Day 4: South Dakota

Miles: 200-ish
Tolls: 0
Highway Patrol: 1

Started off with the best breakfast I have had in along time: breakfast enchilada with chorizo, fresh fruit, OJ and muffin. I really like my "lodge"ings. A lodge built in 1908...the town - Hisega - is named after it, which it took its name from the first letters of the people who founded the area (all are women I believe). Had a great conversation over breakfast with the fellow guests...all in their late 50s and mid 60s...seems to be the demographic who travels to the national parks. Or families, go figure!

Had a very full day. Went to Mt Rushmore. It is much smaller than I envisioned, and has a very elaborate entry area...almost as if I was approaching sacred ground, very odd since it is secular. I mused around the area for a while, then set off for the Crazy Horse monument. One of the lodge's guests asked why I wanted to see it since "it wasn't finished," well whenever it is finished it will be amazing. Heck Rome wasn't built in a day, how could something this massive (and without tax payer dollars) be built in less than 100 years. I figure it will be like Gaudi's cathedral in Barcelona. But it was very interesting, and even though it isn't 10% towards completion, I was a lot more interested in it than I was in Mt Rushmore.

Also, at Crazy Horse there was "Thunder" a 22 year old cat that had a warning sign next to it: "CAUTION": My name is THUNDER. I'm 22 years old...so I may be grump"...the cat was sleeping next to the sign, and even though I passed by it twice and it was next to a very busy door...the cat barely moved (it did move, but not a lot).

After Crazy Horse I decided I wanted to go off the beaten path, and boy did I. I was on a quest to find the "Wonderland Cave," since I don't remember ever being in a cave I thought this would be interesting. Well I ended up on two dirt roads and two paved roads (one of which is the reason why people like to drive...I felt like I was in a car commercial). The dirt roads...well...one was ok...very scenic. The other: if the car was 1 foot to the left...I WOULD NOT BE HERE - a 4,500 foot drop into a canyon!! The road apparantly can acoomodate 2 cars, but not sure how, when just one small SUV it felt a little tight. After that near death experience, I went on a tour of a very long and deep cave: about 250 feet underground and about 400 feet deep. It was full of crystals or what would be crystals if there wasn't dirt, rock and grime covering it.

I then braved another journey down the death road to Deadwood. Considering the TV show I was expecting something...how can I say...rather 'colorful'. What I found was a bunch of cheap hotels, Victorian homes and lots of casinos, which, really isn't that was Deadwood (the TV show) was all about, well except no brothels (that I was aware of). I ended up getting lost in Deadwood (I refused to follow my GPS's directions), but eventually found my way back.

I have a lot of pictures, but will post later. Very tired.

Next stop: Yellowstone