Black Hills, South Dakota - June 17-24, 2006

The Black Hills of South Dakota boast some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve experienced so far. The terrain is rugged, but the forest is laced with beautiful, grassy meadows – each one prettier than the last. We stayed at a rather remote location about 25 miles from Rapid City and about 8 miles from the Mount Rushmore Memorial. Driving to and from the RV park was always an adventure since we often saw deer (as common as rabbits according to one resident), antelope, wild burros, and buffalo along the way. One morning we drove around a bend in the road and saw 30-40 buffalo grazing along a hill. There was a solitary bull that liked to hang out at one particular spot along the road. You can see the photo that Ez got by sneaking up close while I stayed back in the Durango with the door closed! We even saw a family of Bighorn sheep in the area near Mount Rushmore.

The Black Hills are also a tourist mecca, so in the midst of all this natural beauty is also a bizarre assortment of other attractions. You can visit the National Presidential Wax Museum, Holy Terror Mini-Golf, the Flintstones campground and the Museum of Woodcarving. We visited Bear Country U.S.A., a drive-through park where you can see elk, bears, mountain lions and other wildlife. (Of course, we heard in the news that the owners have been accused of selling bear gall bladders for use in Chinese medicinal treatments – maybe they should call it Gall Bladder U.S.A.??) See the picture below of bears at Bear Country U.S.A. "doing what comes naturally."

We visited the Crazy Horse Memorial where they’ve been carving a huge monument to the Indian leader for over 50 years ($10.00 per person admission, nightly laser light show, museums and gift shop). So far they’ve finished the 9-story-tall face and are working on the horse’s head. We did see one blast while we were there, but this may not be completed before our grandchildren are dead and gone. .

Of course, it’s the Mount Rushmore Memorial that everyone comes to see and it is spectacular. We spent part of a day visiting and then returned a few days later with our friends Mike and Florence to see the evening show. During the evening show they ask all military veterans (and their spouses) to come to the stage for a special ceremony, so the four of us joined other veterans of all ages for this special part of the program. It really is very moving. .

We also got a very important bit if business handled while we were in Rapid City – Ez and I got our driver licenses, so we are now officially citizens of South Dakota! We also played 9 holes of golf and I got the worst haircut of my life! After glopping three different kinds of product on my locks, my head looked like a brillo pad with a face! Oh well, I knew this would occasionally happen when I said good-bye to Kimberly who’d styled my hair for 20 years!

Our campsite was beautiful, and because we had no television, WiFi or cell phone service, we spent a lot of time reading and relaxing. We enjoyed a spectacular lightning storm one evening, and one afternoon we hiked to the top of the hill behind our camp where we could see the Rushmore memorial in the far distance. Even though we were here for a week, the days slipped away and we never did see the northern Black Hills where Sturgis, the badlands and Deadwood are located. I guess we’ll save these for a future trip. Next we’ll be working our way back across Wyoming toward Yellowstone and the Tetons. Stay tuned. . .