Black Hills and more in South Dakota

[Scotts8826]

This is a trip I made back in September of 2018. Pre-Covid seems so long ago.

After completing a trip with Doug to the Outer Banks of North Carolina it was time to tweak the thought process a bit for the next trip. This time we would invite the wives to go along with us. Lisa had traveled extensively with Doug previously, but this would be Carol’s longest trip outside of riding to Branson. It took some convincing, but Carol finally agreed to join the group for a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota! I would also get to try out my new Spyder trailer.

The trip started in mid-September 2018. Doug and Lisa spent the night with us and in the morning we are loaded up to ride up I-29 towards Sioux Falls, SD which would be our stop for the first night. It had been raining fairly steady the previous day and rain was once again in the forecast. We saw a small window between storms, so we readied for our trip but put on our rain gear to be on the safe side.

 

[Scotts8826]

We successfully dodged the rain and stopped in Omaha, Nebraska for lunch. The rest of the day was supposed to be sunny so we shed our rain gear and had lunch at Panera’s. Later that afternoon Carol and I noticed how Doug and Lisa were going faster and faster and soon pulled out of sight. We figured out that Iowa State University was playing a football game at 4 pm and they were wanting to get to Sioux Falls in time to watch it. They stopped at an Applebee’s in a mall in the same area as our hotel. We pulled up to the parking lot and joined them. We only missed the first few minutes of the game. We enjoyed a few beverages and stretching our legs around the mall. A good first day.

 

[Scotts8826]

Looks like the forum still only likes landscape pictures. I will be testing how limber your neck muscles are.

The second day we included sight-seeing stops on our way across South Dakota. First stop was the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Inside was a gymnasium and concert venue. The decorative exterior and parts of the interior were all created with parts of corn. They replace it every year and will often change the design.

 

[Scotts8826]

 

[Scotts8826]

Since I was riding a 2013 RTL, I had to map out gas stations along the route to be sure I didn’t run out of gas! It was windy. Even a few farm aromas graced us. We stopped at the Badlands National Park. The weather was perfect as you can tell we were no longer wearing our jackets. The views were amazing and pictures don’t do it justice. The rock formations are created from erosion, which contrasts with the Black Hills that are primarily granite. Erosion continues to change the appearance of the landscape so while it may look the same year to year, markers clearly measure the changes.

 

[Scotts8826]

We ran across some wildlife, which was not acting too wild.

 

[Scotts8826]

No, my wife was not the wildlife. My picture of the mountain goats on the roadside was too large and I am needing to resize it.

We had to make at stop at Wall Drugs. It's a bit kitschy but required nonetheless. I also took a shot at taming a jackelope.
sorry, portrait again.

 

[Scotts8826]

The sun had set by the time we arrived at Hill City, SD. Our home base for the next four days. We had a little trouble finding the place and had to back track a bit but discovered it was in a perfect location. Right next to a winery/brewery. We were able to walk next door to sample their libations.

 

[Scotts8826]

We had arranged a big travel day the first day in SD. We began with a great ride on the Iron Mountain Road as we made our way to Custer State Park. This road is a twisty, turning road that motorcyclists’ rate as one of the best in the country. On a Spyder I must push and pull instead of leaning into turns so while it is still scenic, it does provide a workout for me. One of the neat things about the road are the tunnels the original surveyor placed on the road. They are arranged so they frame Mount Rushmore. Unfortunately, Mount Rushmore was far enough away I couldn’t get a good picture while worrying about cars coming through.

 

[Scotts8826]

We arrived at Custer State Park and toured the Visitor’s Center to learn about the park and Buffalo (Bison) management. We eagerly jumped on the bike hoping to see wildlife but the wildest thing we saw for a while were Prairie Dogs. Eventually, we came across the wild donkeys that also inhabit Custer State Park. They were obviously used to people and came right up and begged for handouts.

 

[Scotts8826]

We finally found the Bison on the south side of the park. Rangers had moved them into a large herd in preparation for the culling of the herd. The Park can support about a thousand Bison. Each fall around 400 are culled and sold. This was going to occur about two weeks after we left.

 

[Scotts8826]

Before we left Custer State Park we stopped at Sylvan Lake for lunch. This is a beautiful lake that has been featured in several movies. We had brought sandwiches, chips and cookies with us and we devoured all that we brought. We had a short hike around the lake which was good for our legs and let us enjoy the scenery a while longer.

One of the comments Carol made about being on a motorcycle is that we don’t have to use the pull outs to see the scenery. There are no obstructions to see the scenery, we can hear the trees rustling, smell the pine in the air, even notice changes in temperatures as we change elevations. On a bike we get total immersion in our surroundings. For better or worse.

 

[Scotts8826]

 

[Scotts8826]

We rode Needles Highway to our next stop, Mount Rushmore. We planned the day’s itinerary to catch Mount Rushmore in the evening so we could see the night show. It was late afternoon when we arrived, so the shadows were starting to get longer but there was still time to sight-see. There is a path that leads to the sculpture and loops back to the Visitors’ Center, but it was closed about half-way around. We walked what we could and found a Mountain Goat grazing by the path. After the walk we spent some time in the Visitors’ Center waiting for the evening show to begin. We had dinner at the Park’s restaurant and enjoyed the evening’s presentation. It was cooler on the way back to the house. We had packed a lot into our first day and the second day continued the trend.

 

[Scotts8826]

We woke to great weather once again. Mid-September in South Dakota can be iffy on the weather but we were fortunate to be blessed with mid-60 degree days. Riding jackets in the morning and light jackets in the afternoon. Today we were going to spend several hours riding and enjoying the sights. Our travels took us up backroads to Deadwood, SD. I can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures of Deadwood. The main street was old fashioned architecture with restaurants and tourist shops. We had to pay for parking in a garage and missed our initial clock out time out by about ten minutes, so we had to pay an extra $10. Not happy but I didn’t want to rush our lunch. From Deadwood we back tracked just a bit to Spearfish. From there we jumped on the Interstate and made a short stop in Sturgis, just to say we’ve been there. On to Hill City where we freshened up a bit and headed over to our neighbor’s where we had a pizza and relaxed for the night.

 

[Scotts8826]

After being on the bikes for most of four days we decided it was time to stay off them for a spell. For our last full day we joined Doug and Lisa on an ATV adventure. There were two ATV rental companies in Hill City. Doug made the arrangements for a four seater model. The company had maps of the back trails of the area that we could explore. We were hoping to find wildlife but we mostly saw cows! The local cattlemen must lease grazing rights. We did see a few deer but nothing too exciting. The dirt roads were little more than footpaths in some areas and not always maintained. We were a little close to the edge of the drop off to get around a fallen log. Doug found a road to take us up to one of the higher points on the map and we took in the magnificent view.

 

[ARtraveler]

Very nice. Thank you for sharing the pictures. :firstplace:

 

[Scotts8826]

Carol and I wanted to see the Crazy Horse Monument. Doug and Lisa had already been to the Crazy Horse Monument and didn’t need to see it again. So, after lunch they dropped Carol and I off at the house and they continued to explore the backwoods of the Black Hills. We toured the Visitors’ Center and saw Native American relics and read about the history of the native people. We were also entertained by a Native American dance troupe. The was an extra fee if you wanted to take their bus down to the base of the statue. Some said it was worth it, but Carol and I saw the statue just fine from where we were. Carol bought/donated five dollars to take home a piece of rock that had been blasted off the mountain. I know that rock is in our yard somewhere, but I can’t tell you where.
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[Scotts8826]

We finished the night with a nice dinner at a local restaurant in Hill City. It wasn’t until we were on the road heading back to Olathe the next day that I discovered I had left my credit card at the restaurant. A quick call confirmed it. I wasn’t heading back at that point, so I had them cut it up. Carol’s credit card was tied to my account, so we were fine heading home. We stopped again in Sioux City for the night. On Friday afternoon, Doug and Lisa broke off around Omaha and headed to a friend’s house before catching the Iowa State University football game the next day.

Carol and I rode home the last 3-4 hours on our own. It was pleasantly uneventful. As with most trips it was good to be home but also good to experience this country and make memories with friends.
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[RICZ]

Re leaving your credit card at the restaurant, or anywhere else. I leave my wallet out in front of me until the card is returned to it. Wallet out = card is out.