Started the day in Keystone near Mount Rushmore and headed toward Custer State Park. Based on my research I decided to skip doing Needles Highway, a very technically demanding road, because my opinion of my ability is that it would have been too much for me.
I entered the park and shortly thereafter had to negotiate a couple of hairpin turns that, while I managed well, were at the limits of my ability. Needles has 14 miles filled with narrow roads and hairpin turns, I choose wisely. 🙂
Really interesting country. Saw a couple of dear, talked to one member of a group of Corvette owners that were traveling together. Then I met Linda and Lonnie from upstate New York, and immediately bonded over our love for the Finger Lakes and the Lake Onterio shore line.
Later at one of the visitor centers I ran into “Betty and Veronica” from Gillette . We chatted some more, and that was pretty cool to see someone again that I had met in my travels.
Right near the end of the loop I came upon a heard of bison. I did not approach them but I did move to a place where I was able to get a better look. Several were down at watering hole, including a couple of calves, one of which I got to watch galloped away. There was a path, I am guessing a dear path, that lead from the road toward the water hole. A route that the bison also followed based on the presence of bison poop at various stages of dryness.
There were some dear also grazing in the same area as the bison and one went to the water after the bison had left.
Just down the road one dear had walked into the middle of the road and just stopped, looking at the 2 lines of cars that were waiting for it.
After I left the loop I stopped for a snack and talked to a few more people and then started toward the park exit. That was when I saw a solitary bison sitting in the shade in a turnout on the opposite side of the road. I slowed down and took a good look but I was already passing it when I saw it. I decided that it was not worth the risk to try and get a picture.
After leaving the Park and heading south there was some beautiful landscapes and then, then I left the hills and onto the prairie and the wide open spaces.
The mountains had some amazing rock formations, saw some grand sites and met some good people but my soul lifted when I saw the big open spaces and vast vistas.
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