Wanna go to the Dam Bridge?.....Hail, yeah!!!
Before we left our house this morning, I found myself curious about the year round climate in this area, Hermosa (Rapid City) South Dakota. The more I learned, the more I understood why there is no AC in this house. Who knew that there is measurable snow in every month, with the exception of July? And that the most extreme temperture change ever recored here was a 55 degree drop in five minutes!! Also I learned that there was a horrific flood in 1972, heavy rains fell in such a short time, and as a result, homes, buildings, and cars were destroyed... and tragically, hundreds of people died. After learning all of this, I gained a deep respect for the power of nature and those who live here... And, little did I know, how that prepared me for the day ahead...
Today was our last full day here and we had two big things to check off our list: Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. First up: Custer State Park.
Even though we had explored this park years ago, we were more than happy to go back. Seeing buffalo roaming through the fields as well as strolling down the road along side the cars, feeding the "so called" wild donkeys, and soaking up the panoramic views and majestic rock formations are just a few of the things that make this park so well loved for us...
We spent most of the morning and early afternoon driving through the wildlife loop... It could not have been a more beautiful day, the weather was so pleasant that we rolled down the windows and took in the moment... Instead of trying to describe the beauty we observed.... I let these pictures do the job.
Before too long, our growing kids started reminding us that it's lunchtime. Finding the first available restaurant, we pulled off at a saloon-like restaurant. The daring ones in our group ordered the buffalo burgers while the others chose menu items that felt "safer" to them.
With full bellies, we loaded up and hit the road that wound through the park. Since we had been here before, we knew the "Needles Section" of Custer Park and the beauty it held. Massive rock formations dressed elegantly with the varying greens of firs, grasses, and wildflowers create the spectacular views we took in...
Sylvan Lake was our much anticipated stop.... Once we parked our cars, the rain began. Luckily, there was a gift shop where we ran for shelter. The rain continued as a storm rolled in... thundering and lightning.... then came the hail... WHOA.... Lots of hail. We waited and waited... almost gave up on our walk around Sylvan Lake. Finally, an hour later, we embarked on our short walk around the breathtakingly beautiful lake. Then began the game "Let me act like I am giving you a hug, but I am actually going to shove a handful of hail down your back," I won't say which Runcie was responsible for starting that game. When we started the walk, the lake was still churned from the storm. After some time, the lake calmed, and we were able to enjoy the mirror image the lake provides to the rocks reaching for the sky. The path around the lake ends with a bridge that goes over the dam. The kids all had a laugh saying "Let's go to the dam bridge." As we finished our walk, we all agreed we were thankful we waited out the storm...
Finally, we loaded up and headed off to Mt. Rushmore. Even though we were tired from a big day of exploring, we were thankful the skies cleared so we could see this important landmark. After some souvenirs and ice cream, we loaded up and headed back to our "home" for now. Tomorrow we hit the road early and make our way in unchartered territory for us. Montana!
Today was our last full day here and we had two big things to check off our list: Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. First up: Custer State Park.
Even though we had explored this park years ago, we were more than happy to go back. Seeing buffalo roaming through the fields as well as strolling down the road along side the cars, feeding the "so called" wild donkeys, and soaking up the panoramic views and majestic rock formations are just a few of the things that make this park so well loved for us...
We spent most of the morning and early afternoon driving through the wildlife loop... It could not have been a more beautiful day, the weather was so pleasant that we rolled down the windows and took in the moment... Instead of trying to describe the beauty we observed.... I let these pictures do the job.
Before too long, our growing kids started reminding us that it's lunchtime. Finding the first available restaurant, we pulled off at a saloon-like restaurant. The daring ones in our group ordered the buffalo burgers while the others chose menu items that felt "safer" to them.
With full bellies, we loaded up and hit the road that wound through the park. Since we had been here before, we knew the "Needles Section" of Custer Park and the beauty it held. Massive rock formations dressed elegantly with the varying greens of firs, grasses, and wildflowers create the spectacular views we took in...
Sylvan Lake was our much anticipated stop.... Once we parked our cars, the rain began. Luckily, there was a gift shop where we ran for shelter. The rain continued as a storm rolled in... thundering and lightning.... then came the hail... WHOA.... Lots of hail. We waited and waited... almost gave up on our walk around Sylvan Lake. Finally, an hour later, we embarked on our short walk around the breathtakingly beautiful lake. Then began the game "Let me act like I am giving you a hug, but I am actually going to shove a handful of hail down your back," I won't say which Runcie was responsible for starting that game. When we started the walk, the lake was still churned from the storm. After some time, the lake calmed, and we were able to enjoy the mirror image the lake provides to the rocks reaching for the sky. The path around the lake ends with a bridge that goes over the dam. The kids all had a laugh saying "Let's go to the dam bridge." As we finished our walk, we all agreed we were thankful we waited out the storm...
Finally, we loaded up and headed off to Mt. Rushmore. Even though we were tired from a big day of exploring, we were thankful the skies cleared so we could see this important landmark. After some souvenirs and ice cream, we loaded up and headed back to our "home" for now. Tomorrow we hit the road early and make our way in unchartered territory for us. Montana!
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