The Black Hills

This cloud formation looks like a big bird. We are heading East out of the Wildlife Road in Custer State Park. By mid-day the weather was hot and very sunny, as you can see.

This picture of a huge power stationg was taken about halfway down the hill it's on. We drove to the top--about 6,000 feet--and had a beautiful view of the entire area.

Mount Rushmore from the road that approaches it from the North.

One of the 1-lane tunnels along the road known as the "Needles." This drive is a bit harrowing but beautiful!

This cutie was right ourtside Custer Park. Within the Park, most bison were already in corralls, so I saw many from afar but none close up, as I have experienced on past trips. Daisy ignored these guys, but barked her fool head off at the deer and burros we saw.

Today we spent 5 hours driving around the Black Hills. I took tons of pictures and am trying to figure out how to post them all. For now they are all on Facebook, so if you're my friend there, you can see a full album (note: I need to go back and add captions to many of the pics).

It was fairly hot so I didn't actually go into the Mount Rushmore area, but got some fantastic pictures from the road. There is ever-changing beauty in this area. There are many tourist attractions, some geared solely for kids, some more historical, and some just plain trashy. One I've been to in the past that is really nice is Bear Country USA, a driving tour where you can see lots of animals. I've done that in the past but elected against it w/ Daisy in the car.

My favorite spot is Custer State Park. There is a wildlife road that is about 18 miles long and you can see deer, bison, and prairie dogs, as well as semi-tame burros. Today most of the bison appeared to be in the corral area, as few were near the road. (In past trips we have been stoped on the road and surrounded by bison.) The permanent herd numbers just under 1,000, and swells by about 400-500 with births every spring. In October there is a round up and a number are sold for stock or slaughter, reducing teh herd back to just under 1,000.

A note about Mount Rushmore. It is a must-see for all! Pictures and words cannot do it justice. For those of you who don't know, the sculptor, Gutzom Borglum, also sculpted the North Carolina Memorial statue at Gettysburg and the carving on Stone Mountain in Georgia.

Daisy and I are going to take tomorrow off from travel. I've got laundry to do and must repack the car (this is the first time I've unloaded everything in the trunk, switching out some summer and fall clothes, getting coats out, etc.). I also need to send some stuff home and to Unc's house for later retrieval. And I must write up in detail what I learned in Le Mars regarding options and opportunities for our reunion next summer.

We'll leave early Wednesday for Wyoming, and stop by one last SD monument before we leave--Crazy Horse. (There is much more to see in this area--including Deadwood, Spearfish, and Sturgis I've seen it before and hoep to again, but not this trip. The Black Hills and environs are quite beautiful and would be a lovely place for a week's vacation.)