I started my day before 5 am so I could shoot the dawn in Wind Cave National Park (http://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm). The sunrise was beautiful and everywhere I went I was greeted by mule deer, bighorn sheep and bison.
I returned to camp long enough to make breakfast and then I went to explore the actual Wind Cave. Its a 20-story decent down into the cave through narrow, winding corridors. In one section of the cave, the guide explained how when it was first discovered and people were being brought on tours down here, they would carry candles in buckets to light their way. She painted a clear picture of men and women dressed up in their finest, women in their heavy skirts and slippery heels, men in their dress suits, every one of them holding a candle in a bucket as they carefully scrabbled over rocks.
She turned off the lights in the cave (which were already dim) and lit the room with just a candle in a metal bucket. Then she blew the candle out. Its amazing how dark DARK can get. Eyes wide open and you can’t see your hand in front of your face. I thought it was awesome.
Sadly, you aren’t allowed to hike back up, but must use an old elevator to exit the cave system.
After that it was time to hit the road. I made it to beautiful Minnesota for the night, where I camped again at Blue Mounds State Park (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/blue_mounds/index.html).