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Mt. Rushmore & the Black Hills Trip

A trip from October 07, 2006 to October 15, 2006, travelling to Denver, Hot Springs, Custer, Keystone …
A scenic tour of the Black Hills, the Badlands, and the … More  
A scenic tour of the Black Hills, the Badlands, and the Pine Ridge Reservation with Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devils Tower thrown in for fun.
Trip Tags:3-star, Adventure, ArchitectureMore  

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3-star, Adventure, Fall, Outdoor Activities, Road Trip, Sightseeing
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Location:
Hot Springs, Custer...
Day:
10/07/2006 to 10/15/2006
Category:
Things to do, City...

Planned Activities

Sat 10/07/06 (day 1) - Denver, Hot Springs

In 8462 trips
Denver
Average Rating (147):
     
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City
Denver
Denver, CO, United States
Sat Oct 7 12:00pm - Sat Oct 7 2:00pm
Notes
Fly into Denver and rent a car to drive through the corner of Nebraska up into South Dakota. After a nice afternoon drive to see the countryside, stay overnight in Hot Springs and then enjoy a visit to the local sites.
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Scenic Drive into South Dakota
We drove through Fort Collins and Cheyenne up into Nebraska on US 20 just to see the countryside and up Hwy. 385 …More  
Transportation
Denver
Sat Oct 7 2:00pm - Sat Oct 7 6:00pm
Notes
There are rest areas along the way and we saw a ton of prairie dogs running around, but you have to look close because they really blend into the ground because of their color.
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In 53 trips
Holiday Inn Express Suites
Average Rating (3):
     
All reviews
The Holiday Inn Express Suites is situated in historic Hot Springs, approximately 52 miles from Mt. Rushmore and …
Hotel
Holiday Inn Express Suites
1401 Hwy 18 Bypass
Hot Springs, SD 57747
United States
605-745-4411
Sat Oct 7 6:00pm - Sat Oct 7 11:45pm
Notes
Nice hotel and after dinner we went out looking for a hot spring to soak in. We did find a park with the stream fed by a spring, but the water was way too cold to go in. But it was fun anyway!
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Scotty's Roundup
Great Food & An Incredible View~, Noon Lunches, Dinner, Lounge, Casino, Daily Lunch Buffet 11:00 am - 2:00pm …More  
Restaurant
Hot Springs
Sat Oct 7 7:00pm - Sat Oct 7 8:30pm
Notes
Not a lot of nice restaurants around but we were lucky to find this one and it was friendly and quaint and the food wasn't half bad either.
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In 402 trips
Evans Plunge
Average Rating (36):
     
All reviews
Since 1890, this indoor spring-fed pool has been the Black Hills most exciting natural attraction. There is an …
Thing to Do
1145 North River Street
Hot Springs, SD 57747-3078
United States
Sat Oct 7 8:30pm - Sat Oct 7 10:00pm
Notes
We opted to go out looking for an outdoor hot spring to soak in but no luck. Probably should have gone here instead, but not sure if it's open at night. Check first.
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Sun 10/08/06 (day 2) - Hot Springs, Custer

In 299 trips
Hot Springs
Average Rating (5):
     
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City
Hot Springs, SD, United States
Sun Oct 8 12:00am
Notes
Had breakfast and headed out to explore and ended up at the Mammoth Site for an interesting look at the dig site and museum.
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Mammoth Site
Site of a large sink hole discovered full of wooley mammoth skeletons excavated to expose the animals just as …More  
Thing to Do
Hot Springs
Sun Oct 8 9:00am - Sun Oct 8 12:00pm
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In 247 trips
Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary
Average Rating (18):
     
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Home to America's largest wild horse herd, Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary offers 11,000 acres of beautiful canyons …
Thing to Do
P.O. Box 998
Hot Springs, SD 57747
United States
Sun Oct 8 2:00pm - Sun Oct 8 4:00pm
Notes
You drive down a gravel road for miles and never see another car. We stopped in the middle of the road and shot video and tons of wild horses runing around and grazing.
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In 684 trips
Custer
Average Rating (6):
     
All reviews

City
Custer
Custer, SD, United States
Sun Oct 8 6:00pm - Sun Oct 8 11:45pm
Notes
You have to eat desserts at the famous Purple Pie Palace while in Custer! A really wild place with yummy pies like you have never had before made from a great mix of exotic western fruits.

Stayed overnight in Custer and walked around a bit and did some shopping before turning in for the night. There is a really cool fur hide and pelt store with stuff you'll never see in the city.
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In 53 trips
Econo Lodge
Average Rating (1):
     
All reviews
Guests of this hotel enjoy a complimentary breakfast, high speed internet, cable TV and a sparkling swimming pool.
Hotel
Econo Lodge
342 Mount Rushmore Rd
Custer, SD 57730
United States
605-673-4400
Sun Oct 8 7:00pm - Mon Oct 9 9:00am
Notes
Not our first choice but our only choice. Slim pickin's in this small town and we were afraid to book anything without seeing it first. Good thing too because the motels were not too great looking. We were happy to have a huge jacoosie tub in our room and the old gent at the desk was really nice.
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Mon 10/09/06 (day 3) - Keystone, Custer

In 1504 trips
Keystone
Average Rating (8):
     
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City
Keystone, SD, United States
Mon Oct 9 12:00am
Notes
We had breakfast in Custer and my wife had the biggest pancakes we ever saw in a nice breakfast restaurant right down the street. Then we hit the raod as is began to snow.
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In 1112 trips
Custer State Park
Average Rating (19):
     
All reviews
Custer State Park in the Black Hills encompasses 73,000 acres of spectacular terrain and an abundance of wildlife.
Thing to Do
HCR 83 Box 70
Custer, SD 57730
United States
Mon Oct 9 9:00am - Mon Oct 9 11:00am
Notes
Drove through the park and saw tons of wildlife in a very short time. We saw wild turkey, mules, deer, elk and it was a really nice drive up into the hills on our way to Crazy Horse.
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In 2306 trips
Crazy Horse Memorial
Average Rating (31):
     
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Crazy Horse Memorial, the world's largest sculpture, now in progress, is located just 17 miles southwest of Mount Ru …
Thing to Do
Avenue of the Chiefs
Custer, SD 57730
United States
Mon Oct 9 11:00am - Mon Oct 9 2:00pm
Notes
We went on Native American Day, an annual event, and it was great to see the arts and crafts, dancing and Native Americans enjoying the memorial and information on the carving.
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In 1707 trips
Mount Rushmore
Average Rating (21):
     
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The four figures carved in stone on Mount Rushmore represent the first 150 years of American history and the famous …
Thing to Do
13000 Highway 244
Keystone, SD 57751
United States
Mon Oct 9 2:00pm - Mon Oct 9 5:00pm
Notes
It was pretty overcast because it was snowing and we couldn't even see the mountain at first. But it cleared up a bit and the clouds parted and there it was!! We got the best pictures we could and saw what we came to South Dakota for!
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In 145 trips
Holiday Inn Express Suites Mt Rushmore
Average Rating (9):
     
All reviews
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Keystone is located at the base of Mt. Rushmore in the bustling historic …
Hotel
Holiday Inn Express Suites Mt Rushmore
321 Swanzey St
Keystone, SD 57751
United States
605-666-4925
Mon Oct 9 6:00pm - Tue Oct 10 9:00am
Notes
Really nice hotel and we enjoyed our room and our stay. The pool was pretty small, but we were the only ones there so it was nice and relaxing after a fun day out in the snow.
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Tue 10/10/06 (day 4) - Rapid City, Pine Ridge, Interior, Wall, Deadwood

In 3331 trips
Rapid City
Average Rating (36):
     
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City
Rapid City
Rapid City, SD, United States
Tue Oct 10 12:00am
Notes
Drove through Rapid City. Not much to look at and never really intended to stop here for anything, but it was on the way to the Badlands and Pine Ridge.
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Wounded Knee
Drove to the Pine Ridge Reservation and visited the Wounded Knee Memorial and massacre site.
City
Pine Ridge
Tue Oct 10 9:00am - Tue Oct 10 12:00pm
Notes
Not very 'welcoming' and never talked to anyone on the reservation since nobody was around. The whole place was kind of "not happening" and we were extremely disappointed at the condition of the area and especially the "memorial". Glad we went, but it was a total bummer and my feeling of sorrow for the Indian Nation turned into disgust. Didn't take many pictures because I didn't want to remember it.
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Badlands National Park
The Badlands are a work of art still in progress. Water and wind continue to sculpt the pliant soil into sharply …More  
Thing to Do
P.O. Box 6
Interior, SD 57750
United States
605-433-5361
Tue Oct 10 12:00pm - Tue Oct 10 2:00pm
Notes
We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day and I could have stood there for hours and just marveled at the amazing beauty and vast open vistas. Every view was different and fantastic to see. Our pictures could never do justice to this place, just like the Grand Canyon. You have to see it in person to really get it. A must see!
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Wall Drug
The worlds largest drug store. FREE ADMISSION to this 76,000 square foot American Experience includes the Backyard …More  
Shopping
Wall
Tue Oct 10 2:00pm - Tue Oct 10 5:00pm
Notes
This place is a "hoot" in the middle of nowhere. Several buildings connected together by alleys and courtyards make this the "biggest" drug store. A neat family type place for some relaxation while on long drives in the area to see the "real" sites here. Fun to stop and get something to eat and do some tourist shopping.
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Saloon #10

Restaurant
657 Main Street
Deadwood, SD 57732
USA
605-578-3346
Tue Oct 10 5:00pm - Tue Oct 10 6:00pm
Notes
While sitting at the bar having a beer with my wife I turned around and above the door saw the chair that Wild Bill was sitting in when he was shot!! That blew me away. A few days later we saw his gun and the cards he was holding at the Adams Museum.
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Holiday Inn Express Suites
Awesome hotel on Main Street in Deadwood. Great room with fireplace and great bed and whoorlpool tub. Very roomy …More  
Hotel
Deadwood
Tue Oct 10 6:00pm - Wed Oct 11 9:00am
Notes
This room was so cool we decided we wanted to stay 3 nights but it wasn't available. So we spent the next night in Spearfish and then came back for one more night when it was available again.
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Wed 10/11/06 (day 5) - Spearfish, Devil's Tower

In 207 trips
Spearfish
Average Rating (5):
     
All reviews

City
Spearfish, SD, United States
Wed Oct 11 9:00am - Wed Oct 11 11:00am
Notes
It snowed all night and it was really cool to watch from our hotel room windows. The next morning we wanted to tour Deadwood but after the snow the tours were not running so we postponed it a day and instead headed to Devils Tower, figuring the weather would be better in Wyoming in the desert. WRONG!! It began snowing on the way and we spent the day walking around Devils Tower in the most amazing snowfall ever!! It was so beautiful and we had the best day ever!
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Devil's Tower
The nation’s first national monument, Devils Tower, looms prominently over the Belle Fourche River in a place where …More  
Thing to Do
Devil's Tower
Wed Oct 11 11:00am - Wed Oct 11 5:00pm
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Talk about this trip (10)
searc75 (View searc75's trips)
I thought your pictures where GREAT!!! South Dakota is a pretty state, but I have to say that WY is one of my favorites places to visit. I love the Dud ranches there as well. Thanks 4 the memories
Posted 1 year ago.
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Bird (View Bird's trips)
More then Great AWSOME!! I also was able to send to a friend that wants to ride his motorcycle around all these places... (follow the Oregon Trail) as he would say... well you gave me some good places for him to stop and see. thank you.
Posted 12 months ago.
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Black Hills Blogger (View Black Hills Blogger's trips)
Excellent pictures. The Saloon #10 is one of my favorite places in Deadwood, and it looks like you had a really beautiful room there, too. I liked the Lost Springs picture. Heh heh... I've driven between the Black Hills and Denver plenty of times. I definitely prefer to fly if I can. The Rapid City airport has six direct flights now, which means even international travelers can get there in just two hops.
Posted 10 months ago.
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ht (View ht's trips)
Thanks for all your info!! Loved the pictures, too. We are going this week, so this was perfect timing for us!!
Posted 9 months ago.
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Paris Traveler (View Paris Traveler's trips)
HT, glad I could help! This was my wife's favorite trip and we had a great time. It was very relaxing and tons of fun and really interesting. Let me know if you have any last minute questions I can help you with! Have a great time!!
Posted 9 months ago.
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Chocokide (View Chocokide's trips)
Hi Paris Traveler - I loved your trip and thanks for sharing! I like how you and your wife explored and chronicled so many places. I lived in Rapid City for 12 years and it is interesting that the reservations are still so sad, I still carry the mental images of how terrible some people have it.
Posted 8 months ago.
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Paris Traveler (View Paris Traveler's trips)
Indeed. It just broke my heart. But that aside, it was a wonderful trip and I also came away with a fantastic CD by Brulé, "We the People", and I play it often. It the best American Indian theme music I have heard and it is truely a joy to listen to, especially after you learn about how it came about. Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed reading about our trip. Many blessings to you.
Posted 8 months ago.
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Elizabeth L (View Elizabeth L's trips)
What a wonderful read. This brought back great memories of our trips through South Dakota. I was back at those places you described and am anxious to make the trip again with my two youngest who are now teens. This will be so exciting for them. Thank you so very much for sharing.
Posted 8 months ago.
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Doreena (View Doreena's trips)
Our family will be going to these places in South Dakota plus more on the East side in Sioux Falls,De Smet(Ingall's Homestead) and Garretson (Jesse James and the Devil's Gulch). We are really looking forward to this trip, but after seeing your pictures of South Dakota, I'm even more excited about the whole thing.We will only be in South Dakota for 10 days, but are mainly going to think about a possible relocation to the state, a few years from now. The kids are still relatively young, so we would like to take this trip before they can say no LOL ! Thanks for all of the wonderful pictures and enjoy your Alaskan Cruise. My grandmother never stopped talking about the Alaskan cruise she took till the day she passed :)
Posted 6 months ago.
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bunchheun t (View bunchheun t's trips)
Hi Mr or Madaim
Posted 5 months ago.
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