http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , South Dakota en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:18:33 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:18:33 BST To make these postings more coherent and less spastic I am breaking them up into several different topics...That said this last week was spent in Custer SD 15 minutes or so from Mt Rushmore enjoying a wide variety of experience and adventure not the least of which was the wonderful people we met.Having never been much of a social butterfly I expected this trip to be defined by its solitude an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Custer-State-Park/blog-301513.html Today I went to Mt Rushmore in the morning which was a very cool experience. I have never been there so I figure I need to go at some point in my life. I walked around there for a little while and decided to start getting on the road. Mt Rushmore was cool but I think what happened next just tops off the whole experience. I was just going to leave when I saw a sign for Custer State Park. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Sioux-Falls/blog-300697.html Last night I ended up staying with some missionaries from the Wolf Point formerly Mennonite church. The pastor Bruce offered me a place at the church or a place with these missionaries. There would be a bed with my name on it at their house so of course I chose that one. I had a good time there as we sat and chatted for most of the evening. I thought it was a pretty cool experience because http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Rapid-City/blog-300689.html Day 10 July 11th of N American Road Trip.Left Hot Springs SD and drove through Custer State Park on our way to Devil's Towrer in Wyoming. On the way through the park we saw a herd of Bison some with calves. Stopped off in Deadwood for a trolley ride through the old town. Visited the graves of Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane at the cemetery in Deadwood. Visited Devil's Tower and night stop in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Custer-State-Park/blog-299381.html Moab to Mount Rushmore was a 700 mile drive so we decided to hit the road early and get as far as we could in one day but would try and see some countryside and not just highway. We therefore turned off to take a leisurely route through the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado which was really a good decision. We actually saw some greenery after the desert phases of the previous areas. High http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Deadwood/blog-299151.html Most of the midwest along our route has proven to be pretty bland albeit prettymdashessentially lacking variety in the various features of the landscape. Until the Badlands that is. We began our fourth straight day of driving after having overnighted in a rest area for a few hours which was none too comfortable. I was immediately surprised by how hot the sun felt and how that was balanced out http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-298817.html Worthington MN to Rapid City SD What's hot Badlands National Park Also hot South Dakota Speed Limit 75 mph The road Clear hot dry windy windy windy. 440 miles today 2100 miles since July 6. Over half way to San Francisco. What's not Travel cooties Travel lesson of the day Moderation in all things including travel distances.from KathySouth Dakota Land where high test gasoline cost http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-298813.html Still in S. Dakota didn't travel far but did a lot of tourist things. First off today visited Mount Rushmore and walked the Presidential Trail. Then on to see the Crazy Horse Monument and finally visited the Mammoth Site where they are excavating a site containing at least 50 Mammoth skeletons. Night stop Hot Springs SD. Twas a hot dayG and P http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Hot-Springs/blog-298226.html Greetings from an illlit rarely visited quadrant of the WalMart of Mitchell South DakotaLet me give you a brief explanation of how we got here SD over the last 4 days or so.Whatrsquos brown and sounds like a bellldquoDungrdquo... Incidentally thatrsquos what the better part of central Michigan smells like due to an inordinate amount of roadkill rotting in the sunshinehellipPA was http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Mitchell/blog-298193.html The morning did improve. Breakfast and showers for everyone were first on the agenda then a thorough cleaning for miniMolly inside and out. She has seen some rough terrain and has been inhabited nonstop for 10 days. She needed itWe packed up and headed out. Next to the campground was a funny little animal farm. That's where we saw the goats clibing the goat bridge. On to Mount Rushmore. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Sioux-Falls/blog-297806.html After a quiet nightrsquos sleep in the WalMart parking lot we were on the road at 715 am STILL headed north to Rapid City South Dakota. Our target there is Mount Rushmore. The rolling green hills of Wyoming were picturesque and covered with wild antelope and deer grazing just beside the highway. It changed very little as we crossed the South Dakota line just before dark. The black hills http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Rapid-City/blog-297805.html A few of today's pics. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-297784.html Left Mitchell this morning and continued on to the Bad Lands. Very impressive scenery see pics. Saw Mountain Goats and Praire Dogs and lots of cattle and horses. Lunch at a the Happy Chef and on to Wall Drug in Wall. Very touristy. We are staying the night in Keystone expensive tourist village. Tomorrow its on to Mount Rushmore the State and National Parks and Sturgis.Happy TrailsP an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Keystone/blog-297726.html 10 more minutes before the dryer finishes it final load with a few more socks to pack so some time to figure this blog thingy out. Guess i won't be to lazy to keep you updated but lazy enough not to use my own website...Stay in touch sorry most of you won't be thereCheersRob http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Deadwood/blog-297656.html We stayed at the 15th largest campground in the world played a few rounds of minigolf made tiedye shirts and never walked the whole thing. We should have rented a golf cart. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Black-Hills-National-Forest/blog-297478.html Yesterday was all corn fields as we crossed Michigan touching Indiana and across the north of Illinois. Night stop was at Flint just inside Iowa. This morning we set off for South Dakota. It is all flat or undulating country with long straight roads. At one stage we encountered a dirt road for a few miles but this was no obstacle for the Jag. After a bit of scenic appreciation we put the G http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Mitchell/blog-297249.html Jeff and I talked about going to South Dakota for months. Jeff had never been and although I'd been to there and really enjoyed it I'd never seen Mount Rushmore. So one night over a bottle of wine we booked our airfare for the weekend of the 4th of July. Our intention was to watch the fireworks there on the 3rd of July. We didn't wind up doing that they recommend that you get there at 10 a.m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/blog-296778.html On Sunday we went around the Black Hills area. We did two hikes both Griswald style and then went to the SD Air and Space Museum and a Cowboy dinner and show. Then we spent the night in the RV with a thunderstorm watching National Treasure 2. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Black-Hills-National-Forest/blog-296712.html Here are some photos from the Mt. Rushmore Area. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Black-Hills-National-Forest/blog-296567.html We took a beautiful old highway 44 west through the Badlands and Buffalo Prairie on our way to Mt. Rushmore. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Black-Hills-National-Forest/blog-296562.html Day 2 started with the crapper full and we have a lovely picture of Jeff clearing out the problem. After several minutes reading the manual to make sure it would work in the right direction everything cleared out. We drove from Iowa to South Dakota and I'm not sure what everyone is talking about when they say there is a shortage of corn. South Dakota is just like they said hot dry windy a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Mitchell/blog-295833.html We did some touring hiking a trip to the famous Wall Drug Store. We also met some nice folks from other parts of the country. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-295668.html Here are some photos of the drive from Mitchell SD to the Bad Lands. We did this on the 4th of July. It was a short drive... only 200 miles or so.Met some nice folks from Minnesota and Wisconsin and helped a stranded driver from Nebraska. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-295665.html The most famous palace made of Maze. Bought a few trinkets and caramel corn yummy.Tried a new way to upload the photos so there are a lot of them but no commentary. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Mitchell/blog-295662.html After a long day of driving we made it to the KOA in Mitchell SD. Along the way we passed through Iowa and Minnesota. The number of NY drivers went down significantly.Noreen drove more than Tom today. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Mitchell/blog-295087.html Visted the southern section of Badlands. Beautiful desolute country. The visitor center was laid back and helpful. I was directed to the local college to view a visual and audio presentation of Wounded Knee. It was a sad but well presented story. What a contrast to my time a few days earlier at Mt. Rushmore. One sight invoking chestswelling pride followed with a sight revealing shame and s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-293995.html Tminus 3 days and not holdingI've had my Goldwing loaded and unloaded and loaded and unloaded making small changes to weight what I can take andor leave behind...even driving around the area to get used to the extra weight and feel of the bike. All in all with my weight gear and bike I come in over 1000 lbs...not too bad for a 30 day outingJoLynn and I made a short trip to Spearfish this http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Spearfish/blog-291692.html June 24 2008We rode the motorcycle today to Mount Rushmore and through both the Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park. WOWOh man where to start . . . Well let's see we saw buffalo deer lot's and lot's of them elk rabbits eagles turkeys wild burros and prairie dogs drove for miles through pristine alpine meadows 7000 foot high mountain passes switchbacks pigtail r http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Custer-State-Park/blog-291413.html Badlands National Park South DakotaWe slept in this morning not getting up until 6am. The hotel serves a continental breakfast I've never figured that term out which was ok. The weather was threatening thunderstorms with large hail for later in the day so we decided to drive the truck instead of riding the bike. We could have ridden the bike. Weather was great. Tomorrow we ride rain or shi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Badlands/blog-291046.html South Dakota today. The prairies really are unending. Two scenic overlooks in 450 miles and the views were spectacular one particularly awesome. Again the weather was spectacular 77 to 80 degrees but with the windows opened and no air conditioner ruunning we were very comfortable.The air here is really clean and well . . . sweet. And the wind blows almost constantly. We lunched at a road http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Dakota/Rapid-City/blog-290815.html