Radisson Hotel Rapid City / Mt Rushmore

... State Park has campgrounds, cabins and a lodge, all of which require reservations during the summer season. And, we've learned that the most scenic portions of the byway close after the first snow fall - so plan accordingly!!

Here's a link to the Norbeck Byway http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/24 59/

... more days of rain as well as unseasonably cool temperatures. We do have a few more sights we'd like to visit while we are here so we may just have to bundle up and head out. The only problem is we don't really have any cold weather clothing. I guess we will just have to layer on the sweathshirts and Ken will have to wear long pants!!

We were up early today for the short drive from our campground out to Custer State Park. We had arrived in Rapid City in time for the annual buffalo roundup and we were looking forward to taking this event off our 'list'. We've included quite a few pictures that we took along with a few that a friend of a friend took. You will be able to ...

... homemade donuts ever !We drove through the Badlands National Park at this point and again, shear cowboy scenery and beauty ! As I keep thinking every day for us is like going to an Amusement Park !! We ended up in Kennebec, SD which was the KOA we call the “sewer slew”. We were parked right next to the sewer pond and the wind ran just the right way for us !! Incredible stench !! and huge mosquitoes !!

Posted by Tracy

... the Bad Lands, deep gorges, sharp lunar-like spires, buttes and pinnacles greeted us ---- shaped by the Great Flood, prairie winds and rain. The Lakota gave this land its name, "mako sica," meaning "land bad." Erosion revealed sedimentary layers of different colors: purple and yellow (shale), tan and gray (sand and gravel), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ...

... it was loud and no time for much conversation and sometimes that's a good thing. So I'm heading to South Dakota. I could stay here 1 more day but it wouldn't be useful so I head on. 6 p.m.: We're here in Rapid City. I am going across the street to a simple diner to get some food and then I'll be watchin some tv and get a good night sleep.... Good night! L and J

... a large walk way it has pillars made of granite on the sides they have the names of all the states and territory's in the USA. (we took a picture of the MN one) After walking down the way, you come to a large theader. They have a show there at night right before they illiminate the statue. We could not go to it because we needed to get some sleep with the time change and we have a long drive (to yellowstone!!!) tommorow. On the way back we could see the ...

... with I-90 in 50 something miles. There was nothing and no one around. So I calmed myself down, turned around and, as you may have guessed, because I'm writing this now, found a gas station. It was one pump in a dirt driveway. The octane was 85. There was a handwritten sign on the pump that read, "Please pay for gas at the bar across the street." Awesome. I went into the bar...total dive. In fact is there a grade below dive, because this would have been it. Wow! I ...

... when we pulled into the restaurant, but all of a sudden, there it was. We began to doubt how long it would last and whether it would affect our sightseeing plans for the day, but as we plodded our way toward our next destination it did clear up a bit. We made it to Mount Rushmore Memorial Park and had our visit there. Funny. but as we were entering the park and proceeding towards the observation area, we heard music and what sounded like cheering, so as we approached the ...

... pretty disspointed we weren't going to visit the Grand Canyon, so the next best thing were the Badlands of South Dakota and it sure didn't dissapoint! It was so drastic a landscape we had ever seen, you could not help but be taken aback by the erosion patterns and the sheer drops into the canyon valleys. The drive through was sensational, such an alien landscape. The next highlight was to the very west of South Dakota in Custer State Park where they boasted wild Bison herds ...