July 2019 -  Bear County (Rapid City , SD), Mount Rushmore

BEAR COUNTRY ( RAPID CITY, SD)

A 2 mile drive in your own car where you see bears, elk, mountain lions, wolves, mountain goats and much more. A must see attraction.

MOUNT RUSHMORE

Carved in Mount Rushmore the  sculpture features the 60-foot (18 m) heads of Presidents George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively.

July 2019  - Deadwood, Needles Highway, Custer State Park, Bear Butte State Park

DEADWOOD, SD:

Known for drinking and gambling.

 

NEEDLES HIGHWAY: 

The road lies within the 71,000 acre Custer State Park just 30 miles south of Rapid City, and is an impressive 14 mile stretch that includes sharp turns, narrow tunnels, granite spires and world class views.

 

Jake out marking his spot for the buffalo.

Now what fun is that!!!

       

Needles Eye Tunnel, just 8’ 4” wide, is one of three tunnels.

BEAR BUTTE STATE PARK:

Mato Paha or "Bear Mountain" is the Lakota name given to this site. To the Cheyenne, it is "Noahvose." This geological formation is one of several intrusions of igneous rock in the Black Hills that formed millions of years ago. The mountain is sacred to many American Indian tribes who come here to hold religious ceremonies.

June 27, 2019 – Sturgis, South Dakota

There is plenty to see in South Dakota…

•          Mt. Rushmore
•         Crazy Horse
•         Custer State Park
•          Needles Highway
•          Bear Butte
•          Bear Country

                          and much more.....

We picked Sturgis RV Park in downtown Sturgis, SD as our base from which to explore. This turned out to be the perfect location for our day trips to the surrounding sites. 

We were lucky enough to get spot #100 on the hill overlooking Sturgis.

The preferred "golf cart" of South Dakota.

June 26, 2019 – Wall, SD /Badlands

After leaving Sioux Falls, SD we stopped overnight in Chamberlain, SD then onto Wall, SD.

The city of Wall became ‘the place to stop’ after a young couple trying to make a living came up with a unique idea. A couple purchased the Wall Drug Store and were just about to fold when they came up with an idea to offer travelers free ice water. At that time the city of Wall was known as “the geographic center of nowhere”.  People started stopping along the isolated road to get the free ice water and its now a must stop for tourists.

The city only has about 800 year-round residents and draws more than 2 million visitors each year.

Just a short trip from Wall Drugs is the Badlands National Park. The open roads and the wildlife is a photographers dream.

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Take the side road and visit Prairie Dog Town. The only residence here are Prairie Dogs.