Mt Rushmore & Wind Cave & Custer

We travelled west from BNP to Mt Rushmore.  The monument is impressive and larger than I expected. The walk way leading up to the main viewing spot is lined with flags from each state.  Very cool and patriotic.  We met a man later that spent the 4^th there with his family and was moved to see hundreds if not thousands of Veterans at the monument.  We probably did not spend enough time there as we proceeded south to Wind Cave national Park. 

The cave is unique from other caves in that it has box work formations.  These formations look like the mortar left over if bricks from a wall disintegrated. We took a guided tour into the cave that lasted almost an hour.  The cave was great but we were with numerous families with kids that all seemed to be melting down at once – it was 6PM and these kids were done.  I get it.  We have been on the move each day and when you are done, you are done!

We left the cave and travelled back north to the cool little town of Custer, South Dakota.  Along the way we travelled through the Custer State Park and along a wildlife loop.  We saw bison, turkeys, mule deer and pronghorns. 

In Custer we hit the town for some dinner and drinks. We ended up at a place called Buglin Bull and met Ollie and Laura Ollafson. Ollie’s brother-in-law’s brother is Andy Reid, the Eagles football coach. We talked football and national parks. Ollie and Laura both work within the national park system and gave us some tips for Yellowstone. Both were of Swedish / Norwegian descent and we joked about Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion. Very fun. Ollie was gregarious and ultimately a very close talker. Laura was a low talker and neither of us could ever hear her.