Final Day

Dad spoiled us the last camping night before entering our 13th and final national park, Great Smoky!  We took as long a shower as we wanted, at Anchor Down camp ground.

Before going into the Smokies, we ate like there was going to be no food when we got home!...at the Old Mill Restaurant on Pigeon Forge, then we drove through the beautiful sights in the park.

We drove over 9,200 miles on this trip; that's 920 hours and 37 nights in the RV. We hit 13 national parks, visited 10 different families, and drove through 24 states. We biked at least 6 different locations, and took 5 showers (hahaha just kidding.) Here are some memories:

Dad:
Favorite place: USAFA
Favorite memory: visiting old friends.

Mom:
Favorite place: Grand Canyon
Favorite memory: Going up in the Arch.

Amelia:
Favorite place: Camp on the Pacific.
Favorite memory: listening to the bugling elk at Rocky Mountain.

Cameron:
Favorite place: Yosemite
Favorite memory: mountain biking.

Schaeffer:
Favorite place: Lake Powell
Favorite memory: seeing Mount Rushmore.

McKenna:
Favorite place: Mammoth Cave
Favorite memory: swimming in Lake Powell.

DJ:
Favorite place: pool at Glenwood Springs
Favorite memory: biking trails with Daddy.

Pictures from Mammoth Cave National Park

St. Louis is a great place if you love cities. The Locklears do no take cities at all really, but visiting the Gateway Arch here in Missouri made our stay positive. 

Not lite the towering structure above the city was any hint, but these signs guided us in the right direction.

The Arch is 630 feet tall, and took from around seven years to complete.

To get to the top you have to ride in little orby-cart-thingys to the top.

The view back at the courthouse; the same one where the Dred-Scott case was argued.

Nothing 88 grams of sugar to end the day with.

°Badlands National° ~Park~

Wall drug began back in 1931. Two people took the idea of free ice water for weary travelers into a million dollar business that is still thriving today in Wall South Dakota. 

Wall drug is a place where you could spend hours at s time. There is a restaurant with fresh made donuts, many shops and stores (bookstores people!), including an indoor strip mall. 

 Our next stop that day was the Badlands National Park. Our first sight of wildlife was the MANY prairie dogs, then some lazy goats.

We did a driving tour of the park then continued on our way to St. Louis.