Reptilian Morning

While it may not rank high on the list of "must see" destinations on the Travel Channel, the Reptile Gardens in Rapid City were a high priority to our own "Turtle Boy," Jameson. The morning after seeing Mount Rushmore, Jameson, MelodyJoy, Phillip and I made a point of stopping by . . .

As soon as we arrived, we went to the snake show, where a very entertaining young man showed us a number of snakes, including this cobra . . .

From there, we hit the alligator and crocodile demonstration where this same fellow told us all about the creatures and pulled one out of the water, sat on his back and stuck his hand inside the gator's mouth.







There were some enormous snakes and other exotic reptiles on display, as well as mirrors from the New York world's fair and a tic-tac-toe playing chicken who handily defeated Jamey. Truth be told, the animals were in pretty cramped and primitive quarters for the most part. I doubt it would pass muster in most parts of the country, especially the West. Still, we had a good time before we had to rush off for our next destination, Rochester, Minnesota.