Making our way to Spearfish!!!

 On our way to the Black Hills we had two stops. The first was a Harvest Host called the Pioneer Auto Museum! It was very interesting. Not only did it have cars but lots of antiques displayed by decade or genre. There was a solar car by Iowa State Engineering team, that the same team Mike had been a part of, was sisplay but in 1993 years before Mike's time!

We walked to a local ice cream shop and relaxed for the evening. The next day we made it Wall South Dakota. A town made for shopping. Wall Drugs is an entire block long. We picked up a few souveneers, had our famous 5 cent coffee and donuts! Dana HAD to do the Zoltar! What a nerd!

He didn’t turn into a 14 year old, but he still acts like one at times

By early afternoon we were checked into our KOA in Mount Rushmore! It is set in the Black Hills with views that go on and on! Not wanting to waste a moment I convinced Dana to jump in the jeep and do the Needle Highway and the wild life loop in Custer State Park! This can be a 5 hour adventure! We would end up at LMount Rushmore for dinner and the evening light show. Our journey began by winding and weaving while climbing up past 5300 feet above sealevel! It was spectacular! The rock formations are like no other place in the world! At one point you pay to enter Needle Highway. It is at the top of this area and is often one lane going through rock tunnels! Wow! Dana has been chomping at the bit to go off roading in our newly attained jeep and without any warning pulled off onto a dirt trail that ended at rocky cliffs! I must say the jeep handled the rough terrain

incredibly! After miles of rocky scenery you descend down into the foothills of Custer Park! The wildlife decided to cooperate and we saw 100's of buffalo, deer, wild turkey, and a group of burros that have become part of Custer Park. They love human attention and hang out by the road and come up to your window to say hello! It was a thrill! There were also more prairie dogs than I've ever seen in my life! They were not afraid of cars or people and often stood right up and squawked to you! 

 41/2 hours later we arrived at Mount Rushmore! We had just enough time to hike the presidential trail up under the faces at dusk. We then grabbed dinner and waited to the lighting ceremony. It was filled with patriatism and pomp and circumstance. It really meant alot to me to be there! The evening was closed with everyone singing the national anthem. I was really moved.

As we drove back to our campsite the only thing you could see for miles was the lit faces of our fore fathers!