A huge storm passed over us at about 9:30 last night, heavy rain, with thunder and lightning. It was so threatening that we hauled out our flashlights just in case....
Lay in bed trying to decide whether to get up or not when I saw a deer walk by our bedroom window!
The storm had the lovely effect of changing the weather, down from the mid-90s to the upper 70s.
Left the house sometime after eight am and took the Needles Highway south, a Scenic Bypass. Started out as a lovely but typical mountain road, but eventually we did some impressive climbing. First stop at Legion Lake, where we started seeing the first rock outcroppings – the Needles.
Lovely forest and views, incredibly large boulders and cliffs, sharp switchbacks and steep climbs. Just as glad Norbert was driving!
At the very top of the road (climb) is a longish one-lane tunnel, plus of course an impressive outlook. Also the Eye of the Needle, a small slit in a rock. Well, maybe not so small.
Stopped at the entrance of the tunnel and took photos all around. Watch a large pick-up truck go through, they had to fold their rear-view mirrors in, it was so tight!
Finally, Norbert walked through the tunnel to photograph me driving through it. Driving there was really cool – a wonderful experience!
Stopped again on the other side for more photos.
From there it was down the mountain with more stops at incredible views. And incredible switchbacks!
We were back in the Custer State Park at this point, and stopped at the general store near the Lodge we had stayed at for a pit stop and coffee break. Drove around the next bend and saw buffalo! Literally hundreds of them, on both sides of the road, by the cabins, on the lawn of the visitor center, practically up to the Lodge parking lot and of course on the road too!
Stopped as soon as we could and took some photos, then I drove so Norbert could take pictures. There were really hundreds of them, of all sizes. So incredibly impressive and such an incredible experience to see them up close.
Then we exited the park and turned north on the Iron Mountain Road, me still driving. At first it seemed like nothing more than another pretty mountain road. But then we started climbing – lots of very slow driving today!
At one point we pulled over and there was Mt. Rushmore! So we got some photos.
This road too has tunnels, one or two of which nicely frame Mt. Rushmore.
It also has the famous “pigtail bridges”, which are circular or semicircular structures for when the incline is too steep for a ramp or switchback. Think of the spiral ramp in a parking garage......
We drove home through Keystone, and decided to skip Mt. Rushmore. We had seen it well from the road several times, and frankly, it had never interested us all that much anyway.
Keystone is a horror: total tourist trap. Water slides, zipline, chainsaw art, you name it! We scooted on through but stopped at a totally rundown gift shop/cafe for lunch, where we had the best hotdogs of our whole trip. Go figure!
I picked up a city map and discovered a glass blower. So we went in search of it, and of course by the time I figured we had taken the wrong road, we found it. Such beautiful things! Very delicate and lovely colors. Norbert bought me a beautiful pink bowl, which will go in my hand baggage.
Home and a rest.
Later we drove back towards Rapid City, to Reptile Gardens.
Overall it was a disappointment. The grounds and gardens were beautiful, but I thought they just didn't have that many animals, and that the cages/enclosures were on the small side. There was a prairie dog village which was nice (I have quite lost my heart to the little darlings).
There were two Galapagos Tortoises whose necks you could pet. (And yes, they are huge!)
There is also a large dome with free-roaming critters, including one lizard who obligingly posed on the walkway for us.
We finished it off by watching the alligator/crocodile show, which was good.
Stopped at the grocery store for some ham steaks to throw on the grill.
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