Monuments & Tatanka

We had a great, relaxing morning at our site ... and a busy afternoon of mostly drive-by sightseeing.

For lunch, we took a page — or rather a menu — out of Sue and Mo’s (friends and fellow-RVers) recent camping trip ... Mui grilled steaks and corn on the cob. Very tasty ... followed by Colorado’s famous Palisade peaches for dessert. And then we were off to check out the area. No real plan ... just going where the mood struck.

Taking a left out of the campground, we headed a bit up Iron Mountain Road and connected to Playhouse Road, heading in the direction of Keystone. Knowing that this town is overly-touristy, we weren’t expecting much. We weren’t disappointed. Nothing really caught our fancy. Plus, the town center was crawling with people. We just drove through, putting a ✔️ next to Keystone on our list of places to visit.

Retracing our route, we arrived back at the Iron Mountain Road junction. Taking a right, we drove the 10 remaining miles of this iconic road which is also a scenic byway. I took a photo of the sign at the entrance to our campground that describes the road (included with this footprint). We experienced some of the curves and switchbacks yesterday when we drove the first seven miles to get to the campground. The rest was all part of today’s drive.

It’s a nice road — narrow ... tree-clad hills sloping up on either side. The speed is necessarily slow ... only a few wide spots in the road to pull over. The best part ... hardly any other vehicles on the road. From an overlook we got our first glimpse of Mt Rushmore, followed by glimpses of the “heads” framed by the narrow tunnels dynamited out of the rocks. The light was not great, but I took a couple of memory shots anyway.

Rather than driving Iron Mountain Road back to the campground, we created a loop by connecting to Highway 16 back to Custer. The bonus? We got a good look — albeit at a distance — of the Crazy Horse Memorial. We may or may not visit the memorial another day. When so many of the activities there require being indoors, not sure it will be worth paying the admission. We are, after all, determined to keep our indoor activities to a minimum during the pandemic.

After a quick stop in Custer to top off the CR-V’s gas tank, we were on our way to Custer State Park. As was the case yesterday, we did a through-drive without paying for a day pass, so no stopping to enjoy the amenities. We did end up stopping for a “tatanka” — aka bison — our third one since yesterday. I got a photo this time.

We would have moved on quickly, but our big, hulking friend decided to cross the road. Midway, however, he switched plans and followed the yellow dividing line on the road for a bit. So we slowly followed until he deigned to make way for us. Yes ... it was a he 😜

It’s so great to see these animals going about business as usual if you treat them with respect and don’t approach so close that they deem you a threat. A woman who was here for the Sturgis Rally a few weeks ago found out the hard way that you need to keep your distance. She was gored by a mama bison that took offense at the woman’s proximity to her calf. You make a stupid move ... you pay the price!

Back at the campground, we decided to have happy hour at our shelter instead of dinner. The sun is down ... dusk is setting in. There is a comfortable coolness in the air. Storm clouds are gathering, however. I can hear distant thunder and see lightning rending the sky.

Our one-week pass for Custer State Park kicks in tomorrow. We’re planning an early outing to go explore the park. If the weather cooperates, that is. There is rain in the forecast. If the weather does not cooperate? Well, I have a few other ideas we can pursue.Read more