Last week we went on an amazing trip back to South Dakota with my parents. It has been my Dad's bucket list for years to go to the Dakotas. In the 5 days we were there we saw, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse Monument, The Minuteman Missile Museum, Ellsworth Air & Space Museum, the Badlands, Deadwood, Sturgis and just breathtaking scenery!
The Dude and I were just along for ride as my Dad navigated where he wanted to go and what he wanted to see. It was a very fun trip!
Our first stop was the Badlands, it was immediately HOT once you got out of the car.
There's a good looking guy!
This missile display is the main thing the Dude wanted to see and learn about. Very fascinating stuff, they were scattered all over SD during the cold war.
This was amazing to see! The night show was very neat.
On the way to get here we took some back roads, I think that was one of the prettiest drives I have ever been on!
Four very amazing Presidents. They did so much to help shape this great country.
My Dad loved these pig tail bridges on the Iron Mountain road. He liked them so much we went on this road not just once, but three times. It was fascinating every time.
These tunnels were exciting to squeeze through.
On the Needles highway, the Dude was thrilled and nervous to watch this big truck with a camper shell squeeze through the smallest tunnel on the trip.
Begging burros in Custer State Park, Dad was not impressed.....
Those black dots are Buffalo. Dad loved the rolling hills in the park.
Here you can kind of see the Buffalo better.
Devil's Tower
This was a very unique monument, it was the first monument Pres. Theodore Roosevelt set aside for the country. It is a random rock formation with nothing else of its kind around it. You should definitely read up on it!
While in Deadwood we went to where Wild Bill Hickok was shot. The town of Deadwood is set back in the hills, very pretty area! But main street was like a mini Vegas with casinos, saloons, and people smoking everywhere!
We drove through Custer State Park again and saw a herd of Rocky Mountain Sheep, just the the Dams and their new offspring.
If I remember right, this was called a Chapel in the Hills. It is a replica of a stave church that was built in Norway in 1150.
Off the freeway on the way to Sturgis from Rapid City we found this Veteran Cemetery. It was neat to get out and pay our respects to those who served our country.
They had some big planes at the Ellsworth Air & Space Museum!
In downtown Rapid City you can go on a walking tour of the Presidents, here Dad is comparing his boot size to Pres. Lincoln's. Lincoln's were bigger.
