Mt.
Rushmore | Custer State Park
Saturday - 26 June 2004 - Custer, South Dakota:
We had just a marvelous day! We stayed-in this morning until quite
late. DT went over weeks of his photos on the computer, deleting duplicate or
blurry shots. This is his first digital camera, yet you would not believe the
nice photos he is capturing! Good job, DT. After a little toast and a lot of
coffee, we took Iron Mountain Road to
Mt. Rushmore. The
route was designed years ago by South Dakota Senator Peter Norbeck to offer the
most stunning views of the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore and the surrounding
National Forest. It was a beautiful drive, passing through three granite tunnels
- each barely big enough for a Suburban to pass through! Of course, the tunnels
are one-way and you come upon them so suddenly, there are signs to "Sound your
horn"! Obviously, we drove the Honda today! This was our second visit to
Mt. Rushmore and it was as awe-inspiring as the first.
Mt. Rushmore
Mt. Rushmore
After our drive and visit to Mt. Rushmore, we drove to Hill
City for lunch at the Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company - "Monumental Food &
Brew" (NOTE: now closed). The company brews Washington Wheat, Rough Rider
Red, Lincoln Lager and Dirty Politics Double Black. Great names! They serve
South Dakota Walleye and Buffalo in every manner: Buffalo Tenderloin,
Buffalo Burgers, Buffalo Fajitas, Buffalo Red Chili and a Buffalo Philly
Sandwich. After lunch, we strolled through the quaint, touristy little Main
Street. DT found a pair of moose hide slippers (and he bought them)!
We drove back towards Custer on The Needles Highway. This road travels
through miles of granite spires. Very pretty! Again, we had to travel
through several teeny-tiny tunnels. These roads are very popular with
motorcycle riders (famed biker-haven Sturgis, South Dakota is near-by) and
we saw over one hundred riders today enjoying the curvy roads and incredible
vistas.
Cathedral Spires
Before going back to the motor home, we decided to drive
back up the Wildlife Loop, where we had been so lucky spotting animals last
night. Good thing we did, too, because we came across a huge herd of
Mountain Sheep - all female with about 20 babies. Sorry, but the babies were
too far away and too protected to allow photography, but let me tell you -
they were ADORABLE! Not much taller than our beagle, Snickers, and all
fluffy beige. They stuck together and moved as a pack. Very cute. Their Moms
were more used to tourists and barely flinched at our stopped cars and
clicking shutters.
Female Mountain Sheep
Then, just a few miles down the road, we came across another
herd of Bison! Wonderful. This time they were in the middle of the road,
following a huge bull.
Where the Buffalo roam - Custer State Park, South Dakota
Bison in Custer State Park
A young calf.
A huge bull, away from the herd
I am sure you all are tired of animal photos. Too bad - we
just had a blast watching these magnificent creatures. We are both
completely puzzled at what The Creator was thinking when he came up with the
Bison. But, they did very well in the Plains before the invading settlers
wiped them out. It's not like there wasn't enough grass for them to eat! DT
and I can compare Custer State Park to a much smaller Yellowstone without
all the geo-thermal activity. If you ever find yourself in Northwest South
Dakota, please spend a few days in the park.
RV Park:
American Presidents Cabins & Camp
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