Hill City, Jewel Cave, Devils Tower 7/27/2012

What a busy 3 days off we've had. On Wed 7/25/12 we got our So Dakota drivers license.  Then Thursday 7/26 we dropped off the paperwork to get our vehicles registered in So Dakota, as well.  So it's official we are So Dakota residents.  After dropping of the paperwork we drove to Custer and had lunch at The Purple Pie Place.  It had been recommended to us by a visitor while we wee in Texas. They didn't stir us wrong. Dale said it was the best rhubarb pie he'd ever had.  After lunch we drove to the National Woodworking Museum there in Custer....what a great place.  Then on to Jewel Cave.  The longest cave in North America.  On our way home we stopped off in Hill City, what a fun place.  We're going to go back there.  Sturgis motorcycle rally is starting in a few days so we'll probably be sticking around the house.  However Dale has been saying we might take a drive over to just check it out.  Haha...I know he's wanting to check out the Biker Chicks.  Parking will be the main issue.  There are so many people that come into the area for the rally that there is just so much traffic at all the tourist attractions.  On Friday 7/27 we went to Devils Tower about 60 miles from us here in Spearfish.  It was a great drive.  What we saw of Wyoming was very pretty.  On the way back we stopped off in Aladdin (pop 15) there was a 100 yr old general store there...and of course the "Liars Bench"  I made sure to get a picture of  Dale sitting on the bench:)  then on to Belle Fourche. We stopped off at the Center of the Nation and Tri State Museum.  Very interesting.  However I have to stay the most impressive thing was our visit to Devils Tower.  It wasn't as big as I was expecting...but it was definately a Close Encounter not to forget.

Sturgis, Spearfish Canyon. The Sights we've seen the week of 6.24.2012

There is lots to see around here.  This week we went to Sturgis....just 22 miles away and visited the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. It was very nice.  Dale loved seeing all of the old bikes.  Today we took a drive through Spearfish Canyon.  It was beautiful.  Lots of pine trees and running water.  We drove by Bridal Falls and took a little side jaunt to see Roughneck Falls.  Bridal Falls didn't have much going on but Roughneck was very pretty.  We continued our drive to Lead which is home to the Homestake Gold Mine.  That is one big hole in the ground.  They were having a Car Show so we checked out all the cars.  Dale's favorite was a purple 1949 Ford.  He wants one of those (haha).  We continued down the road to Deadwood.  That is definately a place we'll have to spend more time at.  Maybe during the week when it's not so busy.  It was so crowded we couldn't find a place to park at the Visitor and Information Center.  We did drive down the main street of old downtown.  Yep....gotta go back there.  Not the first week in August, though.  That's Motorcycle Rally week and I'm thinking that place will be CRAZY.  We are enjoying our "summer place" it's a little hot (108), we're hoping that won't be the norm.