Entry 4: Spearfish to Custer City

Today was a long day in the car but we have sure enjoyed every mile and every minute. Carol is a great tour guide and taxi driver. She knows the roads and the scenery which makes it more enjoyable, even with the raindrops and other crazy drivers this was a fabulous day!
It is important to mention that Carol and I have been on very good behavior because every time we turn around we run into Iowa people! Yesterday three couples on bikes from Lyon County were in Deadwood, during lunch today a man from Denison started a conversation with us, prompting the people from West Virginia to join in. We had a longer lunch than planned but it sure was fun to meet others enjoying South Dakota, too.
Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the day.

Our first stop of the day was to the great town of Sturgis, so small, so quiet, so getting ready for the influx of all the bikers and other onlookers the first week of August. We saw or heard many bikes already burning up the streets.

As we left Sturgis the sprinkle of rain made this picture of the Indian Motorcycle shop a little dark and dreary but if you look closely you can see several guys that didn't care if they got wet.

The road from Sturgis to Custer, our home for the next two nights, took us on a winding, up and down tour of the Black Hills National Forest. It was beautiful and after about 50 miles and an hour on the road, Carol pulled over and had me turn around. Poof! Right in front of me was George Washington! I was sure surprised because she had been telling about seeing Mt. Goats in this area so that is what I expected. This was my highlight of the morning! 

We didn't stop at Mt. Rushmore today because of the rain, it's on the list of sights for tomorrow. So we headed to Keystone for lunch. But first Carol had another surprise up her sleeve. Instead of going directly to Keystone she made a sudden turn, didn't say a word until she had driven about a mile. That is when she told me we were on the Iron Mt. Road. Now for those of us who are not bikers it is important to understand that this is a favorite bike riding destination. It is a steep, very winding path of a road that has hairpin curves, steep drop-offs, and tunnels! A motorcycle drivers playground, a nervous passenger's surprising nightmare. LOL! It was a fun experience!

Iron Mt. Road

Iron Mt. Road

Iron Mt. Road

View on Iron Mt. Road

Oh yes, did I mention Iron Mt. Road has three, single lane tunnels?

Coming out of the second tunnel and directly in front of us was a straight, magnificent view of Mt. Rushmore! Stunning!

I loved this view and would go on this tummy turning road again just to see it, oh wait, we did go three times, up halfway, back down to go to Keystone, then back up and through it all the way to Custer park. That is on the list for tomorrow as well.

Almost forgot this picture. We saw a very interesting traffic control person in Keystone. He was using a bullwhip to help direct traffic. He should have realized traffic was slowing down to get a good look at him. Tall, tall man with western garb, white beard and long hair, snapping a bullwhip. Who wouldn't slow down to stare!

Beautiful views all the way to Custer. Awesome!

One of the first things we saw as we searched for our hotel in Custer was this pickup full of antlers! Amazing!

Painted buffalo statues adorning the streets of Custer. We didn't really look around the town yet but tomorrow is another day. Expect a selfie in front of one of these.

We are staying at the Dakota Cowboy Inn for the next two nights. Let's just say it is an interesting motel. I can't say that it is one I would ever put on my "must return list" but it is clean. I think the area might be safe, we'll know in the morning.

The map might say Custer but I think we are really in Bedrock!

Tomorrow will be a busy day: Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, and Custer Park. It's hard to believe our 65 B-day Tour is already half over!