Day 4

After breakfast we headed off to pick up a rental car in order to travel around the Black Hills. At 8:00 AM sharp we pulled out of the park in our '84 Buick Park Ave. Although the car had well over 100,000 miles, it never batted an eye at the best the Black Hills could throw at us. First stop was Mt. Rushmore. What an incredible architectural achievement.

After crossing Mt. Rushmore off the list, we headed to Custer Sate Park via Iron Mountain Road which would be a significant challenge for any highly trained driver. Once we successfully navigated the hairpin turns, pig tail bridges and one lane rock tunnels of Iron Mountain Rd, we entered Custer State Park and proceed to the “THE WILDLIFE LOOP” in search of some wildlife. While the game was present, we had to work hard to find all the major animals of the park. When it was all said and done we found: Elk, Mule & White Tail Deer, Bison, Prairie Dogs, begging burrows and Antelope. I must say that all my Cherokee blood was boiling as Amy took the prize as chief game spotter!

Leaving the park, we stopped and had lunch at the Blue Bell Lodge. A few bison burgers and a Moose Drool later we were on the road headed towards Needle Drive. This is most certainly the “Tour de France” of any scenic drive. All I can muster is an astounding – WOW!

Arriving back at the campsite around 2PM, we had just enough time for a quick swim before we loaded up and headed back out to Blue Bell Lodge. At 5:30 PM, we (along with 40 others) boarded a hay wagon and we were serenaded by “Kowboy Keith” for the hour long journey to a secluded area of the park. The chuck wagon meal consisted of steaks, burger, cornbread and fireside coffee! The old country music and good old fashion fun was the perfect way to end another magical day out west.