On to Mount Rushmore

We left the town of Wall behind and continued toward Mount Rushmore.

We followed the way the worker at the Badlands Visitor Center recommended, going down 79 to 36, following the red line around Custer State Park.

We took 16A, Iron Mountain Road.

When we exited the tunnel, we saw this sight!

Those tunnels were so fun to go through!

We stopped at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.  Parking cost $5 - Senior Citizen price.  We heard many languages being spoken.

 Found the Kansas flag.

Some of the roads were very switchbacky, and I have a couple of friends and a daughter-in-law who probably could not handle these tight curves!

Our day had been full and such fun!  Now on toward Nebraska!

On to the Badlands

"Don't rush into My Presence with time-consciousness gnawing at your mind....Time can be a tyrant, ticking away relentlessly in your mind."                                                                           Jesus Calling

"I watch in hope for the LORD.  I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me."    Micah 7:7

After the breakfast at the hotel and having our devotions, we set off on 90 toward the Badlands.

Crossing the Missouri River

The topography changed from farm land to hills.

We ran into fog.

Luckily it cleared up somewhat although it remained sort of drizzly.

Al liked the speed limits in South Dakota!  Fog makes you go slower.

Flooding

There had been a ton of rain that night!  The news in the breakfast room said 8.9"!

Fields were flooded.  That is not supposed to be a lake!

The eastbound lane had to detour and was not able to be on 90.

Signs

I do not like signs along the highway.  I realize it helps businesses, but kind of an eyesore if you ask me.  I prefer open land.

What is Wall Drug??  (I guess signs do work.  We checked it out later.)

Prairie Homestead

Twelve miles past Kadoka, we got off 90 and took a scenic route on 240.  Scenic routes are dotted on our road atlas and we try to take those when we can.  This was the route for the Badlands.  We stopped at the visitors center that includes this partial sod home.

It is the original home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brown who homesteaded here in 1909.  You can read about them here.  

Could you imagine living with mud walls and dirt floors?  Well, I guess there are many places around the world that still have them and people live in them.  We've been in those homes and actually this one is much fancier than those.

This was an addition not made of sod, but plastic and wood.

One of Allen's first technicians, Irene Sperling, lived in a sod home in Nebraska when she was a child.  She told us what that was like.

There are special white prairie dogs here.  They look albino, but are not.  She said it is the only place in the world you can find these.  At one point they were down to only 1 white male and they were able to rebuild the herd.   You can read about them and also more about the sod home here.

The lady at the visitor center was very helpful to us and told us just what roads we should take when we visit the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore.  She was a local and gave us very good information.

We continued on 240.  We had debated about going on 44 but the lady told us that although there is a town called Scenic on that route, it really wasn't so much scenic and just more of the same and would add a lot of time.

What we did see on 240 was spectacular!!  Mouth dropping!

People who stepped off the walkway ended up with this!

Wall Drug

The lady at the visitor center encouraged us to take 240 into Wall, so we did indeed.  We filled up with gas then went to find that Wall Drug that had been advertized and advertized and advertized and advertized.....

I asked Allen :

"Wouldn't you want to stop and go inside and see this old historic pharmacy?" 

His reply.   

"No.  I've worked long enough that I've used some of them."