We left this morning with our lunch packed under partly sunny skies with the hope of the temperature reaching the upper 60's. No such luck, it was not freezing but far from the upper 60's. Our first stop was the Wind Cave-to get to it we traveled through mile after mile of prairie land and once we got onto the national park land we encountered more buffalo-

We had to  have a picture of this sign-Now who really would approach a buffalo?

The 2 pictures above are of  wild Pronghorn Antelope that were playing in the prairie near the highway.

The ranger that gave us the tour of the wind caves is showing where the natural opening of the cave is. In a 1 square mile there is 137 miles of caves that have been mapped. It was  a tour that was well worth the time and the out of the way location. Can you imagine climbing in that hole to discover a cave? Ron and I say "NOT in this lifetime"

We have so much fun!!!

 This cave was way different than the cave that we were in yesterday-only 197 steps down and the terrain was very different. The main attraction in this cave was the "box work" formations. If you look closely you can see the "boxes"

On our way out these big guys decided to go from one field to another and we gladly obeyed the sign.

We saw many of these cute prairie dogs standing at the entrance to their homes.

Our next stop was the Mammoth Site

These bones are just a plaster look alike, of the real bones, the guide said that the real bones were not petrified so they are very brittle.The following pictures were taken in the pit where it is still being excavated and the professionals  think it will be another 20 years before it is completed.

 Actual size of a mammoth

 I was in the lowest part of the dig to date-

 I love looking small!!!

Teeth of a mammoth and in the upper picture are the tusks.

We are still deciding what adventure we will tackle tomorrow-but right now it it poring rain!!