The adventure continues!

Isn't this an amazing picture!

 

Friday we headed to Mount Rushmore.  What a breathtaking and inspiring site.  The museum within the park really made you appreciate what the 400 men went through to create this monument.  It was begun in 1927 by Gutzon Borglum and wasn't finished until 1941.  We were here for a couple hours and really enjoyed ourselves.

 

There is a flag for each of the 50 states.

Here is Indiana.

It was chilly and windy but a beautiful day.

 

This picture is floor to ceiling inside the museum.  Really gives you a sense of scale of the enormity of the sculptures.  Can you imagine swinging around on Washington's nose?  :)

 

Another picture from inside the museum.

 

Saturday we headed to the famous Wall Drug Store, (well,  I guess to some people it's famous).  Rhonda and Ivan told us about it, so off we went.

 

Yes, I really got Rog to ride the Jackolope!

 

Wagon Ho!

Just how big is a buffalo?

This picture is for you Logan :)

 

Wall Drug is 76,000 square feet of souvenirs, photo ops, Indian crafts, western clothing and a huge restaurant.  We were there a couple hours, had some .05 coffee, a donut and a piece of cherry pie. Then we headed back to the west to Custer State Park.  We stopped at the visitor center and to our surprise there was a special event sponsored by the Dutchers' club.  What's a Dutcher?  They are a camping club that cooks in dutch ovens.  They had prepared for everyone to sample, banana bread, peach cobbler, apple pie, pizza and a bean and corn dish.  That was an unexpected treat and I bought a cook book that I am anxious to try some of the recipes!  Then we drove the 26 mile wildlife loop.  We caught glimpses of buffalo, antelope and a ground hog. 

 

We several herds of buffalo on the drive.  One was even right next to the road, but I couldn't get a shot of it.

 

 We had hoped to see big horn sheep, mountain goats, burros or coyote.  It was a beautiful drive through the Black Hills.  We headed back to our cabin on Iron Mountain Road.  This road is one of the curviest roads I've been on with hair pin turns and tunnels drilled through the mountains.  At one point we stopped at a scenic overlook and you could see Mount Rushmore!  It was beautiful!

 

This sort of looked like a heart of the black hills framed in the pines...it was a beautiful day.

 

and we all had a great time!

 

Today, we are going on a train ride on a 1880 steam engine and maybe over to the Petrified Forest.

 





The train actually travels 20 miles between Keystone and Hill city.  Takes 2 hours.

 

Probably won't post to the blog again until we get back home.  We are stopping in Sioux Falls to see Paul's granddaughter and family.  We should be home on Wednesday.

 

Take care everyone and keep "grabnlife"!

 

Rog, Nita, Paul and Wyn