Rapid City

We have driven in South Dakota a couple of times and it always seems to be windy.  And never the good kind, a tail wind.  This time it was the usual crosswind, ugh.  The forecast called for stronger crosswinds so we got to our friends house in Rapid City with minimal stops.

Kaye & John Duffield live on the edge of Rapid City on top of a hill with a great view.

We quickly set up on their lower driveway, 50 amp hook up!  Then settled down to catchup and have an absolutely delicious roast dinner!  Discussion turned to the forecast, which wasn’t necessarily favorable for vacationing. Thunderstorms everyday, bummer….  

Kaye mentioned a bus tour company nearby, Fort Hays bus tours, that offered tours of the big tourist stops with breakfast & a dinner show included.  We called & they had an opening for the three of us.  It’s the company’s 30th anniversary & the have a special dinner show so we invited the Duffield’s to join us for the show.

Bright & early we got to Fort Hays.  It’s the buildings used for the movie Dances With Wolves, all relocated to Rapid City.  We enjoyed a pancake , sausage, & biscuit & gravy breakfast.  Toured the “fort” then loaded the 34 passenger bus.

First stop Mt. Rushmore!

After that the bus headed for Iron Mountain Road a the first of five tunnels that they  shouldn’t be driving a bus through.  So this highway weaves around through the Black Hills & has a couple of tunnels that when you look through them they frame Mt. Rushmore. 

The crazy part is the bus clears the walls of the tunnel by about three inches.

There were five total tunnels with the last one at the Needles Eye.  There was only an inch & half clearance plus it wasn’t a straight tunnels, impressive driving!  To make things crazy our bus driver told “dad jokes” ALL DAY.  It was a riot.  I think he told at least 100- 200.  During this last tunnel he put a student driver sign in the windshield.  You should have seen all the people watching us come out, they were a freaking out.  We were laughing our butts off!

We toured the Needles Highway, Custer State Park and Sylvan Lake.  The tour took us to Crazy Horse.  I’ve been there in 1971, 2015 & 2023.  It always looks the same.  But we took some pictures and headed out. 

Mica standing in front of what Crazy Horse will look like when completed & actual sculpture in the background 

Took the bus back to the starting point, met up with the Duffield’s and enjoyed a Chuckwagon dinner and an awesome 70’s & 80’s concert.  Plus a free rocking thunderstorm with hail! (No damage to the Tahoe, whew.)