Wild Wild West Bound

The skies have cleared on this departure morning from Keystone. And, voila, our balcony view of Mount Rushmore is very clear. What a nice exit for us after this amazing little tour here!



A back trail is our path to Crazy Horse before leaving the area completely. It takes a tad longer than we expect, but the views make it a worthwhile trip. The still in production monument of the legendary Indian is as different than Rushmore as can be. Not being a National Park makes for an interesting contrast. It is quite busy this morning as it is the first sunny day in a week, we're told. We don't linger long but at least take in the magnificent work in progress.




































Northwest bound brings us into the notorious western town of Deadwood, immortalized as of late by the HBO series of its namesake. What we find is a charming old west town, full of casinos, a Main Street filled with infamous cowboy landmarks, and a cemetery overlooking the town with the remains of several key players of that time, including the most famous, Wild Bill Hickok.










We lunch at a converted old gas station, now called the Pump House, which delivers delicious sandwiches on homemade breads. A stroll down Main Street is quick but fun. And a little hike, and it's a workout, up at the cemetery gives us a nice little feel for this western tourist town. It isn't quite as busy as we'd forewarned ourselves, so it's actually a pleasant couple of hours tour.








Just one last stop in this deceptive little state of South Dakota.











We really do like this state quite a bit!!!!!

Ahhh.....Despite Rain

Before completely exiting these magnificent Black Hills and Custer, we make one final stop at Sylvan Lake. The rain which has managed to stay at bay for most of the day comes in fully now at this late afternoon hour. Again, we will not be stopped!









Umbrellas have been made for a reason.









If anything, the beauty of this lake seems only to be more beautiful with the fog rolling in and the overcast skies. We can't imagine it could be better.




An apparent stroll around the lake turns into a more adventurous hike, but, as usual, the rewards then become even greater.






It is the perfect finale to our incredible excursion.



A day in the Black Hills to be remembered for a good, long while!!

Wild Wild Life

Custer continues to provide a plethora of wildlife.









Birds singing, prairie dogs popping, burros welcoming guests, and a momma badger protecting her babies are only a few of the wealth of animal encounters. This is a truly special place.





























































After our incredible wildlife tour here, we continue onto the Needles drive out of the park heading back to our Keystone home.

Just when we thought it couldn't get any prettier....



The twists, turns, tunnels and vistas are awe inspiring and taking it all in is almost exhausting. We had heard how beautiful this area was, but, OMG, we really had no idea!!


The Cathedral Spikes soar and the Needle's Eye is beyond scope in imagining its creation. The gifts we encounter today are stupendous and we are beyond grateful.


We are so fortunate to be able to experience such beauty and are definitely not taking one single moment for granted. Again, South Dakota delivers quite a punch!!!

Where the Buffalo Roam....

Iron Mountain is the route to Custer State Park which houses large herds of free roaming buffalo. The rangers are doubtful they will be visible today but we, of course, are confident they will be found. And, wow, what a show we discover!



























































And then, the deer and the antelope play, as well! Welcome to the Black Hills of South Dakota!!