| Day 1 - Monday, May 12, 2008 | |
| 6:15 a.m. | Buses arrive in Parkers Prairie - load students, parent chaperones, staff and gear |
| 6:45 a.m. | Buses leave Parkers Prairie for Lake Benton |
| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m | Stop 1.1: Wind energy & electric power generation in southwestern Minnesota. Visit to construction yard & towers, discussion |
| 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Travel to Pipestone National Monument (approximately 20 miles) |
| 11:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Stop 1.2: Geology and cultural history of Pipestone National Monument. Visitor’s center, carving of pipestone and trail geology |
| 2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Travel to Devils Gulch, SD (approximately 30 miles) |
| 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m | Stop 1.3 Devils Gulch Recreation Area - Jesse James history and area geology |
| 4:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Travel to Mitchell KOA. |
| 6:00 p.m. | Camp: Mitchell KOA, dinner |
| Day 2 - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | |
| 6:30 a.m. | First wake-up call |
| 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. | Strike tent, eat breakfast, pack bus |
| 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Leave for Badlands National Park (approximately 210 miles) (Note: We gain 1 hour!) |
| 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Stop 2.1 Badlands National Park, overlooks (lunch) |
| 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m | Stop 2.2 Collecting activity and investigation: Agates & fossils, Buffalo National Grasslands |
| 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Travel to Badlands KOA |
| 6:00 p.m. | Camp: Badlands KOA, dinner |
| Day 3 - Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | |
| 6:00 a.m. | First wake-up call |
| 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. | Strike tent, eat breakfast, pack bus |
| 7:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Travel to Devil’s Tower, Wyoming |
| 10:30 a.m.– 2:30 p.m. | Stop 3.1: Devil’s Tower: Igneous rock and area plate tectonics |
| 2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Travel through Spearfish Canyon to Lead (90 miles) |
| 3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Stop 3.2: Homestake Museum, Lead, SD |
| 4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. | Stop 3.3: Mount Rushmore |
| 5:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Travel to Hot Springs, KOA |
| 6:00 p.m. | Camp: Hot Springs, KOA |
| Day 4 - Thursday, May 15, 2008 | |
| 6:30 a.m. | First wake-up call |
| 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. | Breakfast, tidy camp (We stay here again tonight!) |
| 8:00 a.m. | Load bus, travel to Wind Cave |
| 8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Stop 4.1: Wind Cave National Park – Cave tour by park rangers. (Cave tour groups: 9:00 a.m. - Groups 1-2, 9:15 a.m. - Groups 3-5) |
| 10:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. | Hydrology Investigation (our staff and students)/Group Presentations - Wind Cave National Park |
| 12:30 p.m. -- 1:30 p.m. | Lunch – Picnic area, Wind Cave |
| 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Travel to Black Hills Geology Institute, Lunch on the bus |
| 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Stop 4.2: Black Hills Geology Research Institute. Presentation by museum staff. Emphasis: Fossils and Exploration |
| 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Return to camp and change into swimming gear |
| 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Travel to Cascade Falls |
| 4:30 p.m. -- 6:00 p.m. | Swimming at Cascade Falls |
| 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Return to camp, Hot Springs, KOA. |
| Day 5 - Friday, May 16, 2008 | |
| 6:30 a.m. | First wake-up call |
| 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. | Breakfast, strike tent, pack bus |
| 8:00 a.m. | Leave camp for Parkers Prairie |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Arrive back in Parkers Prairie (Note: We lose one hour enroute!) |
