Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore (http://www.nps.gov/moru) is only a short drive from Badlands. Our route went from Interstate 90 entrance through the park and exited on the northwestern side leading toward Rapid City.

South of Rapid City we toured through Custer State Park (http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/Custer/custersp.htm). This is a great diversion. One of the largest herds of buffalo in the United States roam within the park. The lodge here is supposed to be first rate - it has housed many Presidents - but we did not stay there.

We then went through the needles highway toward Mr. Rushmore. This is a great way to approach. The highway is very scenic and an engineering marvel with some corkscrew turns and manmade tunnels. The last couple of these manmade tunnels "frame" Mt. Rushmore perfectly as you are headed through the tunnel - a nice intro to the monument.

It is a fascinating feat of man's creativity. The story behind the carving is equally fascinating. Gutzon Borglund, originally behind the Stone Mountain Carving near Atlanta, abandonded Stone Mountain and raced to South Dakota. The "rest of the story" is here: (http://www.nps.gov/archive/moru/park_history/carving_hist/carving_history.htm)

Places to go, People to See, Things to Do

We spent the night in Kadoka, SD just outsided the Badlands National Park (http://www.nps.gov/badl) in a questionable hotel (under a national brand). We got in late and up early so all we needed was a bed - I suppose it fit that definition. We made the mistake of getting breakfast there and lost an hour - just HOW LONG does it take to make pancakes? I suspect I could have fed the population of Kadoka in that time frame.

We entered the Badlands shortly after breakfast. It is tempting to stop very early due to the scenery early in the park. The reality is that the desolation and eroded mounds are throughout the entire park. There are places to get out and walk through the mounds and that is well worth it.

We were not spending long in the park - a couple hours - but it was long enough. It gets hot early in the park - basically a high desert. As we were nearing the exit, we saw a small herd of buffalo. Since it was our first sighting of "wild" buffalo (city folk), we were captivated by them. They were VERY close. Their size is AMAZING. We motored on toward Rapid City, Mt. Rushmore, lunch, and more.