MOUNT RUSHMORE, CRAZY HORSE, CUSTER STATE PARK, THE NEEDLES HIGHWAY
I am so excited to share that my very good friends from Virginia -- Benu, Olga, and Andrew -- came to visit me in South Dakota for three days! I picked them up at the airport in Rapid City and it was non-stop sightseeing (and fun!) from there on.
First Stop: Mount Rushmore
There are several roads that lead to Mount Rushmore, but only ONE right way to get there.
We drove north on Iron Mountain Road / US-16A through Custer State Park. Check out our first glimpse of Mount Rushmore, perfectly framed through the Doane Robinson Tunnel.
The curvy scenic road provides several opportunities to spot the famous four heads and stop for photo opportunities.
Completed in 1941, Mount Rushmore depicts the nearly 60' high stony faces of four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The Avenue of Flags provides yet another picturesque approach to the famous monument.
And here is our little party of four: me, Andrew, Benu, and Olga, all dressed in our America-loving colors!
Be sure to venture onto the side trails for some quieter and closer-up views like this one:
Stop 2: Crazy Horse Memorial
From Mount Rushmore, we drove to the Crazy Horse Memorial where we learned the craziest fact of all is that its completion date is projected at 100+ years from now! So we made our $35 contribution, ate lunch, and mused over whether Andrew's grandchildren would get to see the completed statue in their lifetimes. We certainly won't!
See Crazy Horse behind us?
Stop 3: Needles Highway in Custer State Park
Needles Highway is a spectacular scenic drive through Custer State Park in southwest South Dakota. Completed in 1922, the 14-mile stretch includes sharp turns, narrow tunnels, granite spires, and incredible views.
What I loved most about making this drive today as an adult is that I vividly remember making this trip with my parents as a young child. And it makes my heart happy that the drive is still every bit as impressive today as it was to my young self.
I specifically remember this spot on the road when I was a kid ... watching a camper pull its mirrors in and creep through this tunnel, scraping along both sides as it went. No campers this time around, but equally as nerve-wracking watching some of those larger vehicles carefully making their way through.
We parked and climbed the rocks and snapped some photos. Check out the pic below ... and note there is just one car waiting to go through the tunnel.
We decided it was time to leave, but by now, there was a looonnnng line of cars waiting and no cars were moving from either side, so we couldn't leave even if we wanted to. I heard there was a goat causing the traffic jam, so this farm girl decided to investigate.
Now we're in business! Cars are moving again ... verrrry carefully!
Once the cars cleared out, Benu, Olga, and Andrew ran over to the tunnel to pose for one last picture ... and guess who made another appearance?
Stop 4: Custer State Park Wildlife
We *totally* lucked out on the rest of our drive through Custer State Park. Another car pulled up next to us and told us to drive down a gravel road just ahead, that there was an entire herd of buffalo across the road. She wasn't kidding!
Check out this video of our car surrounded by some of the 1,300 buffalo that freely roam the park. Plus some bonus footage of the adorable donkeys that also roam the park, but are so tame now that they have been dubbed the "Begging Burros."
How cute are these two little twerps?
Stop 5: Dinner at Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City
And finally, after a long day, we headed back to Rapid City where we had dinner at Firehouse Brewing Co, located in an original firehouse built in 1915 and now home to South Dakota's first brew pub. Bonus: there was a festival that night in downtown Rapid City with live music. A perfect way to end the day!