We landed in Rapid City, South Dakota early on Saturday, picked up the rental car and we are off to the races. We had a lot to do and see and a limited amount of time to do it in. South Dakota was that extra stop-off that I told you about in an earlier post. Mount Rushmore was on Betty’s bucket list. So, since it only took us about 350 miles out of route from Yellowstone…what the heck! If it makes her happy.

But first – The Badlands! Here we come.

I must admit, outside of Death Valley, this place is like travelling to another world. We truly enjoy the mountains and the fresh green smell of trees and grass and fields….not here! This stretch of South Dakota is dry, barren and almost totally free of any kind of life. Just take a scan through the Badlands photos and you will understand what I am saying. Although there are the random trees here and there and some grassy areas, there was very little evidence of any living animals, although I did catch a single deer. At first it was difficult for me to adjust the lighting required with my new camera. Everything was so bright because there was very little to absorb the sunshine. It took quite a few photos to get it right. Meantime, Betty is just clicking away on her Samsung S7 and the pictures are just great. I bet you can’t tell the difference. I put a few of hers in the deck. I tried to limit the selfies though.

Although I’m glad we went, surely something to see…is it someplace that I will want to go back to…probably not. But you can see Betty smiling and that’s what made me happy to be there with her.

Our first overnight was in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We routed our trip through Rapid City to see what that was all about and to catch some dinner before heading to the Coyote Blues Village Bed and Breakfast. 

Rapid City was a delight. We stopped in a local brewery that served dinner and their local crafts beers out of an old firehouse. It was jammed and after a brief wait we were given a table and enjoyed a fine glass of craft beer and a burger. 

We finally made it to Coyote Blues and on more than one occasion though we had made a wrong turn. It is truly off the beaten path, which ultimately let me take some really great Milky Way pictures because the sky was so dark there.

This was what I trained for the few weeks before we left—dark skies—full of stars—and the Milky Way! I scoped out a spot where I would set up, went back to the room and got the gear ready. I woke at around 2 AM and headed out to my spot. It was dark! If I had not had my flashlight prepared I would still be wandering around in the Black Hills. That is if the bear and coyote that were howling didn’t get me. And besides that, it was really cold out there. So I took about 40-50 photos. Since each take about 30 seconds, I was probably out there for a little over an hour. I have attached one or two of the best untouched photos here. I have become really excited about taking these nighttime photos. While the camera is shooting, you look at the sky, try to just imagine how many stars you are seeing and hope to see a shooting star fly by….and yes! there it is! How incredible was that! I wanted to reach over and say “Betty did you see it!” , but she was in bed sleeping! Did I even really see it? I know I did and it was incredible and hopefully it is in my photo…as proof!

What a night!

Breakfast by Christine and Hans-Peter at the Coyote Blues was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone. The Swiss style breakfast just reminded me of Germany. The hospitality that we enjoyed there for two nights was just the best. We could not have selected a better place to stay.

Off to Mount Rushmore. I figure we would be there for about 15-20 minutes and then get out of there! I was pleasantly surprised and absolutely enjoyed the wide eyes of wonderment that I saw in Betty’s face. Three hours later and we were still there enjoying a soft ice cream at the base of the mountains.

One of the mysterious things that Betty does everywhere we go is find a small stone that she will collect and take home. These stones hold a certain mystical power for her. Something that will touch her more than the memories that it might bring when she holds it later on when we get home. It somehow brings her the peace and tranquility that she discovered when and where she found it. Many times it has a certain shape. Here at Mount Rushmore it was the shape of a heart. You can see a picture of her fishing it out with her selfie stick. It made her day and mine priceless.

This monument to the 4 presidents is truly impressive. The sheer size of the sculptures and the artistry that planned the work that spanned many years is truly a sight to be seen. The story of its construction and the willpower that was effected over this mountain to create this spectacular monument to 4 of the greatest presidents that this country has had is amazing.

The remainder of that day took us through Custer National Forest and The Crazy Horse Monument. We drove through the forest and discovered some really nice lakes, one of which was the home of an osprey nest. I took a few pictures of the parents but could not get close enough or high enough to get the young.

Crazy Horse Monument is not yet complete so we did not go in to see it up close. We dd stop to take some pictures. It just did not seem to be worth the fee and the lines to get in. I was pretty tired by then anyway, remember I was up at 2 Am taking pictures!

We left the Black Hills the next morning and headed up to Devil’s Tower. We took a small detour to see what Sturgiss was all about. We found out that there is absolutely nothing going on there unless you go during bike week. We bought a few t-shirts and bandanna for some biker friends and went on the Devil’s Tower.

Now you have to imagine the Wyoming plains-flat as flat can be for as long as you can see! Then out of the middle of nowhere – The Devil’s Tower! This huge mass of rock juts out of the earth in front of you. What a sight! There are two trails that allow you to hike around its base. As we were walking, we encounter some young guys with helmets, gloves and climbing rope. What the…? We asked them and they told us that they had just climbed to the top and down. Crazy! These are sheer cliffs rising who knows how high into the air and if you look closely, there are others there right now as we looked up.

Definitely worth seeing, even if its 350 miles out of your way to Yellowstone. What a great day and we tell each other constantly how fantastic it is to be in each others company and enjoy these wonderful sights together. 

This has been a  great start to a wonderful vacation.

The best is yet to come. Yellowstone National Park! The mountains, the lakes, the forest, the snow (yes the snow in June) and the wildlife make this an adventure that you will not forget. Not only not forget, but want to repeat as often as you can.