Day 6

Tuesday Sept 15, 2015

Keystone, SD

Mt Rushmore KOA campground

We left Chamberlain at 9:45 this morning. Happy Campers beside interstate was remarkably quiet. The temps not too cold or too hot to sleep. We drove a couple of hours before leaving interstate and starting through the Badlands. We saw big horn sheep, buffalo, and a prairie dog town.  They chirp at each other.  Like to take one home they are so cute.  The terrain of the badlands is the real attraction though.  It is barren, awesome and almost spiritual.  We got pictures  but they do not do it justice. I had seen it before but still holds me captive when I saw it today.  We had nice weather to get out and walk to get a better look at it all.

We booked a KOA near Mt Rushmore and because it was after Labor Day they cut the price in half to $67 a night.  We passed a time zone so we arrived at the campground at 5:30 by our standards but 4:30 local time.  We ate at the restaurant here which was not that great but Lee enjoyed his buffalo meatloaf.  Tasted like meatloaf to me.  Then we went to the evening presentation of the lights at Mt Rushmore.  There is a big amphitheater where you listen to a ranger talk and watch a movie at dusk and when it is dark they flood the faces on the mountain with flood light while the Star Spangled Banner is sung.  It was too windy tonight to do the movie as the screen would have blown around, but we did the rest. 

Tomorrow we plan to see a carving center, mammoth dig, needle formations, and Custer Natl Park.  We discovered this morning we drove off with our hitch lock on the bumper last night an lost it and I have lost my only pair of distance glasses so I can not read a road sign in time to get in the correct lane etc.  Since Lee depends on me to keep him on the right road that is real problem.  Our new truck does not have Navigation.  This should be interesting.  We may be like that train in Boston and be riding forever.  If we do not come home you will know why.