Day 4 - Black Hills, Presidents, Buffalo and Devils

Day 4 was the most unexpected day so far. We never expected so much and such spectacular scenery from South Dakota.

As we left Rapid City heading for Mt Rushmore, we ran into this random store that I seem to run into in remote, out of the way places in the US. Previously, it was Keystone, Colorado. All things Scandinavian.

From there we hit Mt Rushmore, which is in the Black Hills. I really did not expect much....I was indifferent. But again, once you are there, it is much more impressive in person.

From there, we took a little drive along 16A, a circular route that is south of Mt Rushmore. It is tight, very windy, slow, lots of climbs and descents. There are circular bridges (called "pigtails") that are built to make the climbs more manageable. There are multiple one way tunnels, two of which have a direct line of sight to Mt Rushmore.

Once on top, there were beautiful open alpine meadows.

The road also winds through Custer State Park within which roam a wild herd of Buffalo.

It was emotional and moving watching a herd of plains bison roaming through the park. From there we continued on the highway through a section called the "Needles Highway". It is a section with samples of erosion in the mountains resulting in incredible shapes and spires.

We completed the journey through the Black Hills in South Dakota and this just reinforced how beautiful the area is. From there we headed into Wyoming, to an area where the BlackHills continue. To a geological wonder that many of us older folks, recognize from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". 

All in all, it was a truly memorable and spectacular day.