Crazy Horse: South Dakota
Visiting Crazy Horse was a whim and I’m happy we did. This is a mountain memorial honoring a Sioux Indian Chief and it’s located in the Black Hills. When the memorial is completed, it will stand eight feet taller than the Washington Monument and be nearly 10 times larger than Mount Rushmore. The arm pointing out across the horizon is nearly as long as a football field. The visitor center houses many artifacts and depictions of life before. For more information, click here.
Deadwood: South Dakota
Deadwood was a small glimpse into the past. From the brick streets to the saloons, to the period clothes, and old buildings, the whole town was dripping with history. We managed to “saddle on up” to the bar and got us a beverage! We saw some awesome bikes, too. Definitely a MUST-SEE if you’re in the area.
Devil’s Tower: Wyoming
I’m going to be honest with you here…I didn’t really find the Devil’s Tower all that impressive. Don’t get me wrong, it looks HUGE, but maybe I was just overloaded with all the beauty from Iron Mountain, Custer State Park, Eye of the Needle, etc. I’m really not trying to sound like a downer here. The visitor center does offer climbing, hiking, and night viewing information, along with selling MANY items. There are 5 hiking trails with varying lengths that will give you different views of the Tower. If rock climbing is your “thing”, the Tower offers different routes up it’s parallel cracks, but you must register before you climb and follow all rules and regulations.
One interesting thing I did discover was that the National Park Service has placed live webcams in various areas around Devil’s Tower to show you what is happening at any moment (well, they say they are updated every 30 seconds.) Click the button below to take a look.
Whispering Pines Campground: South Dakota
There are many campgrounds to choose from all around the area, but we found the best by far! We camped at Whispering Pines near Rapid City, SD.
It is a privately owned campground and the owners were some of the nicest people around. Their General Store had much to offer and the bathrooms were extremely well-maintained. They have a pool, but we were too busy to try it out. The campground is in a great location…far enough away to have a peaceful night’s sleep, but close enough to all the attractions you’d want to see while visiting during a Sturgis Bike Rally.
While they do cater to RV’s, they also have tent camping spots…which was what we were in. The orange one in the picture to be exact. It was a nice level spot and we had electrical outlets around the deck. Another thing they have is the occasional hail storm! We were lucky enough to pull into camp right as the hail started coming down. Others weren’t so lucky. Those who had left their awnings out learned a hard lesson.
If you find yourself in the area and looking for a place to stay…this is it. Hopefully, there won’t be a hailstorm.
For reservations and more information, click here.
