As always, the day begins with breakfast. Brianna, another cutie, works at the Elkton Restaurant in Wall, South Dakota.
June 5, 2000
Badlands National Park, Black Hills National Forest
Starting odometer = 2172
Distance = 266 miles
As always, the day begins with breakfast. Brianna, another cutie, works at the Elkton Restaurant in Wall, South Dakota.
Some of the colorful and multi-textured landscapes at the Badlands.
Badlands National Park rates 5 Aleros out of 5.
Black Hills National Forest rates 4 Aleros out of 5.
U. S. Department of Agriculture (or whatever bureaucratic division is responsible for Mount Rushmore) officially makes my buy to disband list.
From a distance, the formations appear to be solid rock. A closer inspection indicates otherwise.
Came around a turn and nearly ran two critters over. They quickly scampered under the protection of this nearby tree.
Sightseeing begins with Badlands National Park -- certainly the highlight of the day. Ranger Neil handles my entry fee transaction ($10 for a seven day pass). Very friendly and competent.
A closer look at some of my favorite rock formations.
Next on the docket is the Black Hills. Very nice. Not overwhelmingly so, but very nice. The bottom right image is a profile of what will eventually be the Crazy Horse Memorial. Commissioned by Native American tribes, it will ultimately be the largest statue in the world.
F- the department that runs Mount Rushmore. I could have taken better pictures of this national monument. However...
1. On principle, I refused to pay the $8.00 fee for access to the prime picture taking area of a national monument. Do I have to pay to take a picture of the Washington Monument? How about the Lincoln Memorial? What the hell are my tax dollars being used for? Charge me $8 more in taxes a-holes, and don't nickel and dime me on top of my taxes that you are using to support the incompetent.
2. When I stopped on the shoulder to snap a few obstructed view shots, the Mount Rushmore SS troops immediately appeared to point out the "Authorized Vehicles Only" signs. Authorized vehicles my ass. It's the F'N shoulder! F them and F Mount Rushmore.