Wyoming

Sep 26   Custer Park SD - Rock Springs, WY     476 miles   10 1/2 hours

We decided to leave Custer Park one day early and start driving towards Vegas. Our daughter Miki, and niece Keahi will be meeting us this coming Thursday. No plans on how far we were going today, just got in and started driving.

It turned out to be a very long day. Joe felt fine driving so we pretty much left South Dakota, crossed into the east side of Wyoming and drove all the way to the west side of Wyoming. We ended up stopping in Rock Springs, WY and finding a Walmart to camp overnight.

Crossing this bridge in Wyoming

A herd of pronghorns

Pronghorns all over the place

Love the colors

Custer Park, SD Part 2

Sep 24   Game Lodge Campground - Stockade North Campground  11 miles  30 minutes

This morning we went to the Arts Festival down the road from our campground. They had all kinds of art, crafts,entertainment, and food. Joe & I both had a buffalo burger then later, I had a bowl of buffalo chili. Was very good.

Then we moved 11 miles to the Stockade North Campground. We're still in Custer Park. Will be here for 3 nights. It's dry camping for $21 per night. It's nice here, lots of trees and very quiet.

Some turkeys in our campground

Sep 25  Buffalo Roundup

The Buffalo Roundup was awesome! We got up at 5am, had breakfast, packed up some goodies, and was on the road a little after 6am. The traffic to the North sighting was awful, it took us over 2 hours to get there. Seems like thousands of cars headed to the same place. We finally got there and made our way to a spot on a hill, along with a few thousand spectators.

The line of cars went on for miles

Pronghorns commonly referred to as antelope

At least the scenery was nice

Buffalo coming over the hill

The buffalo finally made an appearance around 1045am. They came over a hill, around a corner, into the corral.

Around the trees

Notice all the people at the South viewing on the hill

Through the gates to the corral

This guy got caught in the mix

Then a few minutes later another herd of buffalo came. But as they got closer, you could hear the cowboys cracking their whips and yelling. Somehow the buffalo got spooked and started running in different directions. The cowboys had to chase them down and turn them around, it took them a few minutes.The buffalo came through the gate close to us. There was a lot of excitement from the buffalo, cowboys, and spectators!

Custer Park, SD Part 1

Sep 20   Deadwood - Custer Park, SD    74 miles   4 hours

We'll be staying a week at Custer Park in South Dakota. The 50th annual Buffalo Roundup is on Friday, it's a real big thing here at Custer. Over 14,000 people expected to attend. There will be a lot of festivities starting on Thursday.

We're staying at the Game Lodge Campground for four nights. Then we move to another part of the park. I made these reservations months ago and couldn't get a site for the whole week. This campground is really nice. Only electric though, $25 per night.




Sep 21    The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway

We spent most of the day sightseeing. The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway complements the parks three scenic drives and includes some of the most dramatic natural and historic features in the Black Hills.





The Wildlife Loop Road is an 18 mile loop that takes visitors through the open grasslands and pine speckled hills that much of the parks wildlife call home.

Burros begging for food

Tatanka hanging out

The Needles Highway is a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen and rugged granite mountains. The roads name comes from the needle-like granite formations which seem to pierce the horizon along the highway.

Needle Tunnel

We did a hike around Sylvan Lake. Not too hard, only about a mile.

Tight squeeze

Joe taking a breather

Making my way down

So nice!

Iron Mountain Road is a winding road to Mount Rushmore. Along the highway there are wildfire exhibits, pigtail bridges, magnificent Black Hills scenery and tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore.

Joe standing under Hawaii's flag

Bad picture but this tunnel frames Mt Rushmore

This one too, but can't make out Mt Rushmore

Sep 22   Jewel Cave

Our guide

We took a drive to Jewel Cave National Monument today. There are four different tours offered. We took the Scenic Tour, cost $12. This is the most popular tour.



























The Scenic Tour route provides an opportunity to visit various cave chambers and passages decorated with calcite crystals and other beautiful, colorful, and rare formations. The tour is moderately strenuous and lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes. The tour route involves walking up and down 723 stair steps along a 1/2 mile loop. The cave temperature is 49 degrees

On the drive back, we ran into this guy.

Sep 23

Didn't do too much today. Went on a hike on the Creekside Trail. Very easy hike but was 4 miles long. We enjoyed it, very scenic with all the leaves starting to change colors.

A little waterfall

Then got some bad news from Kimi....our friend Colleen Thompson Leong died today....so sad....still can picture her having a good time drinking wine and singing with us at Kimi's house.

Joe and I toasted her before dinner....
         Rest in peace my friend.