Not-Glacier, Day 8, Custer, SD, to Wall, SD

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

It was a foggy morning so instead of going straight for the Needles, we headed south on US385 through the misty mountains. The fog was lifting into low clouds when we cut back north on SD87 in Custer State Park—all of it scenic. We took the wildlife loop and found a whole herd of buffalo right by the road.

 

Also wild donkey’s. Maybe “wild” should be in quotes since we passed a family feeding and petting one by the road—not recommended practice, I believe.

When we hit US16A we cut east and then north again on Iron Mountain Road. Steve announced this was his favorite with it's tunnels and road spiraling under itself. Of course, later in the day when we drove the Needles Highway, that was his favorite. I’d be hard pressed to choose.

I don’t think we have ever been here before in high summer. The traffic was like Minneapolis rush hour. It was still semi-cloudy and I have taken a gazillion pictures on other trips so we didn’t stop except at the Norbeck Overlook at the top 

And at the Scovel Johnson Tunnel to get a picture of Mount Rushmore (that white rock just beyond where the road turns. Easier to recognize in real life.)

Traffic was heavy around Mount Rushmore as well, but if you aren’t the driver, you can still get a lot of glimpses of the giant carvings of the presidents high up on the cliff.

By then it was nearly lunch time and we headed for Sylvan Lake, back in the park. HA! Every parking space in every lot was taken as well as the road being lined with cars. We saw available picnic tables, but no place to park the car. We headed on up the road, but every pull out was full. We finally snagged a spot at the Needles Eye Tunnel.

  

No picnic table but the view was great!

We drove to the end of the road at US16A and turned around and drove the road again in the opposite direction. In my opinion, the SE-NW direction gives the best views of the mountains and rock formations. At least from the back seat. If you like looking from mountains into valleys, you might prefer the NW-SE route, but both are beautiful.

We spotted a DQ in Hill City and had to double back among the tourists to for our traditional summer holiday chocolate malts, but a sign on the door said, "Closed for the season." Sigh. The shop across the street reminded us that there was a major event at Mount Rushmore this week. I did not buy the T-shirt.

Our overnight destination was Wall, SD. (Skipping the drugstore in this time of Covid.) But we took the long way around and retraced our steps from yesterday back up US385 to Lead, then US14A back through Spearfish Canyon. Again, going the opposite direction gives a whole different view! Caught I-90 at Spearfish and whipped along to Wall, tired but well satisfied with the views.

Note to self: Next trip make time for a swim at the Devil's Bathtub. There was actually space in the parking lot, but returning swimmers said it is a mile hike.

Major electrical storm after supper. We have been standing in the doorway watching the amazing flashes. Tornado warning came through on our phones. Steve the Weather Nerd has been consulting the radar on his phone and says it is east of us. I can hear sirens as I write.

Day 8: Custer State Park

Comfort Inn
Custer (Crazy Horse), South Dakota

Rain or mist all day. It wasn't supposed to be that way by the forecast, but that's the way it was. We started with the movie at the visitors center. Spirit of Tatanka, narrated by Kevin Costner, has fabulous photography, some of it filmed by drone. We have loved seeing the park in fall, but some of the spring meadow pictures (buffalos rushing through the wildflowers) made me want to come back in spring.

The buffalo roundup was this past weekend, so most were corralled in the south of the park. (The film showed a previous roundup, which would have been fabulous to see, but we would hate the crowds.) We took the wildlife loop anyway. The scenery was beautiful, and we saw deer and prairie dogs. The buffalo corrals are huge, and we did see them there.

The film also showed kids feeding apples to wild donkeys. We didn't feed them apples, but we did come upon a whole herd of donkeys. (There are at least another half dozen among the trees to our right.)

Returning to 16a, we took the Needles Highway. Views were not what they would have been with sunshine.

We picnicked outside Hole-in-wall Cave, perfect size for a four-year-old to explore, if I had had one with me. :-)

The higher we went, the more we were closed in with fog. That was it's own mysterious experience.

A car comes through the tunnel at the Needles.

We looped around on 89, retraced our route on 16a and went up Iron Mountain Highway. Neither one of these road goes anywhere anyone NEEDS to go. They were designed specifically to view the fabulous terrain. The tunnels and curly-cue turns on the Iron Mountain Road are fun. The clouds had lifted somewhat, and we glimpsed Mount Rushmore from Norbeck Overlook. (Wish we could get that man back as a senator to do conservation and reign in Wall Street as he did in the '30s.)

By the time we got down the mountain, it was raining steadily, and we decided to give it up. Steve went and soaked in the hot tub. Mom and I took naps.

Steve also looked on-line for a place to eat supper. We had passed too many closed places on Main Street. We decided on Pizza Works and couldn't have been happier. The pizza was delicious although not nearly as much cheese as Wisconsin people put on their pizza. The building was a former opera house turned movie theater turned pizza place in the 1990s. They had historic pictures all the way around the room, and the staff takes an annual picture in costume at one of the old-time photo shops. Here is one of the then-and-now posters. At the left you see the court house. The next building is the opera house/Pizza Works.

Steve checks out one of the posters

Hard to avoid reflections on this photo of the hall as an opera house.

Thank you, Lord ...

for safe driving in rain and fog.

for the beauty of the photography in the movie.

for cute little prairie dogs.

that this is not our first visit here and we can picture it in sunshine.

for the chance to view these rocky spires in fog.

for pizza in a unique place.