We started today at Wind Cave National Park. The park itself is nice to drive through, but most interesting was the tour we took through the caves. Luckily we didn't have to do any climbing around the tunnels or rocks, but there were lots of stairs and walkways. The tour is led by a park ranger so it's very informative.
Next we drove through Custer State Park on their Wildlife Loop Road. And, boy, did we see some wildlife! Herds of buffalo are grazing all over, and in some places actually mill around right in the middle of the road. We had one come within about 4 feet of the car and I actually made eye contact with it! A bit unsettling to be that close but at the same time it was so cool. They are truly a sight to see!
As we continued through the park we saw more wildlife. We thought we saw antelope, but they are actually pronghorn deer. Then we came upon a whole bunch of burros just hanging out in the road! They just stand there looking at you and don't move, so you have to carefully drive by them. After we left the park we drove a scenic byway called Iron Mountain Road that is quite a ride. It winds along with unbelievable hairpin turns, switchbacks, and single lane tunnels...reminded us of a snowmobile trail!
Just up the road from there is Mt. Rushmore. It really is an amazing sight to see. There is a walkway leading to the viewing area that has all the flags from every state, and as you walk through the sculpture just looms ahead of you. It's pretty impressive to see. The visitor center has a great exhibit that shows how it was carved. We learned that 90% of it was done with explosives!
We ended the day in Deadwood. It's a total tourist trap, but very cool at the same time. It looks like an old western town but it's full of traffic and every building has a casino. As we were walking down the street and heard gunfire...and the gunfighters were raising a ruckus. We went to a reinactment of the trial of Jack McCall, who shot and killed Wild Bill Hickock and it was pretty entertaining!
We started today at Wind Cave National Park. The park itself is nice to drive through, but most interesting was the tour we took through the caves. Luckily we didn't have to do any climbing around the tunnels or rocks, but there were lots of stairs and walkways. The tour is led by a park ranger so it's very informative.
Next we drove through Custer State Park on their Wildlife Loop Road. And, boy, did we see some wildlife! Herds of buffalo are grazing all over, and in some places actually mill around right in the middle of the road. We had one come within about 4 feet of the car and I actually made eye contact with it! A bit unsettling to be that close but at the same time it was so cool. They are truly a sight to see!
As we continued through the park we saw more wildlife. We thought we saw antelope, but they are actually pronghorn deer. Then we came upon a whole bunch of burros just hanging out in the road! They just stand there looking at you and don't move, so you have to carefully drive by them. After we left the park we drove a scenic byway called Iron Mountain Road that is quite a ride. It winds along with unbelievable hairpin turns, switchbacks, and single lane tunnels...reminded us of a snowmobile trail!
Just up the road from there is Mt. Rushmore. It really is an amazing sight to see. There is a walkway leading to the viewing area that has all the flags from every state, and as you walk through the sculpture just looms ahead of you. It's pretty impressive to see. The visitor center has a great exhibit that shows how it was carved. We learned that 90% of it was done with explosives!
We ended the day in Deadwood. It's a total tourist trap, but very cool at the same time. It looks like an old western town but it's full of traffic and every building has a casino. As we were walking down the street and heard gunfire...and the gunfighters were raising a ruckus. We went to a reinactment of the trial of Jack McCall, who shot and killed Wild Bill Hickock and it was pretty entertaining!
It looks like you guys have had a fun couple of days!
ReplyDeleteI love how your blog is set up. Looks like you had a great trip and thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletePlease visit again,
Emily
South Dakota Office of Tourism
www.TravelSD.com