The Great South Dakota Tour

Ryan got a few days off work last weekend, and we used it to escape to scenic South Dakota. We were too late this year for the Sturgis Rally (and we don't own a motorcycle) but we managed to find a few exciting sights. Our first stop was Mount Rushmore, which was Ryan's favorite attraction. It was a cool rainy day, so it looked like our founding fathers were crying, as you can see for yourself.

We camped two nights at Custer State Park, a short drive south from Rushmore down a white-knuckle road. The temperature dropped down into the 30's at night, and Helen, in her pink marshmallow suit and multiple blanket layers, was the only one with toasty warm feet. The rain found its way into our tent overnight, as you can tell from our full clothesline in the picture below. It's definitely time to invest in a new tent. I'm thinking of one with no seams that hovers about 4 inches above ground.

We had the company in our camp of many wild turkeys, horses, deer, birds, and some mischievous squirrels. One even had the gall to run into our car while Ryan was making peanut butter sandwiches. Then, when Ryan went to shoo him out of the car, the squirrel made a dash for the peanut butter jar!

We strapped Helen into the carrier for a hike up to Little Devil's tower. The trail was rocky and steep, but not very long. Ryan and Helen had to stop before the summit because it was just too steep for their high center of balance. I went on to the top, as you can see if you click on the picture to get to our Picasa album. The view was spectacular.

Custer Sate Park has a large wildlife preserve that you can see from your car as you drive on the Wilderness Loop road. It's the closest thing to an African safari that we've been to in the USA. We sighted lots of pronghorn antelope, deer, bison, and burros on the beautiful grasslands.

We spent our last night camping in Badlands National Park. This is maybe my favorite park from my childhood. We saw lots of prairie dogs and one fast moving coyote. We're sure there are more coyotes out there because we heard them howling at the full moon all night.Our last stop on the way back to Nebraska was the world's only Corn Palace, in Mitchell, SD. They've been decorating this building with the fruits of the South Dakota harvest (corn, grain, grasses, wild oats, brome grass, blue grass, rye, straw and wheat) nearly every year since 1892! This is a must see, especially for individuals with a taste for fine culture.