After we went to the Mt Rushmore monument yesterday, we decided to drive down the Iron Mountain Road into Custer State Park. Like many of the roads in the Park, this one isn't the newest or the widest road that you have ever driven.
The trail was first finished sometime in the 1930s and has tunnels thru the mountains that are quite narrow. As you approach, they ask you to sound your horn so folks on the opposite end will know you are entering. I did have to back out of one of the tunnels as folks were coming from the other end.
You can't see into the tunnel as they are around a curve as you enter. The roads are so narrow that the lanes are split into two roads some distance apart. The asphalt might be 9 feet wide on the single lanes. But the scenery is outstanding. There were very few places to park the car so I didn't get pictures.
The other unusual thing we encountered was pig tail bridges. I am used to hair pin turns to climb a mountain, from Colorado where that is normal. But here they built a bridge to higher elevations where you drive under the bridge and then looping in a steep climb cross over the bridge you just went under. Thus they are shaped like a pig's tail.
We went on thru the park after paying the user fee at the far end of the drive. $15 for a week pass. So to leave we took the needles road. Again this is narrow, but follows a passage thru the rocky inclines for miles to the Northwest. The rocks are in the form of spires, or needles reaching far above your head.
On this drive we encountered even tighter tunnels thru the mountains. At the narrowest the tunnel was listed as 8 ft 4 inches. And only 12 feet tall. It was spooky with the car........ But, there were tour buses that were loaded with people. I mean full sized buses, and I went thru just ahead of one of them. He had to back up several times and get himself aligned just right in order to drive straight thru. He couldn't have turned more than an inch or so and he would have hit the walls. Loyce and I thought it was crazy, but of course that is part of the ambiance of the bus ride........
We drove South from there into the town of Custer. Loyce had spotted a quilt shop, and I was marooned in the car as it began to rain. I mean really rain, with a bunch of hail too. Not large enough to do damage, but it scared poor Biscuit out of her wits. The roads ran like rivers as we made our way North past Crazy Horse to the campground in Rapid City.
I should explain that here in the Black Hills, when it is Sturgis Motor Cycle Rally week there are no campgrounds that are not booked. None for 150 miles, as I was told on the phone when I was looking for places to stay. I managed to book the KOA using the online reservation system after I was told no vacancy on the phone. But just for two nights, and I had to take the most expensive site available.
I went on to reserve two more nights at the Mt Rushmore KOA right outside of the memorial. Again I had to take the premium site, and the price was even higher. And for Friday, it had a premium added for bike week. Plus a resort fee, and a sur charge for our dog each night. Remember there is nothing available for miles.
I was told at the KOA in Rapid City that bike week was booked a year ago, and that I had slipped in on a cancellation. But with all this fun, we had to move down here to the Hill City KOA this morning.
We left the CG at about 10:30 and drove down to Custer, because we were too early to check in to Mt Rushmore. Loyce shopped at the local grocery for about an hour, as we stalled around. But we were paid on line, and we just signed the credit slip and were shown to our site.
This is the most premium KOA I have ever stayed at with Horses for trail rides and water slides and so many activities I can't remember them all. Kids abound, buzzing around on those little recumbent bikes with the big flags sticking out of the back. Remember the parks were all full.........
Retired Rod
Friday, August 5, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Mount Rushmore
We went to Mount Rushmore today, so here are some of the pictures I took.
As you leave the garage that is run by a private concessionaire, $11. This is the front entrance to the memorial.
As you progress to the corridor of the state flags and the gift shop area.
People are everywhere, so any idea of taking pictures without them is out of luck.
So I attempted to take the shots over their heads. The corridor of flags with the presidents above.
Inside the gift shop are the portraits of each of the presidents on the mountain.
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Theodore Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln
I thought it was interesting that they explained the accomplishments of each president that qualified them to be on the mountain. Washington as the founder of our nation. Jefferson for the Louisiana purchase that doubled the size of our nation. Roosevelt for creating the national park system, and Lincoln for preserving the union during the civil war.
It occurred to me that many of the younger folks may not even know the presidents names, let alone what they had done for our nation.
This bust is of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor that designed this memorial. The details and story of all of this is interesting but I will let you google the memorial to learn more.
Retired Rod
As you leave the garage that is run by a private concessionaire, $11. This is the front entrance to the memorial.
As you progress to the corridor of the state flags and the gift shop area.
People are everywhere, so any idea of taking pictures without them is out of luck.
So I attempted to take the shots over their heads. The corridor of flags with the presidents above.
The amphitheater below the mountain.
Inside the gift shop are the portraits of each of the presidents on the mountain.
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Theodore Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln
I thought it was interesting that they explained the accomplishments of each president that qualified them to be on the mountain. Washington as the founder of our nation. Jefferson for the Louisiana purchase that doubled the size of our nation. Roosevelt for creating the national park system, and Lincoln for preserving the union during the civil war.
It occurred to me that many of the younger folks may not even know the presidents names, let alone what they had done for our nation.
This bust is of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor that designed this memorial. The details and story of all of this is interesting but I will let you google the memorial to learn more.
Retired Rod
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
South Dakota, all day!! Wall Drug!
We drove across South Dakota today and it was pleasant as the temps for the most part were lower than 90 degrees all day. South Dakota is a lot like West Texas and Western Kansas, miles and miles of miles and miles. Now I'm sure that will offend someone, so my apologies are extended now......
The highlight was stopping at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. I was here many years ago as a kid on vacation with my parents, but it was nothing like it is today.
They have purchased all of the stores on the East side of the main block in downtown Wall. It is one of most massive curio shops in the US. It has fresh donuts and a cafeteria and has now grown to have an interior style mall.
I snapped this in the clothing store where Western boots and hats were mainly the theme.
I took this shot of the indoor mall area by holding the camera over my head. It has poor focus by shows the newer areas of the store.
Behind the main row of stores, there is a courtyard where various photo options are available. I thought this was kind of fun, as there are fountains that are in the cement flooring. They squirt up above your head, and the kids were running back and forth thru the water. If you look closely you can see one of the fountains squirting.
Then clear down at the end of the row of buildings back in a dark corner I found the animated T-Rex. He is about ten feet tall and sits there all shrouded in jungle plants. You didn't know that he would come to life until the lights suddenly come on and he speaks up!!
I switched the camera to the video option and caught about 14 seconds of what he had to say and put it on as a video.
There were several little kids in attendance that were caught completely off guard and it scared the He!! out of them as they began to scream in terror. If you listen closely you can hear one of them begin to scream just as I cut off the camera.
We are at the KOA in in Rapid City tonight where we were shocked at the price for camping. But with Sturgis bike week going on next week all prices in the area are adjusted. And not lower I might add.
Retired Rod
The highlight was stopping at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. I was here many years ago as a kid on vacation with my parents, but it was nothing like it is today.
They have purchased all of the stores on the East side of the main block in downtown Wall. It is one of most massive curio shops in the US. It has fresh donuts and a cafeteria and has now grown to have an interior style mall.
I snapped this in the clothing store where Western boots and hats were mainly the theme.
I took this shot of the indoor mall area by holding the camera over my head. It has poor focus by shows the newer areas of the store.
Behind the main row of stores, there is a courtyard where various photo options are available. I thought this was kind of fun, as there are fountains that are in the cement flooring. They squirt up above your head, and the kids were running back and forth thru the water. If you look closely you can see one of the fountains squirting.
Then clear down at the end of the row of buildings back in a dark corner I found the animated T-Rex. He is about ten feet tall and sits there all shrouded in jungle plants. You didn't know that he would come to life until the lights suddenly come on and he speaks up!!
I switched the camera to the video option and caught about 14 seconds of what he had to say and put it on as a video.
There were several little kids in attendance that were caught completely off guard and it scared the He!! out of them as they began to scream in terror. If you listen closely you can hear one of them begin to scream just as I cut off the camera.
We are at the KOA in in Rapid City tonight where we were shocked at the price for camping. But with Sturgis bike week going on next week all prices in the area are adjusted. And not lower I might add.
Retired Rod
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
North to South Dakota
The Onawa, Iowa campground along the flooded Missouri river was a nice place, and they were working hard to repair the flooding damage that they suffered earlier this summer. We had a pleasant stay, but it was soooo humid there. As the night fell, the moisture was all over everything.
Our front windshield looked as though it was raining outside, as it had a heavy film of fog on it that mixed into the smooshed bugs. Bug innards were sagging down the glass. Uck!
So this morning it was out with the bucket and pole brush to scrub up the front of the coach. Still humid, I perspired a river in the morning sun. The day was off to another hot start.
As we were leaving the park, it was almost 90. We pressed North on I 29 to Sioux City. The traffic around there is always jammed and today was just like always. As we passed several of the hotel properties along the river, we saw huge sand bag dikes around some of them, which were holding back the river. One property North of downtown was like an island out in the middle of the river. You could see street lights and stop signs on the submerged roads in the area but it is still completely under water.
Once in South Dakota, we left the side of the river and headed straight North to Sioux Falls. Loyce wanted a Wal Mart stop, so we plugged that into the GPS. As I parked in the packed Wally World lot we had 97 as a temperature. With the generator and both airs running, we just stayed there eating lunch and deciding what we were going to do next. I walked a block to a Wendy's and the wind was gusting from the South and burned as it hit my face.
But by about 2PM we were headed for I 90 West. I had gone online and made a reservation for the KOA in Mitchell. As we drove here the temps went higher and higher. As I made the corner into the camp, the thermometer hit 105. My shoes sizzled as I walked across the gravel parking lot to the camp store. So much for my idea to go North and get away from the heat!
Once on shore power, we huddled under the ACs for the rest of the afternoon. With both of them running, it was about 85 in the coach. With the addition of our fan and some cool drinks we made it thru.
Tonight we are to have a big cool down, and perhaps some thunderstorms with wind by early morning. That will be different...........
Retired Rod
Our front windshield looked as though it was raining outside, as it had a heavy film of fog on it that mixed into the smooshed bugs. Bug innards were sagging down the glass. Uck!
So this morning it was out with the bucket and pole brush to scrub up the front of the coach. Still humid, I perspired a river in the morning sun. The day was off to another hot start.
As we were leaving the park, it was almost 90. We pressed North on I 29 to Sioux City. The traffic around there is always jammed and today was just like always. As we passed several of the hotel properties along the river, we saw huge sand bag dikes around some of them, which were holding back the river. One property North of downtown was like an island out in the middle of the river. You could see street lights and stop signs on the submerged roads in the area but it is still completely under water.
Once in South Dakota, we left the side of the river and headed straight North to Sioux Falls. Loyce wanted a Wal Mart stop, so we plugged that into the GPS. As I parked in the packed Wally World lot we had 97 as a temperature. With the generator and both airs running, we just stayed there eating lunch and deciding what we were going to do next. I walked a block to a Wendy's and the wind was gusting from the South and burned as it hit my face.
But by about 2PM we were headed for I 90 West. I had gone online and made a reservation for the KOA in Mitchell. As we drove here the temps went higher and higher. As I made the corner into the camp, the thermometer hit 105. My shoes sizzled as I walked across the gravel parking lot to the camp store. So much for my idea to go North and get away from the heat!
Once on shore power, we huddled under the ACs for the rest of the afternoon. With both of them running, it was about 85 in the coach. With the addition of our fan and some cool drinks we made it thru.
Tonight we are to have a big cool down, and perhaps some thunderstorms with wind by early morning. That will be different...........
Retired Rod
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