We're sure to be enjoying this location, thanks in part to having the electricity to run our A/C when needed. It's perfect timing for me to grab a little rest and relaxation (R&R) after not feeling 100% for the last day or so. We've got a full week at this campground, so there's no rush to get out there and complete the sightseeing destinations we have planned for this stop.
In between the town of Custer, SD and the Entrance Gate of the state park we saw this handsome fellow on the side of the road.
it's because he was created by the same local artists, the Dahl Brothers.
I think we've luckily scored the very best campsite available here in the Game Lodge Campground of Custer State Park.
Someone before us took the time to create a very shallow rock dam behind this site, and the constantly moving water in the little creek provides us with a very pleasant "babbling" sound 24-hours a day.
That doesn't mean Tricia didn't get up at 5:15AM and get ready to take her morning walk however.
She rarely fails to see wildlife during these morning walks, it's the best time of day to see them out and about. The other chance during the day to see wildlife is of course around sunset.
After breakfast Tricia took ROVER into town and did some grocery shopping, while I did the whole R&R thing we talked about doing today.
On the return trip from the grocery store, around 11:00AM, she spotted more wildlife from behind the wheel of the truck.
Just 6-miles from the entrance to our campground is the South Entrance to the Needles Highway.
Completed in 1922 the 14-mile long highway snakes it's way through the needlelike granite formations of Custer State Park. It's filled with blind curves, numerous 180° switchbacks and three very narrow and low tunnels that make it difficult, if not impossible, for many RVers to travel the length of the road.
THE NEEDLES HIGHWAY
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We had just begun the drive when we spotted our first (and turns out only) wildlife sighting.
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The Iron Creek Tunnel is the largest of the three tunnels along the highway.
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At first glance it doesn't look as if ROVER is going to fit.Go and watch Video #1 below NOW!
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But we made it through to see what it looks like on the other side.
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The overcast cloudy morning skies give the "needles" a goulish look.
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Near the halfway point we came upon the very popular Cathedral Spires Trailhead parking lot.
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Approaching one of the many 180° switchbacks.
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This spire was located right on the edge of the road.
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Before passing through the second tunnel we had some amazing long distance views.
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Kind of reminded us of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Smoky Mountains views.
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That blue car up there looks as if it's going to drive straight into a rock wall,but that's the second tunnel up there.
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The Needles Eye Tunnel is the narrowest tunnel on our route today.
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It also has a blind entrance when approaching from the south side.Go and watch Video #2 below NOW!
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Looking back into the tunnel from the other side.
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From this angle it doesn't look as imposing as from the other side.
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This "window" in the rock is called "The Needles Eye".
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This window didn't just form overnight, it took tens of thousands of years to look like this.
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This is Sylvan Lake, where we stopped to have lunch in the Day Use Area.
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The conditions were perfect to get some amazing reflections off the lake.
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Tricia caught herself taking this photo as we approached the third and final tunnel.
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It's certainly the shortest tunnel of the day.
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But there is still only room for one car at a time to pass through.
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You always have to approach these blind corners with caution.
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The skies have cleared up nicely so we decided to make a u-turn and travel the highway again.
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This spot is called "Hole-in-Rock" Picnic Area.
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Inside the hole is water, a very valuable commodity around here.
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Now that we've finished with the Needles Highway drive,we saw this flock of Bighorn Sheep outside of the cabins area of our campground.
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This rather large ewe seemed to be the leader of this flock, where she went, they all followed.That fact is probably what earned her the honor of wearing the tracking collar.
Go and watch Video #3 below NOW!
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Yummy! Nice green grass for us to snack on.
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All lined up waiting for the order to move on from the leader.
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Go and watch Video #4 below NOW!
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Once they had all passed us by we headed back to our nearby campsite.
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There are always a few who don't follow the leader very well.
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Those few get help from the park staff to cross the road safely.|
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Among the numerous messages from my bank, informing me my bills were being paid (it is the 1st of the month after all), there was one from a very close friend (you know who you are and BTW thank you).
It wasn't a happy message, in fact it was terribly sad and informed me that my favorite musician had passed away during the night at the age of 76.
The photo on the left is the way I prefer to remember him. Middle-aged, in the prime of his career, barefoot on the beach with his guitar slung over his shoulder, looking back before making that metaphorical final walk out into the depths of the ocean in search of new audiences to entertain.
One final observation about Jimmy, during the 6+ hours (7am-1:30pm) I listened to the radio yesterday I didn't once hear the same song played twice. Most of the songs played were his lesser known songs, quiet retrospective ballads which never get much airplay, but include many of my personal favorites.
Just an amazing tribute to Jimmy's extensive musical catalog of songs over his 50+ years of writing, performing, recording and producing music.
It wasn't until just after lunchtime that we climbed into ROVER to explore the park's 30-mile long Wildlife Loop Road.
THE WILDLIFE LOOP ROAD
Most bison give birth in late APR or MAY. That one looks like a JULY or AUGUST baby!
It was about what I expected for a $16 buffet, but so far nothing has matched the breakfast buffet we enjoyed at Zion National Park.
Today we have a heavy overcast and very smoky skies, but we spent all day yesterday (Labor Day) on the campsite and just need to get out and do something.
One thing this sign on the left doesn't mention is how when you travel north on Iron Mountain Road, two of the three tunnels were designed to perfectly frame the faces on Mount Rushmore as you exit them.
Sadly you won't see any pictures like that from us today, we could barely tell there was a mountain there, let alone any presidential faces.
IRON MOUNTAIN ROAD
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I wasn't sure how much wildlife we'd see on this road.The entire northern half of the road is outside the protections of the state park boundary.
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In addition to the wild turkey, we also spotted a few deer.
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There was plenty of wide open space along the route.
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The first of three short tunnels, not nearly as "skinny" as the Needles Highway tunnels.
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Nearly 2-miles away we could just make out the faces on Mount Rushmore.
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In the town of Keystone we found another Dahl Brothers creation, this one a sasquatch.
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Less than 1-mile away now and we pulled over to take this photo.
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A zoomed in shot from the same roadside location.
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Any closer and we'd have to pay $10 for parking.
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Another zoomed in shot from outside the park.
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Around the side of the memorial we found a place called Profile Park.
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And that's just what we saw, President Washington's 60' tall profile in stone.
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In the town of Custer they have these painted bison on just about every street corner.
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This one was outside the Post Office where we picked up our General Delivery mail today.
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Back near the campground we spotted the same herd of Bighorn Sheep from four days ago.|
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