We went to Mount Rushmore, which I believe is a must for anyone traveling in the area. I may have included more pictures here than I should, but it is an awe inspiring place for most Americans.
Next we traveled on the Peter Norbeck Scenic Trail, an incredibly beautiful, but slow, journey through the Black Hills scenery that is full of switchbacks and great forest flora. I have included photos of one of the three single-lane tunnels through the mountain and one of the many wooden bridges (yes, I said wooden and architecturally pleasing bridges) that "pig tail" back over itself. (See the car above our van passing on the bridge.) Next we went through Custer State Park, known for its wildlife.
I included a picture of some begging wild burros that habituate the roadside.
The main attraction is the herd of about 1500 bison (buffalo) that roam where ever they please. We saw some buffalo lounging amidst of a RV campsite. The park people take good care of the buffalo, making sure each year that they get their vaccine shots etc. Unlike the Yellowstone buffalo herd, the Custer State Park herd is brucellosis disease free. We came upon some of the herd moving down to a small pond for a late morning drink. There were literally hundreds of them. No telephoto lens was needed, they walked on the road we were driving on. We passed one bull bison so close I think he could have pressed his nose on Mary Lou's passenger side window. I added a few photos of pronghorn antelope we saw at Custer State Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment