Badlands National Park, S.D.

July 4 and 9, 2017 Approaching Badlands National Park, we were surrounded by rolling prairie.  Slowly eroded areas were revealed until we were in the midst of a variety of shapes and colors dating between 75 and 25 million years ago.  Where Scott’s Bluff and Cheyenne and Red Cloud Buttes, Read more…

Custer, SD Celebrates July 4

July 4, 2017 Custer’s population is less than 2000 but its volunteer fire department put on a show worthy of a city any size.  Viewing sites had been staked out at various locations throughout town, but Pageant Hill had been set aside for the day and people gathered there from Read more…

Custer State Park Wildlife, Custer, SD

June 26-July 11, 2017 Custer State Park is 22,000 acres [in comparison, Walt Disney World is 27,000 acres] and borders the(Black Hills National Forest and Wind Cave National Park on three sides.  It’s rich with wildlife.  Some animals, like the white-tailed deer we saw frequently and the group of elk Read more…

Custer State Park Hikes, Custer, SD

June 30-July 5, 2017 Badger Clark, Nebraska Poet Laureate from 1937-1957, lived in a cabin in Custer State Park from 1925 until his death in 1957. We had enjoyed the Badger Sett Band’s presentation on Clark and thought it would be interesting to see his cabin.   Clark built the Read more…

Mount Rushmore, SD

June 27, 2017 Mount Rushmore is so much a part of popular culture that it’s hard to know what to say about it.  It was carved from 1927 to 1941.  The faces are about 60 feet tall and feature four presidents chosen by the sculptor for their specific contributions to Read more…