Badlands National Park

Our day started with a drive about 50 miles Southeast of Rapid City to Badlands National Park.  I had waited so long (63 years) to purchase my first (and only) Senior National Park Lifetime Pass for only $ 10.00.  Joy and I have been in all the parks in the Lower 48 with the 8 remaining in Alaska on the trip ahead.  Today there are 67 National Parks and each one is truly worth the visit.

Badlands had a reputation in the old West of containing only bad men, Indians, and rattlesnakes.   Not much has changed.  This land was established in 1929 but did not obtain National Park status until 1978.  It contains 242,600 acres of stark contrast and vistas.  Lack of facilities had us enjoying a picnic lunch in the Jeep as you can see.

The afternoon had us on several back roads on the way home including a stop in Scenic, S.D.  Let us save you a trip – it doesn’t live up to its name.  We plan to attend services in Rapid City in the morning before heading down to Wind Cave National Park and perhaps a trip by the Crazy Horse monument that has been under construction since 1947.

Mt. Rushmore and Black Hills

What a day it was!  Perfect weather today as we visited Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.  You can't help feel a bit patriotic when you're here.  We discovered that a vault exists here carved into the granite.  This 70 foot long chamber houses many engineering items, busts of famous Americans, and other artifacts about the United States placed here by the stone carver Gutzon Borglum.  It is not open to the public.  If you will recall the movie National Treasure II, Nicholas Cage found such a room at the end containing unspeakable riches belonging to America.  

After hiking up close to the President's "feet" we traveled on to Hill City for lunch at Alpine Inn.  Joy enjoyed her first and last glass of Rhubarb wine.  Following a great German lunch we headed down to the Needles Highway (SD87).  What a scenic ride with the tops off the Jeep.  My family came here more than once in my childhood.

After touring around Custer State Park we headed up several more quite scenic roads enjoying the wildlife.  At one point, Joy thought she saw a Bigfoot in the woods.  Turned out to be a trout fisherman.  We observed Big Horn Sheep, Buffalo, and a lone Antelope today.

Tomorrow we are headed for the Badlands National Park out East of Rapid City.