Don't Rush and you will see More - South Dakota

*Sorry for that title but I couldn't help myself

First Stop in South Dakota was in Hot Springs to the Mammoth Site. This is the largest concentration of mammoths in the world currently at 61 and counting. You see, way back (26,000 years ago or so) there was this spring fed sink hole.  Columbian and Wooly Mammoths would come here for a sip or two and a wade.  Not being very bright they didn’t notice it was getting deeper over the years and months. They kept coming and not leaving. 1970ish a heavy equipment operator was clearing land for an apartment complex and recognized what he was digging. Now we have a very cool active dig leaving the most pristine skeletons in place. You get a guided tour and as much individual time as you want to wander the site and tour the exhibit room.  I consider this a unique don’t miss stop.

* In the Sinkhole

*Over view of the indoor dig site

*Inside a Replica Ukranian Mammoth jaw bone house

 *This Short Face Bear died fat and happy on tasty mammoth steaks in the sink hole

 

We are staying at a nice park; Heartland RV in Hermosa just 15 minutes outside Custer State Park. Custer is an experience in itself. Founded in 1912 and is 71,000 acres.  It is full of fearless animals, plants, mountains, lakes, rivers and valleys. Driving here is as interesting as it is beautiful.  Take your time and a picnic. Custer Park also gives you a great route to the Crazy Horse monument. Started in 1948 the face is complete and work has started on the horse head.  Admission and donations are the engine for completion on this project.  Side note: The town of Custer is too cute!! Great wander around, drink wine, look at fun stuff kinda place.

*Don't Pick up Hitch Hikers

* Mountain Goats

* Antelope ( Yeah no speeding around here)

 

 

*Great cruising roads

* Check your transmission fluid before you drive around here - Took these folks three hours to get a tow

* King of the mountain

* The Needles

 

* Pull in your mirrors

 

* Yep - that tow truck had to come through here

* Crazy Horse has a long way to go but he is shaping up nicely

 

We headed to Mount Rushmoreon the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. This is one of the most twisty turny roads we have ever been on.  Complete with pigtail twisted bridges and gives you your first glimpse of Mount Rushmore.

 

 

No charge to visit MR but there is a $11.00 one year parking pass. There is a great visitors center, movie and view upon view of a monument.  Les and I had both been looking forward to seeing this monument our whole lives. Check Mark! I loved the Borglums (sculptor and master mind behind this project) artist studio.The original idea is here. Looking out the window you see the finished product with its adaptations puts a very human emotional connection to the work.

*"Tunnel Tunnel Tunnel!"

* Best laid plans can always change a bit

 

There are a bunch of caves in this area to pick from. Wind Cave National park is our winner. There is a crawl through little spaces tour and a walk on a paved path tour. We took the paved path. Side note: The welcome center and the concrete work at this park had been done by the CCCs.

Unique to Wind Cave is the Box Work.  95% of the known Box Work formations of the world are in this cave. Why is that?  Not sure. Science Warning: What they do know is that the boxes were formed before the cave was created.  Making the Boxes speleogens as apposed to speleothems.  I love cave tours and it is always better when you see and learn something new.

 

* "Careful! Don't touch anything!"

*Ceiling Box Work

 

* This was really nifty.  I wish the pictures could have been better

* Wind Cave also has Popcorn formations

 

Life is now complete! We have made it to Wall Drug Store. Ever since I can remember I have seen the bumper stickers all over. Believe it or not it is a drug store…...museum, road side attraction, art gallery, book store, leather shop, jewelry store and café.  Special note: Free coffee and doughnuts for vets and free Bumper Stickers for everyone!! Aha – That’s why we have bumper sticker sightings!

* TA DA!!!!

* FREE (*-*)

* Bradys Trophy Wall

 

“The Badlands” - Now doesn’t that sound like a light hearted family fun spot?  This is one more entrée on the buffet of National Parks in SD.Beautifully paved (except for Prairie Dog Town) and very assessable to some of the most natural dramatic landscape we have ever seen.70 million years ago this massive water body was filled with little critters. Non-manmade climate change dried her up. Now we have 244,000 acres of amazing moonscape wonderment.  In addition to the Badlands Loop drive, there are nicely marked trail heads and informational pull offs.  There is a lovely café gift shop but we took advantage of the more then ample picnic stops (yes we picnic a lot).  Surprisingly, in some cases across from the Loop are the grasslands. The largest protected prairie ecosystem in the National Park System. This is one of those stops that falls into the much better then expected category. –Loved it!

 

* More Mountain Sheep

* Bison and Prairie Doggy

* Rough and Tough  Flowers

* So much prettier then these pictures

* But this couple is gorgeous

* Great traveling

* Yellow Mounds

*Great words to live by.

 

 

Rapid City impressed us right off the bat as a great big little city. We played more down town and fell in love with the civic pride and fun family feel that is everywhere. If it wasn’t for winters I would move here.

 

* One of the most thoughtfull Berlin Wall displays we have seen

*Prettiest Rose ever

*Genius needs to be celibrated no matter where you find it

* Free downtown play park surrounded with cafe's brew houses and ice cream

 

* Bronze Staues of US Presidents are scattered thoughout downtown Rapid City

 

* Much focus is on native spirit

 

South Dakota Air and Space Museumis a nice free stop and for a under $20.00 we both were able to visit the Minuteman II Missile training silo on Ellsworth AFB.It was so worth it.We rode a bus from the museum to the silo and were able to walk down into the silo itself. Our driver is a retired military volunteer who told great stories and was very knowledgeable about the missile and its history.

* Safe lock to the ladder leading to the missle

 

* We took the stairway built for training and tours

* The Minute Man II Missile - up

* And Down

 

* Even the kids on this tour thought this was cool 

 

Chapel in the Hills is built in the Scandinavian Stavkirke style. This style is based on the ship building skills of the Vikings. Small and beautiful it smells of highly oiled wood and cedar. We spent more then an hour looking at the details in construction and congratulating the newly weds.

* Little Chapel in the Hills

* The detail is beyond amazing

* No Chapel is complete without its bats.  " Amen for these good guys"

 

 

One of our guilty pleasures is watching the TV show “Full Throttle Saloon”.This bar is open in the summer months to sell tee shirts and beer – but during Sturgis Bike week they pack the area with bands, bikes, and fun drunken chaos. This place is dusty dirty and enchantingly artistic.This was a great spot to stop but Les and I both agree during full swing this would be more entertainment then we could handle – love the show from the cleanliness of our house.

* Yeah - He was just walking through

* Motorcyle cage

* :-)

 

A 20 minute beautiful ride brings you to Deadwood.  An engineering marvel itself cut into the mountains.  This great town, full of Wild West spirit and original buildings holds onto it roots of taverns, hotels and gambling halls. We walked to Mount Moriah Cemetery to see the grave site of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The highlight of this day was meeting a nifty couple from Muskegon MI who were road tripping on their motorcycle.  Funny, how you can meet strangers and talk like friends for hours.  Long term plans for Cheryl and Scott is try fulltime RVing – As soon as they can get there kids stuff out of their house.  I am look forward to when we meet up next time.

* I love the juxtaposition of the 50's diner and the 1890's hotel

* My love of hardware continues

* Safe travels Cheryl and Scott   www.Venturerider.org

 

 

South Dakota gave us so much more then we were expecting. Not much to not love or not appreciate about this state. You have miles of rolling green grass, great rock formations, relaxed wild life everywhere and a spirit of freedom and pride in everyone we met. We know that there is so much more to see and look forward to coming back.

7 July 2014

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