BumVoyage

If you read my last post you’ll know a little bit about the grandeur of one of the wonders of the Black Hills, Custer State Park, but there is more to see and explore, much more.

Lets start with Mount Rushmore which is right next to, but not in, Custer State Park. Mount Rushmore is centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakota. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the sculpture, called Shrine of Democracy, and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features the 60-foot-tall heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively. Amazingly, no lives were lost during the project.

Becky and I chose to visit in the evening so we could explore the memorial and visitor center during daylight hours while staying for the nigh time program which concludes with lighting of the memorial and recognition for veterans, family members of veterans who lost their lives in service to the United States, and those currently serving.

Another gem we were lucky enough to find was the George S. Mickelson Rail Trail which runs 109 miles through much of the Black Hills. From Deadwood, all the way down to Edgemont. We chose to enter the trail at Mystic Station which allowed us to ride our bikes along the trail for about 15 miles including several trussell bridges and three tunnels. Fantastic!!

The final stop for our Black Hills tour was at Devils Tower. We arrived for our stay at the Devils Tower KOA to find that they had experienced a microburst the night before which included 100 mph winds and golf ball sized hail. It must have been a horrible to experience. Trees stripped of leaves and or uprooted, skylights smashed, windshields broken, motorhomes and tow vehicles dented. The KOA staff was everywhere cleaning up but we were able to stay even though Devils Tower was closed to visitors.

We were lucky to have our friends Craig and Pat come up from their farm in Yoder, WY to spend the day with us golfing and playing games. Craig has a friend that sponsored us at Devils Tower Golf Club. Fantastic course, magnificent views, amazing restaurant and bar. Check out that red birch woodwork. After golf, we ended up at the local dive bar, the Ponderosa, for games, dinner, and good times. Craig and Pat, thanks again for coming up and sharing some of Wyoming with us!

Next up…a little place called Yellowstone NP!