Road Trip! Leg Four: Through South Dakota

While camping at Bruneau Sand Dunes a few months ago, I met a retired couple who had taken to the road for a few years. They were driving all over the United States with their horses, camping and riding and exploring the corners of the country. I asked them about the favorite place from their travels, and to my surprise, they told me that South Dakota was at the top of their list. I knew absolutely nothing about South Dakota, but I decided to take their word and put the state onto my itinerary. I was not disappointed. 

Part One: The Drive

I was in great spirits on Sunday after my stay in Custer National Forest. I was on the road at 6am, which got me a nice and relaxing three hour drive to Mount Rushmore. Overcast skies still lingered, which I actually think made the drive through the Black Hills all the more beautiful. In fact, I was much more impressed with the drive in the areas surrounding Mount Rushmore than I was with the monument itself. This wasn't just because the faces were covered with a thick fog, but because the hills had so much to offer. I would love to go through that area again someday and be able to spend time exploring the hills. 

Georgie Boy is hiding under the fog up there. 

Sleepy pups!

That's all, folks!

I drove up to and around Mount Rushmore, but I didn't actually get close enough to take good photos. It costs $11 to drive up closer to the monument, and I decided that was a bit steep for a photo of some dead guys on rocks. No, no, it is a cool thing, Mount Rushmore, but it is not my kind of sightseeing. Especially with the knowledge of the history of this part of the country, there is just something that doesn't sit right about this being carved into the hillside.

Crazy Horse Memorial

For that reason, I had also planned to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial, which is only about a half hour away from Mount Rushmore. I had read that this was free to visit, but when I arrived, they were also charging $11 at the gate. I declined to pay there as well, although in hindsight, it would have been a worthy cause to support. The Crazy Horse Memorial is being constructed independently, and therefore is funded largely by donation. There is a museum and cultural center that I would have been able to view with admission, but I didn't want to do so with the dogs in the car. As you can see from the photo, the memorial is still very far from being finished, and I believe it has been sitting this way for quite some time, which is very unfortunate. I would highly recommend checking out the website for the memorial to learn of its history and mission. 

Buffalo

I took a very meandering route to Badlands National Park after leaving the Black Hills, trying to hit as much green as possible. Inadvertently, I traveled through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands before getting to Badlands, and somehow, I didn't have to pay admission the way that I entered the park. I saw two buffalo immediately upon entering, but that was it! The skies were still grey and stormy, and the rain did come down on me for a few moments, but just like the Black Hills, it only made everything more beautiful. The weather also made this long day of driving much more tolerable by keeping the temperatures down. 

Storm clouds beginning to break.

I pulled over in my car to eat lunch (leftovers from last night's dinner), and while I was eating, I could visibly see the sky begin to clear. Rock formations in the distance became more clearly defined, and blue began to pop out of sections of the sky. I stopped a few times to take photos, but I eventually got into pretty congested sections of the park and I couldn't bear to stop anymore. I have gone to a lot of great places, but I think that the only national park that I have visited is Arches NP in Moab, and I did that at a very early hour. The downside to national parks is that they are designed for tourism- aka, driving slowly and parking on the side of the road. The speed limit was 45mph, but I think that traffic was moving at about 15mph. I got most of my cool photos in Badlands out my window while crawling through traffic. The photos actually came out pretty cool, especially as the blue sky was finally making itself visible from behind the clouds. I love the contrast of the grass, the formations and the sky. I think the photos pretty much speak for themselves. What's so bad about the Badlands?

Part Two: Palisades State Park

Split Rock Creek

By the time I made it through Badlands, it was already well into the afternoon, and I had spent many hours on the road. However, I think that they grey skies and the various stops throughout the day kept me well-energized, so I drove farther than I had anticipated for the day. My original plan was to find a place to camp in some national grasslands, but I was able to identify a state park that was just off the freeway a little ways east of Sioux Falls. 

Princess Gracie by our tent. 

When I arrived, I pitched the tent and took the dogs for a quick walk. I had been driving through cornfields for hours and hours, so I was pleasantly pleased when I found the park to be green and lush. Unfortunately, I was reminded quickly of the pesky little thing that often accompanies all that moisture- mosquitoes. 

Not much room for me on the sleeping bag..

Morning run.

The little bloodsuckers got me to retreat to my tent before the sun was down, and I laid in my tent with the fly open, watching them buzz around the screen. I am accustomed to camping in the mountains in Idaho, where it can get very cold at night, even in the summer. The low for the night was in the low 60s, so I slept with the fly unzipped throughout the night, and woke up occasionally with a view of the stars.

New kicks from The Pulse!

I was up early again in the morning and wasted no time in dressing in my running gear and getting the dogs out for a run. Holly at The Pulse hooked me up with a pair of the new Altra Torin before I left, and I was happy to finally take them out for a good test run. (They were awesome, but more on that later.) We explored the small trail system that runs along the creek through the park, noting the information provided at various places that described the rock formations, the creek, and the historic bridge. I have written more about my experience at the park under my State Park Ambassador blog, so check that out here.

After a slightly less buggy breakfast, I packed up camp and hit the road again with Minnesota on the horizon. 

Next leg: Palisades State Park, South Dakota to Great River Bluffs State Park, Minnesota