Dave and Jan returned home September 7th from a two week trip to “camp” with their children and grandchildren at Camp Rimrock, located about 10 miles west of Rapid City, South Dakota. The most famous faces in the region, of course, are located on Mount Rushmore – but family faces make that national monument even more interesting.

(Left to right – Andrew, Elijah, Alissa with Silas, Levi, Stephen with Ryan on his back, and Meagan)

Another face is being carved on a nearby mountain – the face of the Indian Chief Crazy Horse. If the carving is ever completed (with the chief sitting on his horse), it will be even larger than the one at Mt. Rushmore!

Another familiar face we enjoyed together was the familiar face of the moon as it passed as close to earth as it gets on its travels around our planet.

Our first day in camp at Camp Rimrock Dave and Jan joined Andrew, Alissa, Levi, Elijah and Silas for a hike up the hill across from the camp where the view of the camp, looking down from the hilltop, is quite impressive.


Popsicles served to the boys at camp resulted in some happy faces – as popsicles normally do.

The whole family posed for a family photo in front of the fireplace in the camp lodge at Camp Rimrock.

We enjoyed celebrating Stephen’s 34th birthday together with some of his favorite ice cream pies.

Ryan had a chance to explore the Black Hills Central while Dave, Jan, Stephen, Meagan and Ryan awaited the arrival of Andrew, Alissa, Levi, Elijah and Silas on the steam-driven hour-long train ride between Keystone and Hill City.


Levi and Elijah had fun exploring another train which was once used in the mining operation at Thunderhead Falls.

At Thunderhead Falls, just outside the entrance to Camp Rimrock, the outside water fall is set in contrast with the inner falls at the end of a six hundred foot mine shaft.


It was a fun experience to have the family vacation together – enjoying other local attractions like the Wind Cave (while Stephen’s family was still with us), and the Dinosaur Park and a museum of area wildlife provided by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department (with Andrew’s family after Stephen’s family flew back to Southern California).

We are grateful for the opportunity to be reminded of some of the men who have influenced our nation’s past, and happy for the opportunity to blend their faces with the even more familiar faces of our own children and grandchildren.