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Published: October 16th 2016
After John's great birthday dinner we left Buffalo around 9.00a.m. and headed for Hill City in South Dakota. I think Wyoming has been our favourite so far especially around Buffalo, the old school Americans, talking hunting all the time, how many elk they shot the day before etc etc like old times. Four guys walked through the foyer in the hotel with 4 big guns, imagine that happening in Aus, no one batted an eyelid. It had stopped snowing by the time we were going but our car was iced up all over, took some time to get it all clear. Very scenic drive from Buffalo before we hit the border of South Dakota and then went through the Black Hills area, lots to see. We stopped off at Sundance for a coffee and then pulled into Sturgis as well to buy the obligatory T-shirt etc and have a beer at the Loud American Bar. Upon arrival in Hill City I could not put up with my throat anymore, have had a terribly sore throat for 5 days, ripping through bottle and packet of pain killers, bit the bullet and went to Rapid City Medical Centre and saw a lovely doc,
SOUTH DAKOTA
Great bars and breweriesgot antis and now on the mend, after $$$$$ consultation!!!! severe pharyngitis, chemist etc back on the road. Absolutely freezing cold but from tomorrow onwards weather supposed to be better. 13.10.2016 Up early and spent the absolute whole day seeing all the sights - first stop was out in the Badlands National Park - very scenic drive up and down from the plains to the plateaus and the rock formations were amazing! There were animals but we had nearly seen them all before Bison, Deer etc but also the little Prairie dogs, thousands of them, cute!!, but as Mark pointed out they are feral animals. We also called in to see the Minuteman Visitor centre and also a missile silo where a nuclear warhead had been stored, we had no idea there were no many during the Cold War, over 1,000 of these silos all over the country but a lot around this area - unfortunately we were at the visitors centre at the wrong time but you can acutally do a tour of the control room - all a bit scary but interesting all the same. Then drove back towards Custer and did the Custer National Park which after
seeing the magnificent Yellowstone was a bit ho hum! Nice drive and easy to get around and saw more animals but here they cull the Bison and had just done this last week, I guess because it is a smaller park and they have to keep numbers down. Then onto Crazy Horse Memorial, I had heard about it, but really hadn't done much research, it is an absolutely fantastic place to visit and to think that one whole family (with ten children) are responsible for the carving of this huge memorial is unbelievable! It looks like its only about 1/10th finished and has been going since 1948 but the face is so life like! We spent quite a bit of time here watching a film about the family etc and wandered around the huge visitors centre, really worth seeing. They do not get or want government funding for this, so a big job getting money in to keep the project going. A few miles down the track to Mt Rushmore, not near as imposing as Crazy Horse, but at least it is finished and the four faces popping out the side of the mountain is something to see. Pulled into
DEADWOOD SOUTH DAKOTA
Loved this little town a bogan type little saloon on the way back for a cold beer and then to a local restaurant in Hill City for dinner at the Alpine Inn after a couple of places were not open, apparently we are right at the end of the season and a lot of things just aren't open. Nice German style place that has accommodation as well, we were seated by a nice girl and ordered beer and wine and then she said do you know about our dining, noooo....she then said we have fillet mignon, small or large and a vegetarian option....I said is that it! Yes, oh OK Steak it is! It was nice but a fillet mignon on the plate, with a slice of toast cut in two, a baked potato as big as a football with sour cream....oh sorry for entree they served a quarter of a lettuce with ranch dressing....the place was absolutely packed and they turned tables over a couple of times whilst we were there...it was quite nice though, the steak was tender. Ordered a bottle of wine 19Crimes which is a Bailey's of Glenrowan wine, can't believe the market they have in US, had a bottle
of this when in Florida a couple of years ago and very reasonably priced. As Mark said KISS (keep it simple stupid). Back to our Holiday Inn Accom for the last night...the hosts here were just marvellous, the woman receptionist/owner was a motor mouth but in a nice way, just could not do enough for you, especially when I needed to see a doctor and then she was like our tour guide giving us the low down on everything and as we left this morning 14/10 she came running out for a hug and wave us goodbye.....that's hospitality!!!
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Norma
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South Dakota .
As usual great blog . Interesting to me as I never went where you are now when in U.S. A .1978.... Sorry you struck bad weather . I've just got home , been in Canberra for last week .out everyday when there. Home for rest now ! ! ! Weather there perfect . Wasn't keen on Qantas flights though still ! ! I got lots of help , so shouldn't grumble...... Food lousy ,but short flight ,really don't need food .Enjoy your travels , love. Norma x x