Rushmore and More

Last weekend, Scott and I planned a long weekend getaway to go and spend a few days together. So, we picked something to check off our bucket list, we loaded a change of clothes and a couple diet cokes in the car and took off for Mt. Rushmore.

On the way, we stopped at Martin's Cove, which was beautiful this time of year. We got a private tour of the visitors center and personalized attention by all of the missionaries serving there, since we were the only visitors at the time.

One of the sisters took the two of us in their "motorized mule" on the two mile trek from the visitors center to Martin's Cove. She shared some wonderful stories and special personal experiences.

We saw some amazing wildlife, including these mule deer that pranced right in front of us!

After Martin's Cove visit, we stopped at Independence Rock, and saw some of the names that the Pioneer's carved into the stone.

We then moved on to Casper to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, which was a great, hands-on interactive museum about Pioneer life on the trail. We got to ride in this mechanical wagon, which bumped and rocked it's way across the river and had a realistic video up front to complete the effect.

Scott tested his skill with the handcart, and attempted to keep the handcart meter consistently in the acceptable strength range. Wow...he looks like he's working up a bit of a sweat!

I had a great stagecoach ride! This was a great museum to visit! Then we were off to Mt. Rushmore!

We must have taken a wrong turn, because somehow we ended up on the north side of the Black Hills. This side of Mt. Rushmore was not nearly as beautiful as the front side.


We made it to Mt. Rushmore in plenty of time to see the carvings, and then spent a few hours in the beautiful visitors center there. We gained an appreciation not only for the skill of the sculptors, but also for the four men that are represented there. We stayed until after dark so we could enjoy the final lighting ceremony of the season, which was beautiful.

We stayed nearby in a rustic cabin right on Ledger Lake in Custer State Park, and spent the morning leisurely exploring the scenery there. Like everyone who drives the wildlife loop, we ran into this pesky (and hungry) pack of burros.

We also got to see a herd of bison, as well as watch a few people approach the bison in spite of the repeated warnings and postings along the route. We also saw deer, antelope, and an area they call "Prairie Dog Town" for good reason!

Custer State Park was probably my favorite part of the trip, and I loved the pretty scenery, fall colors, and rock formations.


We took a route through the park that led us through several different tunnels--this one was the most narrow....


So I took a video from our car as we passed through the tight space. Thank heavens Scott is such a competent driver!


We left the pretty lakes and hills of Custer Stake Park and decided to head north west through the Black Hills.


We decided to make a stop in Deadwood to see that historical town

We were so surprised to arrive and find massive crowds, streets closed off, bleachers full of spectators set up, and parking at a minimum. We decided we better go see what all the excitement was about, and discovered that Deadwood was hosting the....


....6th annual Wiener Dog races. There were hundreds of people milling about with their darling dachshunds in arms. Needless to say, we sidestepped that event, snuck into town for a yummy meal, a bit of Black Hills Gold shopping, and then moved on our way.



Next, our drive took us through Sturgis, and we drove up and down a few roads to get the feel of what it must have been like a few months ago when thousands of motorcycles line the streets. Hmmm....maybe that will be next on our bucket list?

We took a quick detour up to Devil's Tower, which is the first National Monument created by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The 1200 foot tower was beautiful against the backdrop of blue sky.

Thanks to Scott for the great long weekend, conversation, and for driving every inch of the 1500 mile trip. And...just for the record, I thought the stretch you drove 130 mph was terrific fun!