Mt. Rushmore

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Today was supposed to just be a driving day, but that changed quickly as we got closer to our target of western South Dakota. The first third of the state was boring - it reminded me a lot of rural southern Minnesota, which itself looks like most of Iowa, western Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.... You get the point. But then the scenery changed rapidly. We were transported to a new world where the farms gave way to rolling green hills and picturesque sights. What a change!

We also saw our first New Jersey car in Sioux Falls when we stopped for a short lunch break. Strangely enough, they had connections to Lake Hopatcong too! It's funny who you can meet as you drive across the country.

As we continued driving, we decided to take a short detour and see the Badlands. I knew they existed but didn't know exactly what they were. Apparently, they are just the edge of a high plain, where the wind keeps cutting down the side of the mountains. It stretches for 60 miles and is absolutely wonderful. It reminded me a lot of the Masada, or what I imagine Egypt to be. Pretty cool.

We then continued driving along I-90 (my new least favorite road?) and eventually came upon Rapid City. Moving south, we arrived at the town of Keystone, population 311. Keystone just so happens to be the closest town to Mt. Rushmore. We drove to the monument and observed it in the dark. I was impressed, but it's much smaller/much farther away than I was expecting. Impressive, but not as much as the Badlands. Tomorrow we continue our nature tour and head to Yellowstone. Looking forward to seeing more of the country!

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