MEM-DENColorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, WyomingJuly 12 - July 19, 2008- Departed camp around 8:30 and drove to Mt Rushmore, outside Keystone. We were in and out within 30 minutes, but it was already very full of tourists. We explored the interpretive center, and looked at the monument, and that was the extent of the visit. It was impressive, but less so than either of us expected. It seemed smaller, less grand than we had envisioned. In fact, the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial was massive in size in comparison to Rushmore.
- After Rushmore, we drove to Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns - home to the world's largest intact collection of dogtooth spar crystals. We were with a small group led by a young, fairly knowledgeable guide who took us through part of the cave and its extensive passages, explaining some of the underground formations and the science behind their creation. About 45 minutes later, we emerged from underground and made our way back to the highway.
- We stopped at a Ruby Tuesday's in Rapid City, the second-largest city in SD (at ~60,000 people). Had a shitty quesadilla and a couple salads, all for the low, low price of $30!
- We then made the trek to the Badlands from there. Badlands National Park is pretty cool - it reminded us quite a bit of Bryce Canyon National Park (click link for 2007 entry). It was HOT! Temps were in the 90s. We wanted to camp here, but there was nothing - just desert and RVs. And no fires were allowed, even in the limited amount of campspace available at the park.
We don't tend to enjoy camping at a national park anyway, so we returned west via I-90, which is the longest interstate in the country. - After driving (and driving) we found a place to camp back in the Black Hills at Roubaix Lake, about 15 miles outside of Deadwood. We were the only campers in this area of the national forest, but camping was the most expensive we've experienced so far, at $19/night. It's fairly quiet and peaceful here.
- Filled up gas tank in Rapid City for $75 (at just $3.99/gallon!). BOD: Breckenridge Amber, Boulevard Wheat (KS City), and PBR. Dinner: BBQ chicken, with grilled potatoes and onions. Mileage: 873 total/309 today.
MEM-DENColorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, WyomingJuly 12 - July 19, 2008- Got up around 8, left Crawford, Nebraska by 9 AM or so. Drove to South Dakota via US 385 through Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Stopped at Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD. It's essentially a museum dedicated to...mammoths, which were very common in this area of the country a couple years ago.
Refueled for $90 and went to Custer, SD. Had lunch and Dairy Queen (blizzards!) - Went to Wind Cave before going into Custer but decided to tour Jewel Cave instead. After leaving Custer, we drove to the Crazy Horse Memorial. We did not, however, agree with paying the gate attendant $20 to enter the parking lot, so we drove over all the cars with our tank, AKA Chevy Suburban. No, we did not do that. We simply took a few pictures from where we were and left.
- Stopped at Jewel Cave, but the tour we wanted was not starting for another hour and a half or so. Decided to begin the hunt for camping instead. Drove through Black Hills National Forest and got a bit turned around - a couple ATV riders helped us find our way through the forest...there are very extensive dirt roads that are pretty confusing, even (especially?) with a map.
- After finding, then rejecting a few campgrounds in the forest, we decided on Custer Trail campground, on Deerfield Lake (elev 5,700 ft). Camping = $12. There were lots of boaters, but by 7 PM or so the place cleared out
- Dinner: Chicken sausage and corn. BOD: Moose Drool (a favorite each year) and PBR. Mileage: 564 total/190 today
MEM-DENColorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, WyomingJuly 12 - July 19, 2008- Arrived in Denver around 10 AM and picked up the rental "car". No compacts were available (think 2008 = insane gas prices) so the rental car company gave us the next best thing they had - a MASSIVE Chevy Suburban.
They agreed to provide us with a tank of gas...which we would soon learn was very valuable. - Hit up the Super Target in Brighton, CO outside of Denver for supplies - once again, we forgot to bring the cooking/grilling grate...and then forgot to get one at Target. So we stopped at a Wal-Mart (gasp!) in Sterling. This town seems to be a meth-town with lots of, shall we say, mouth-breathers. Ate at Arby's (anything will do at this point). Beer was secured at Nick's Liquors.
- Everything ready to go, we finally hit the (wide) open road. Got into Nebraska via Hwy 113 to 385 - it's the Gold Rush Scenic Byway north through the NE panhandle to the northwest corner of the state. After a bit of driving through the rolling Nebraska hills. YES! there are hills in this state. On through to Oglala National Grasslands to Toadstool National Geologic Park to camp for the night, but there was no firewood and there were people there. The scenery there was pretty odd - lots of sandstone and rock formations. Click the link for more info.
- We drove a bit more and then went a couple miles out of the way to go to a place called Carhenge. Carhenge is a car monument, replicating Stonehenge, built in 1987. Bizarre thing to find in the middle of the prairie, for sure (see satellite map).
Other sculptures have been erected since, including dinosaurs and giant salmon. 
- Continuing on our way, a woman at a gas station outside the N.G. recommends Soldier Creek National Wilderness Refuge, which we promptly found (in Nebraska National Forest - YES! there is forest in NE) and claimed a great camping spot in the middle of...well, nowhere.
- We discovered that this land was clearly used for cattle at one time. We explored some cattle pens, which we referred to as "Cowschwitz". We thought this was the funniest thing...at least all week. (Nick is allowed to say this due to his ethnicity). The cows were led up ramps, into cattle trucks, never to be heard from again. And no one said anything.
- Beer of the Day (BOD): New Belgium Skinny Dip Ale, *Odell 5-Barrel Pale, and PBR
- Mileage: 373
