Day 8

Black Hills, South Dakota and Badlands, South Dakota

Miles on Subaru: 250

Weather: Sunny, breezy, 65-70 degrees

Wow-I can’t believe it is already Day 8 of our trip! We have really been enjoying ourselves-and are always looking forward to what exciting new sights we will see each day.

Last night it rained most of the night, but when we awoke this morning, you could hardly tell, the ground had soaked it right up. The entire area is under high fire danger-no fires of any kind are allowed anywhere!

We woke the kids up early and got moving right away this morning. Everything I read about the area said to get out as early as possible to see wildlife, and to avoid crowds. We stopped at the local grocery in the town of Custer and got some breakfast and coffee to eat on the road. Our first item on the itinerary was to explore the Black Hills National Forest-two scenic drives: Needles Highway and the Iron Mountain Road. Going from one scenic view to the other took us to Mount Rushmore.

First Needles Highway took us up into an area of the mountains that have large granite needle-like spires jutting up from the road and all around. There were, of course, many scenic pull-offs and lots of places for pictures. We saw one bison lying down, and several mountain goats or rams up in the rocks. The road and the drive were just fabulous. Of course the pictures of anything out here really do not do the sights justice, but hopefully they will give a taste of what we were able to see!

From Needles Highway we rode past Mount Rushmore to see the presidents-George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln-carved into the granite. Pretty much we just slowed down as we drove by and took a few pictures. You could pay a parking fee, walk around below the carvings, but we felt like we saw them and that was good enough. Anyways, there was a surprise in store on the Iron Mountain Road.

The next scenic drive was Iron Mountain Road which was designed actually artistically. The road had several pigtail bridges that got you up or down elevation quickly. Also, there were 3 narrow tunnels that were purposefully carved so that as you went through, the view of Mount Rushmore was perfectly framed by the rectangular opening of the tunnel. It really was quite extraordinary and what neat composition the designer of the road had in mind!

From the Black Hills, we decided to head back out to the Badlands National Park. We drove the back roads (Rt. 44) to get there, which took us south of most of the park, and then right through the lower sections before bringing us right up to Scenic Rt. 240 which winds through the pinnacles and spires of the most scenic areas of the Badlands. We stopped at the first opportunity to take a little hike-as we were all anxious to get out and move a little instead of being cramped in the car! We hiked a very short, ¼ mile, but straight up, section of trail that took us up into the pinnacles of the Badlands themselves. It was really neat, and the boys went a little further than Leah and I, as she was not as sure footed on the slippery, loose rocks and soil. The soil is pretty much like sandstone, which was beautiful-showing many colors in the different layers from bleached white, to yellows, to pinks and reds to grays at the top. We enjoyed our little hike-the boys had a contest to see who could climb the furthest up a vertical rock, and then we got back in the car for the rest of the driving tour. Of course we got out a several more scenic overlooks, but mostly we just took it all in with our eyes. It was so desolate and bizarre-Bay commented that the landscape didn’t even look real-such a foreign looking land!

Of course, the scenic drive through the Badlands ends at the famous Wall Drug Store and town where they give out free ice water. We stopped to take a quick look around-quite the tourist trap, and then got back on the road to head back to our camp.

On the way home we saw a Bison right by the road and managed to get a picture of him as well. Tonight we are doing a load of laundry and planning on hitting the road first thing tomorrow morning. We are leaving here a day early, but are anxious to get on to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, as we are sure there will be so much to do there and not enough time to do all that we want.

Side note: On the drive through the scenic highways, while eating breakfast, Leah lost her second front tooth, so now she has both front teeth gone! She was so excited, but it really was funny. She wasn’t eating much, and then she opened her mouth and her tooth literally just fell out into her lap. That little girl refused to wiggle or loosen her teeth, and will not bite with a loose tooth or use it at all until it falls out completely on its own. However, she was so happy that  now she could eat again! Of course the tooth fairy will visit her tonight-even on our trip! 

 Deer on side of road-never moved and we were right next to it!

 Granite spires along Needles Highway

 Mountain Goats or Rams (not sure which) climbing the precarious rocks

 Of course Mt. Rushmore-just like the postcards!

 This was the view through one of the 3 tunnels that framed the presidents carved into the mountain

 Looking back down at the trail we just traversed-our car is in that parking lot!

 The boys on their way up

 Heather and Leah coming down-going up was actually easier than coming down-the gravel was so slippery that it was hard to get a foothold as you slid down the trail!

 So who do you think went higher, Bay (top picture) or Eric (bottom picture)???

 A kind stranger volunteered to take a picture of all of us with the badlands in the background

 Eric and Heather at one of the scenic overlooks. Notice he let me put my arm around him without a fuss? Normally he'd jerk away or run away, but I think he was too afraid of falling off! I took advantage of that for sure!

 One of the pictures that really don't do the landscape justice, but has to be shown how immense and vast the Badlands really were. This is just one spot of many looking out

We went in to Wall Drug, but didn't stay very long. We were disappointed when we saw that all of the western wear (leather belts, hats, etc.) were all made in China. How sad that even out here they outsource something that should be authentic :(