Thursday July 30th, Chadron Forest Park, NE

A 5 degree start for the day, but clear blue skies, so just had to put a jumper on, and it soon warmed up a bit. We were on the road by 8am as wanted to beat the worst of the traffic to Mount Rushmore (7000 feet) which was only about 20 minutes away. We have seen so many photos of this National Monument, and were concerned that we would come away saying, well we have seen it in the “flesh”, and that it would be a real tourist mecca, but we were really surprised.

The size and grandeur of these four famous American presidents sculptured out of the harsh granite is just amazing. The story behind the “construction” that was started in 1932 is fascinating, and the museum and film covering it all was great. The crowds were rolling in as we left, along with the bikers.

The town of Keystone is close by, but we didn’t even stop…a real tourist mecca.

The road we took back to Custer wound up into the hills and down again, and a real feat of engineering, with 4 tunnels cut through the granite, and corkscrew corners with wooden bridges. Some of the tunnels were cut so that the distant views of Rushmore were framed by them. The bikers never stopped, such great rides for them.

Passed through Custer State Park with herds of bison, deer grazing and donkeys that seemed to know the rules…waiting for the cars to pass by, and very happy to get biscuits with their heads in the car windows.

Custer was humming when we got back, the centre of the road had been cordoned off for bike parking, and it was quite full, although we heard that this is just a small amount compared to how many will be in town next week. Biking memorabilia everywhere, machinists sitting ready to sew patches onto jackets as they are bought and even a mobile tattoo shop. Decided to have lunch in one of the grills in town and sat with a beer watching the action.

Filled up with fuel and headed south, passing through Hot Springs, an historic town with magnificent old building built with a red local stone. Then through the border into Nebraska and a stop just south of Chadron in a Forest Park for $5 a night, a little bit of road noise, but still very nice. We don’t really need power, and when I needed to heat something in the microwave, I just flick a switch on the generator and we have power.