After a very pleasant night at the Devil's Tower campground (dinner was some wheat thins and a 22oz BL Lime), I made an early start - quietly packing up while the other campers slept.
One last hurrah and I was off. How about this location for a "rallying" point?
I took US-14 down through Sundance, had a quick coffee with Robert Redford and carried on via interstate to the Deadwood exit. I was determined that I would bypass Sturgis this time as it was getting busy with Bike Week. Anyway, I had decided to see Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse and would have to backtrack somewhere along the line to go into Sturgis.
This was at a quieter section of town, toward the west end. I went quickly through Deadwood as there was a parade at 9:45 AM and I didn't want to be stuck there for hours. The alcove was for a lawyer's office and the tall building was the courthouse. Very quaint little town, I'll have to spend more time there in the future.
From Deadwood, I took US-385 and US-16 down toward Mt. Rushmore. Just before turning into the parking area, there is a turnout where you can see the monument. I pulled over and took the requisite photo. The Wing and trailer would not hold with just the front brakes alone! There was enough gravel there and the weight far enough back that it was dragging the Wing backward. It was pretty dicey getting back out into traffic.
I didn't have the $10 cash to get in, so the nice lady let me go in and use the ATM. After my visit, I dutifully went back through then entrance and paid my $10. This is the most sophisticated setup of any National Monument I've seen. Covered parking, cafeteria, gift shop - all looks pretty new. While I was in the cafeteria, I had a pie and coffee. The coffee wasn't bad but the rhubarb pie was the worst pie I ever had and together cost me $4.73. Meanwhile, they had a nice breakfast special (sausage, eggs, etc) for $4.95. Oh well. There are goats feeding as you walk toward the monument. I saw that one of the builders could have been related.
I got lots of shots of the monument of course. But I quickly got bored, so I took out my pocket knife and got busy!
I left the monument around noon and made a wrong turn and ended back in Keystone. That was OK as I stopped in a Dq and had something chilly to eat. While there, I chatted with a nice couple from Nanaimo, BC who were just cruising in the area on their new Yamaha Venture. I gassed up and headed out to Crazy Horse.
This is around back of Mt. Rushmore.
The ride down US-385/US-16 to Crazy Horse wasn't very long. Turning left onto Avenue of the Chiefs, I could get a glimpse of the sculpture ahead. Tom Miller had recommended coming here and commented about the scale. It was readily apparent that this thing was huge. As shown later during one of the videos, the heads of Mt. Rushmore would all easily fit behind Crazy Horse's head.
Some of the sculptures by the artist, Korczak Ziolkowski, outside the Visitor Center. Crazy Horse takes no government money. While they admit, they could do it faster, they would prefer to be funded by the public in order to avoid influence in the project by the government.
Again, I spotted some "marks" - three girls each taking pictures of the other two. I offered to take a picture of all three and they in turn took mine.
Some close-up shots. The horse's head is outlined. The completed head of Crazy Horse measures nine stories tall, the horse's head, will measure 22 stories tall and overall the carving will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long. Completion would make it the largest sculpture on earth.
Pictures of smaller scale mock-ups and other sculptures by the artist.
I hit the road after about an hour at Crazy Horse. The entire Black Hills area is great riding, no wonder it is such a huge destination for bikers and non=bikers alike. I plan to return here again.
I got on SD-79 north toward Rapid City and then cut over onto SD-44 toward the Badlands. While wind had been a factor for a lot of the trip, along SD-44 was particularly bad but only for a short stretch. If my helmet wasn't strapped on, it would have blown off.
I entered the Badlands easy enough but when I wanted to cut north to get to I-90, I ended up on a dirt road. I didn't want to drive the 30 miles or so to the next spot, so I turned around. I eventually ended up on the correct road and when I got to the park entrance, I decided to go the short route since I had spent so much time in the Black Hills area. My "toll" through the Badlands was $10 but worth it - other than the roads which are probably the worst of any National Park. The Badlands are coldly beautiful, very much like a moonscape. Some parts reminded me of old sci-fi paintings of moonscapes from the 50s. It was a mild 99F in the park.
At a rest stop in Chamberlain, SD. The bridge is the Lewis & Clark Bridge looking west at Oacoma and spanning Lake Francis Case - which looked like a really long river to me. The teepee artifact was a common sight at rest stops in South Dakota.
I made Sioux Falls, SD around 10 PM. The first hotel had no rooms, so a biker lady who also needed a room, high-tailed it to the next hotel which did have rooms. Unfortunately, there was yet another sporting tournament going on and lots of running and screaming kids. A bar across the street was having some kind of party - loud bikes, loud cars, loud people. Next door but separated by 18-wheeler parking was Grandma Max's which was recommended by the hotel clerk. I had steak and eggs and asked for a local beer as usual. I guess Leinenkugel was as close to local as it gets in Sioux Falls, SD. I had a couple Honey Wheats, then a nap. I should make it to Chicago by tomorrow!
1 comment:
Looks like it's been a great experience.
Ride safe!
Mike
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