South and North Dakota

Aug19-22, 2011
AC1039 YYZ-DEN, UA5560 DEN-RAP, UA398 RAP-ORD, UA845 ORD-YYZ

Having made my way through 46 of the US States somewhat by accident and design, if I was ever going to get to 50 it now required more deliberate action.  I wasn’t likely to end up in the Dakotas by accident so planned a trip of South Dakota.  Given that Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous attractions in the state, we based our trip around Rapid City and the Black Hills National Forest.  Although we had been to Wyoming before, one of the most spectacular sites on the trip was Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming that we had not been to before.  To get my 48th state visit we also took a run for the North Dakota border and spent about 6 hours driving for 5 minutes in the state, but did mark off number 48.  Back in South Dakota, beyond Mount Rushmore, there was also lots of other things to see in the Black Hills, including the impressive Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave national park.

Aug 19-20
Evening flight to Rapid City with Saturday to explore SD and Wyoming

Statue of famous outlaw Sundance Kid in Sundance, Wyoming

Our first view of the incredible Devils Tower 1267 ft (386m) above the surroundings

Some of the many rock climbers working their way up the tower

View from our hike around the mountain

A climber starts the long climb

One of the many Prairie Dogs in Devils Tower National Monument

Even more beautiful with some context

Historic Aladdin General Store is a big part of the small town

A statue of crazy horse with the massive monument moving slowly towards completion

Began in ’48, privately funded monument to Native American Crazy Horse years from done

Comparing profiles from just outside the park

Mount Rushmore at dusk was a great end to the day

Aug 21
More South Dakota and a run for North Dakota and evening in Rapid City

Needles Eye on the Needles Highway designed to frame Mount Rushmore

Bison of the roadside of the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park

The stairs that descend into Jewel Cave, the second longest in the world (159 miles)

Some of the more interesting features of the 1.5hour tour

Some of the different features of Mount Rushmore

Another run of the Needles Highway and the tunnel on our way out of Rushmore

Officially in North Dakota on Hwy. 85; time to head back

Some of the more interesting scenery in northern South Dakota

Memorial to geographic centre of USA in Belle Fourche, SD

Aug 22
Last day to explore Rushmore and fly home from Rapid City

Avenue of the Flags has all 50 state flags

Pigtail (Spiral) Bridge represented some pretty cool engineering for 1932

Some context for the Rushmore Monument from the lookout

Late afternoon flight home to Toronto via Chicago