The morning saw us heading east across the barrens of Wyoming, towards the Black Hills area in the northeast corner of the state. Scenic rolling hills and ample antelope gave way to rugged red rock and the imposing Devil's Tower national monument, looming ominously in the distance. Luckily, it's base was surrounded by deer and really cute prairie dogs! After picking up some Devil's Tower Lager for the road, we moved on...
Devil's Tower National Monument
Crossing east into South Dakota, we followed I-90 as far as Rapid City, where we turned south to explore Mount Rushmore. We climbed through white evergreens as a hoar-frost fog clung to the mountain...and unfortunately obscured the very faces of Rushmore we had come to see! From the top, the only thing visible on the mountain was a wall of grey. However, our disappointed quickly abated as we descended a winding backroad down the mountain (Iron Mountain Road, route 16A!!), through single-lane tunnels in the rock, crossing pig-tail bridges, and observing bison, deer, wild turkeys, and the odd inquisitive burro.
Tunnel on the backside of Mt. Rushmore
Jane's cousin
Rejoining the I-90, we continued east through the rolling hills and badlands of South Dakota to Murdo, where we turned south. The landscape began to flatten as we approached the Nebraska border, and we passed by Little Big Horn, site of Custer's fabled last stand. As we entered Nebraska, the cold temperatures persisted, and we again found ourselves seeking shelter for the night. Luckily, in small-town Valentine, NE, we found the perfect solution at Dunes Lodge - great suites for a very reasonable price! Rounding out the evening with dinner from the ever-present Pizza Hut, we tried to get caught up on our reading....
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment