~Illinois~

 We stayed in an RV park in Colona, Illinois.   The campground was on a lake and it had all these large toads swimming in it.   There were so many - the kids were fascinated by them.   It is funny when you are visiting different states how many different bugs, animals and sounds there are that you are not used to.   We are not always very sure of what things are and it can be a bit creepy at times!!

When we arrived at this park there was a huge apple tree at the entrance which the guy said we could pick from.   He loaned us a "picker" and we were able to get 12lbs of delicious organic apples from the top of the tree.  Here are some of the ones we have not eaten yet.   Hoping to make a nice crisp with them. :)

~Amana Colonies~

 We stopped off in the Amana Colonies – This is one of America's longest-lived communal societies which began in 1714 in the villages of Germany and continues today on the Iowa prairie. There are 7 colonies. They have brick and stone houses and lovely veggie and flowers gardens too. The church is at the centre of each village.

~The Grotto of the Redemption~

When we were in West Bend, Iowa we stayed at this RV park that was at the "Grotto of the Redemption".   A Catholic priest gathered rocks and precious stones from all over the world and for the next 42 years he constructed grotto walls and ceilings and tried to create a spiritual experience for people when they were visiting it.

It was a unique and very interesting place to visit.

                 A beautiful sunset from the rv park.

~Sioux Falls~

 On our way through South Dakota we stopped off at Sioux Falls. The State has been experiencing a drought for the last few years, so the falls were not very big this year. It was still beautiful though.

It was another 40 degree celsius day, and we were SO hot again!! This is the family having a quick break in the shade.

~A Blessing~

We had such a lovely evening getting to know our "RV neighbours" Dean and Jo, from Texas. This couple was so sweet to us, and even prayed with us before we left the next morning. They were a real blessing to our family!

~The World's Only Corn Palace~

 Today we went to the "Corn Palace" in Mitchell, South Dakota. The building is famous for its huge, colourful murals which they redesign every year.

Much of the work is done by hand. Sketches are created by local artists and then transferred to roofing paper, and nailed to the mural panels. Each ear of corn is sawed in half, shaped, and trimmed to fit the design. 13 shades of coloured corn are grown and used in this form of folk art. Just think of it as a large scale "corn-by-number" (how "corny" is that!!!)

The Corn Palace today is a multi-use facility, and even the gym had "corn murals". It was incredible!

~The Badlands~

Wow - another great day! Today we visited Badlands National Park, a geological landscape of buttes, spires and rolling grasslands. The scenery was incredible! The colours of the rocks were spectacular and the road meandered through the rocks and prairies.

We stopped at many picturesque viewpoints along the way.

                        "Yellow Mounds Overlook"

 By noon the weather had soared to 40 degrees Celsius!!! We enjoyed the Visitor Center (which happened to be air conditioned!) and watched a neat documentary on the Badlands. The boys also completed the Jr.Ranger program.