Road Trip 2015 South Dakota

We checked into our hotel in Rapid City, then drove to Mt. Rushmore. The lateness of the day and the lingering smoke from the Idaho and western forest fires, gives the monument a slightly different look.

Because it was late in the evening when we arrived, we decided to stay for the lighting of the monument. The National Park Service has a great presentation before lighting. The presentation includes the presenting of the colors by all veterans in the audience. When the flags are retired at the end of the lighting ceremony, each veteran is asked to introduce themselves (name, state, and branch of service). There were well over 100 veterans. It was very impressive and humbling. The Audience gave these veterans a rousing ovation.

Today we leave Rapid City, travel across South Dakota, and into Albert Lea, Minnesota. This will be a long day of travel.

The landscape of South Dakota eastward from Rapid City is much like the grasslands of north central Wyoming near KayCee and Buffalo.

After leaving Rapid City, we kept seeing signs for Wall Drug. These signs would show up every few miles for fifty miles (we even saw a few in eastern Wy. So we pulled off I70 to check it out. As you can see it is more than a drug store (it covers over 1/2 a city block).

This what it looks like inside Wall Drug (not in the Drug Store but in the mini-mall adjacent to it). There are quite a few shops that are part of the store.

Shirley met a new friend but he wasn't much for conversation.

Looking across the Missouri River in south central South Dakota. Lewis and Clark had a major camp in this location on their trek to the Pacific. On the west side of the river (far side) the country is mostly grassy ranch land. The east side (foreground) the landscape changes to flat farmland.

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Lake Creek Trail

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Wayne Darlington Mining Visionary

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