhouse The old schoolhouse[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3221" align="aligncenter" width="200"]School Bell School Bell[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3224" align="aligncenter" width="200"]Original drinking fountain. Original drinking fountain.[/caption]

After driving the length of the park we came to the cave. Unfortunately, many, many people have carved their names and initials into the cliff side. There are petroglyphs there, but they're nearly impossible to see because of the vandalism.

The cave itself really isn't much of a cave. It's more of an indent or hollow in the cliffside. The meager information states that no one ever lived there, but they would take shelter there when passing through.

[caption id="attachment_3225" align="aligncenter" width="200"]The...cave? The...cave?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3228" align="aligncenter" width="300"]ic-stairs Steps leading to the cave.[/caption]

ic-step-right-up

The stairs were more fun than anything else.

On our way out we stopped to browse the old cemetery. I don't know why I'm so fascinated, but I am. Beautiful headstones.

[caption id="attachment_3227" align="aligncenter" width="200"]Old grave. Several members of the same family were buried here. Old grave. Several members of the same family were buried here.[/caption]

ic-cemetary-gate

That was pretty much it for the park!

We were all tired and ready to be home. A late lunch was eaten at a pizza parlor in Lee's Summit and we made it home just as the sun was setting.

Originally, we'd planned on not getting home until Saturday, but as energy lagged we skipped over and condensed a few things. I can't say I'm sorry. It was nice to see our kitties and sleep in our own beds.

I've enjoyed looking over the Jr. Ranger badges and books that the boys finished and remembering all the things we saw and learned. We enjoyed such beauty. I know many people's ideal vacations are all about relaxation. And that's great! But we love seeing new landscapes and natural beauty. There's so much out there and so little time.

https://youtu.be/z_enljD4380
Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah, they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer

And a single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
And it tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring

Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope

The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in a song not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name
Written by Richard Mullins • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group

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