South Dakota road-trip (days four and five)

Sadly it was time for us to leave the beautiful Badlands, so after a much better nights sleep - where we were not woken up by the neighbours dogs - we had packed up the car and were ready to leave by 0900. As we stopped to drop the key off we grab bananas and juice from the breakfast buffet. We picked up the I-90 and headed north west to Rapid City to refuel ($21.99 for 9.7 gallons).

We noticed a Target store across the road and thought it was as good a place as any to pick up a few bits included the much sort for 'Pumpkin Spiced Cheerios' to take back home with us as they seem to be out of stock everywhere in Madison. We also pick up a pair of lovely enamel mugs so that we don't have to use the paper cups in the hotel rooms and a handful of other supplies.

We pick up the road heading to Spearfish Canyon, and, getting close to our destination our tummies began to rumble and we decided to stop for brunch, after negotiating the many road works we pulled into Perkins Family Restaurant where we split a breakfast of eggs, hash brown and toast, coffee and a stack of pancakes, just what we needed. Back in the car we did not have long at all until we parked up just outside Spearfish to enjoy a mile long walk along the creek. The autumnal colours we're just showing and everywhere was looking rather lovely, on our way back to the car we were lucky enough to catch sight of a deer as it ran along the creek and up into the woodland.

Back in the car we continued on our way and began the drive along Spearfish Canyon towards Cheyenne Crossing, before taking the mountain pass to the mining town of Lead and then on to Deadwood. The scenery was absolutely stunning the vast height of the bluffs on either side reached up to meet the sky. We stopped off for several photo stops along the way including the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls.

Finally reaching Deadwood we parked up at the visitor centre - only $1.00 per hour - and walked to Main St and onto the Welcome to Deadwood sign. We stopped for photos under the sign and again at the statue of Wild Bill Hickok before continuing back up the other side of Main Street where we decided that a stop at the Wild Bill Bar was in order. This is on the original site of  Saloon No 10 where Wild Bill played his last hand of poker before he was shot in the back of the head by the assassin Jack McCall. A lesson for everyone to never sit with their back to the door. We took a seat at the bar and ordered a couple of beers, Paul opting for local Rapid City Firehouse Breweries Red.

Next we wanted to check out Mount Moriah Cemetery, we had read that it was a short walk from Main St, what it didn't tell you was of the incredibly steep climb up and that you felt you was ready for your own grave rather then looking at them when you got there. At the cemetery, we first headed to the view point overlooking Deadwood, it was here that we got confused about how much time we had left on our parking meter so after visiting only the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane we rushed back down to the visitor centre - turns out we had a good 40 minutes left, typical!

With the extra time we decided to head back up Main St for the all important postcards, then set of for the final part of today's drive to Keystone and Battle Creek Lodge where we were staying for the next 3 nights.

After a very friendly check in we were given our room key and went to take our stuff up. On opening the door the first thing we notice was that there was a case in the room, strange. It was then we noticed that the room was already occupied! So quickly locking it back up we went back to reception and received another room by our most apologetic host and was finally able to settle in.

Supper was left over pizza from the previous day in Wall which we ate in our room, then down to the fire pit for an evening of beers and s'mores. What a charming evening, we had a good chat with the residents whose room we had gate crashed earlier and enjoyed the evening until the gas for the fire-pit ran out. Must be bedtime then!

We awoke this morning after a lovely nights sleep to find the room decorated for my 44th birthday - someone had been busy, thanks Paul. We made a coffee and settled down to open some cards and pressies that had arrived before we had left, a Suicide Squad graphic novel, cash, craft things, to name but a few which were greatly received. We then headed to a lovely breakfast in reception and tucked in to toasted bagels and fruit before leaving about 0845 to head into Custer State Park and Sylvan Lake where we planned to hire a canoe.

We couldn't have asked for better weather, the sun was shining, the air was still which made for really impressive reflections on the Lakes surface. We filled in the necessary paperwork, which basically says they accept no responsibility, no matter what!, paid the $34 for the hours canoe hire and donned life jackets and we were soon out on the water.

I was up front, (I think you will find the pointy end is called the bow - P.) Paul steering at the rear. Slyvan Lake is absolutely beautiful, the views we had were stunning and so peaceful, there were very few folk about, we probably only saw another ten or so on the water plus a few hikers passing by. I think we did rather well, no crashes or near misses. It was all too soon to take the canoe back in and we treated ourselves to an ice cream to share - we know had to live.

Now it's here in the tale that depending who tells the story you will get a very difference of opinion on how much we enjoyed the Sunday Gulch Trail. It started all well and good, our hike started just off the lake-side trail, and had short steep pull up. We were both mesmerised by the sparkling quartz and mica that seem to be in abundance everywhere we looked, a true faerie path. We hiked through delightful wooded areas spotting little critters as we slowly climbed down to reach the riverbed. It was a well marked path and only once did we take a wrong turn over the tops of some boulders, but we quickly realised and didn't really go far off the trail. Now the problem when you go down is that you then have to go up, we slowing began to climb back up crisscrossing the river, over stepping stones and makeshift bridges made of logs. The terrain becoming more and more strenuous as we continued.

Now Paul was rather enjoying the challenge, me not so much by this point, and I made sure Paul understood my feelings with many expletives and stern looks along the way. The final part was technically very difficult with large boulders that you needed to use the hand rails to pull you up, I had well and truly had enough! Although the trail is only 2.8 mile loop it's rated as strenuous, but it only lets you know this via a sign when you already half way round!!! No pictures at this point, if Paul had got out his phone I would not have been held accountable for my actions (google Sunday Gulch Trail and remember we were having going up).

Thankfully we dragged ourselves back to the car, and celebrated by way of sharing an apple and a bottle of water, I did contemplate chucking my boots in the lake just to make sure Paul couldn't drag me on something like this again, but I resisted. Back on the road and we headed to drive the Needles Highway, a 14mile road through granite mountain and spruce forest. The name comes from the needle like granite formations that pierce the horizon along it. We briefly stopped at the tunnel to catch a glimpse of Needles Eye, named for the opening created by the weather. It's not a quick road to take out of the park, it takes about 45mins, but it's incredible scenery that you wouldn't want to fly by.

Picking up the highway we drove past the ambitious Crazy Horse monument.

Now out of the park and on a mission to buy a cake suitable for a birthday celebration we headed through Custer and into Hill City, where we found a local supermarket and brought a blackcurrent crumble cake and some Reds Apple Ale for later. Whilst at Hill City it would have been rude not to stop at the Miner Brewing Company and partake of their beer flight of six 4oz pours, we also included a pineapple cider to the tray. Favourites were the pineapple cider, a mango cream ale and light sweater weather ale. There wasn't much to eat at the brewery and we were feeling ready for late lunch/early dinner so we went next door to the Prairie Berry Winery and had a delicious birthday meal of hummus and crudités, pitta breads, olives and Greek orzo salad, and a glass of delicious Lawrence Elk for the Birthday girl.

Feeling suitably stuffed we headed back to our lodgings at around 6.30 and our plans of beer and s'mores round the fire pit went out the window in favour of slobbing out in the room with birthday cake, a beer and our books. Crashed out by 10pm.

South Dakota road-trip (day 3)

 We were rudely awoken at 0515 by what sounded like a pack of coyotes going mental outside our cabin. We quickly realised that it was indeed our neighbours 3 dogs making the awful racket.

Neither of us would be getting back to sleep now, so we embraced the opportunity to see the Badlands by sunrise. By 0630 we were showered, dressed, out and in the Badlands witnessing the spectacular sight of the sun coming up over Pinnacle Point Thank you doggies we wouldn't have wanted to miss it. 

There were very few people there and peacefulness that surrounded us as we watch in awe as the sun rose above the bluffs and illuminated the scene around us. Awestruck we got back into the car and carried on with our drive around the loop. It was difficult not to pull over at every opportunity as every turn we came upon the most beautiful shapes and colours. However, we had planned to get to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in time for opening we limited ourselves to every other pull in. 

As we drove along we passed prairie dogs and big horn sheep. We made a stop for a light breakfast of pumpkin bread but overlooking the Badlands the setting was perfect, with amazing views, the sun just beginning to warm away the chill and only the sound of the meadow larks overhead.

Apologies for all the pictures, it's hard to limit it to just a few.

After a few more stops including stunning White River Valley Overlook we eventually left the loop to arrive at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site  and scored tickets for an 0945 tour of the  Launch Control Facility Delta-01. We spent some time in the visitor centre browsing the great displays and surprisingly impartial information provided. Some of this was chilling, the amount of times the World nearly got to see its destruction due to mistakes and misinterpretations was unbelievable. We stopped by the gift shop to grab some postcards and a rather splendid t-shirt before headed of to drive the short distance west on the I-90 to our tour of the Launch Control Facility Delta-01

After a tour of the surface facility that house typically eight, but up to twenty personnel we entered the lift cage and descended through 10m of reinforced concrete and then through the 2m thick blast door into the Launch Control Centre where two junior officers on twenty four hour shifts awaited the order to launch the missiles at the ten launch silos that they controlled. Fifteen such Launch Control Facilities on this short stretch of the I-90 all made up the 44th Missile Wing from Ellsworth Airforce Base outside Rapid City.  

In all there were 450 launch control facilities in the USA mainly in the mid west, each controlling ten Minuteman missiles, truly chilling.

After exiting Launch Control Facility Delta-01, we drove west some more along the I-90 to the Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09 just outside Wall where we were staying, It is amazing how close these things were to the major roads and population centres in the area. The Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09  is preserved with a inert Minuteman II missile visible in it's silo through a glass viewing pane. It actually seems quite small and innocuous for something able to deliver a 1.2MT warhead anywhere in the world in 30 minutes.

From Delta-09 we drove back up the I-90 to the north-east entrance to the Badlands loop, pulling in at The Ranch Store for cold drinks a Diet Dr Pepper for him and an Iced Coffee for her. We also brought a bag of peanuts - no, not for Paul this time but for the very cute Prairie Dogs that had made the area their home. 

Outside the Ranch Store we set about feeding the local Prairie Dogs, some we're so tame that they would take them from your hand! Soon we were out of nuts and headed back in the Badlands for another loop in the different direction to this mornings. This time it had a very different feel to it, the temperature had risen to 88F there were quite a few more people about but the natural wonder of the rock formations was still stunning. After an initial stop at Big Badlands Overlook we next pulled into the the Door and Window parking area. Walking out to the start of the Window Trail we realised that we were ill prepared for the short hike out into the Badlands and Paul went back to the car to gather water and supplies, leaving me to stand waiting in the midday sun in the middle of nowhere, Hmmm reminds me of Death Valley again! 

Although the Window Trail walk was only a mile loop it felt much more due to the heat and you can easily see why people quickly become disorientated. Once back at the start we walk to the other point of interest at Door, much shorter this time. 

Back in the car again until we got to Fossil Exhibit Trail and did the short circuit, following the Badlands Loop we were soon back out of the Park heading to Wall for some much needed refreshments. 

Badlands Saloon and Grill opposite Wall Drug seem a good place for a stop for beer and pizza. Suitably refuelled we made some purchases of a t-shirt and some Wall Drug Store fudge (peanut butter and chocolate). On the way out of town we grabbed a Subway for tea later and a few more supplies from the food store and headed back to relax at the cabin. 

Whilst loafing outside our neighbour came over to apologise about his dogs, it turns out that he was from northern Wisconsin himself. Although we had had a busy day we felt we should go once again back into the Badlands and to Pinnacle point to this time watch the sun setting over the hills. Our world is such a beautiful place and opportunities to see the Badlands at dawn, noon and dusk should be seized. 

 

After enjoying the beautiful sunset and with the heat of the day disappearing we went back to the lodge for our Subway supper, books and a very early 2045 bedtime, well we had been up since 0515.

Checking the car we had already done 908 miles on the trip so far!