Day 294. May 27, 2014. Back Hills Adventures part 2

LOCATION:  Badlands National Park in SW South Dakota

WEATHER:  Sunny and pleasant. Highs in 70s

Since I get so hot and red-faced while hiking, we decided to take our hike in the early AM.  We got up at sunrise, 5:00 AM, and took off.  The morning fog was so pretty around the rocks.

We hiked for two hours, and the temperature was nice and cool.  The only problem is that the fog got thicker.  There were times when we were a bit lost on the trail as we couldn't see the trail markers.  A little scary!

We drove about 70 miles west towards Rapid City.  First we went to Mount Rushmore.  

We picnicked at a wayside area with George Washington's profile as our backdrop (photo below). I chatted on the phone with one of our daughters who told me the long-kept secret that George got a speeding ticket here at Mount Rushmore  about 10 years ago when traveling  with our daughters.  She jokingly warned us to be careful with speeding.   No sooner did we hang up, than a policeman blasted his siren at us and followed us to this wayside, for stopping illegally on the side of the road for a picture.  George is unlucky in this area!

Then we took one of the scenic byways through the Blackhills.  The road was full of hairpin curves, beautiful views, and one-lane tunnels, including this one called "Eye of the Needle".

There are some pretty lakes scattered around.

Then we drove to the Crazy Horse Memorial, which is still a work in process. You can see his head below.

The sculptor's widow's funeral was this AM, so there was free admission.  

Then we drove into the nearby town, Hill City, and visited a microbrewery called Sick-n-Twisted.  It was combined with a winery called Naked, as they don't add anything to their wines.  While inside tasting, a hailstorm came through.  No damage to the car.

Back at the campgrounds, we were delighted to see Tony and Jenny from Nova Scotia whom we had met in Newfoundland last summer.  We have kept in touch with them, and just happened to be in the same area again.  We had wine and shared tidbits about the road.

DINNER: Tony and Jenny brought us a quesadilla which we ate with chips and guacamole.