Beautiful South Dakota

Wow, the Black Hills in western South Dakota are much more beautiful and the land is way more mountainous than I expected it to be. I’ve loved watching the scenery change as we drive east.

We first visited Mount Rushmore and was shocked how much I liked it. I was so impressed by how massive and detailed the sculptures are. Even more impressive when you realize how much rock that had to explode to carve it.

The next day the sun came back out so we did a 10-mile hike through Custer State Park up to Black Elk Peak. This is apparently the highest point between the Pyrenees and the Rockies. Who would’ve thought you’d only need to be at 7,200’ for that claim. The views all along the trail but especially at the summit were stunning.Read more