Rolling Along With The Reynolds

Jim and Cindy's Adventure Blog traveling all over the USA

Tag: bighorn sheep

DUBOIS, WY

* We spent a total of eleven days in Dubois Wyoming.  Pronounced “DEW-boys”. Population is only 971!
* National Museum of Military Vehicles. Very impressive place and surely something not-to-miss if you’re in the area. The $100 million, 140000 square-foot National Museum of Military Vehicles is our nation’s premier military history museum.  http://nmmv.org
* Winter snowmelt plus record rain = washed out roads and bridges; Yellowstone CLOSED.  
* Nana’s Bakery & Bowling. Yes, you read that right. What a combination, huh?
* Big Horn Sheep Visitor Center.
* Whiskey Basin Wildlife area, National Forest roads to Lake Louise.
* Scenic Overlook of the town; hiked up to 7,505 feet elevation.
* Picnic on the Wind River – bench overhang.
* Friday night Rodeo.
* Drove more gravel National Forest roads on our last day here. Spectacular wilderness up in the Absaroka Mountain Range, and we were treated to a beautiful rainbow deep in the Shoshone Forest. Perfect sendoff!

 

 

Where the Buffalo Roam

Leaving Hot Springs, SD, we headed back North through the Wind Cave National Park, which then connected to the lower loop of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway in Custer State Park, specifically the Lower Wildlife Loop Road.  

It happily was an Open House weekend for the Park, so admission was free!

As every day so far has brought it’s own powerful emotions, this was no exception:

  • Sadness over the devastating loss of so many trees in the park due to an infestation of mountain pine beetles.
  • Excitement and wonder over spotting such a variety of wildlife – pronghorns, mountain goats, prairie dogs, mule deer, bighorn sheep, white tailed deer, and of course the start of the show was bison (it’s baby season!)
  • Overwhelmed with the vastness of the BIG SKY.

 

“You’re not supposed to drive here at 60 miles an hour. To do the scenery half justice, people should drive 20 or under; to do it full justice, they should get out and walk.” 
 – Peter Norbeck 

Tatanka is the Lakota word for bison. 

 

Custer State Park – Bison

 

South Dakota Air and Space Museum

It snowed! We weren’t expecting that! Located just outside the main gate of Ellsworth Air Force Base, we did the outdoor air park filled with WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War, and present day aircraft. This includes the currently flown B-1B Lancer. Would’ve stayed a bit longer at the museum, but the weather forced Cindy to run back to a dry and warm car while Jim finished touring the aircraft by his lonesome. Bonus side trip: a swing over to the Barber Shop across the street so Jim could get a proper well-executed military haircut.

Pics: it snowed at Air and Space

Mt. Rushmore

Snow came and went all day long. One minute it’d be cloudy and then snowing, the next you’d get to see a peek of the bright sunshine.
Mount Rushmore is an impressive tribute to freedom and democracy in America. The granite sculpture of 60 foot faces of four U.S Presidents who played an integral role in the birth, expansion, development and preservation of the nation: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. 
Seeing the exhibits about how the carvings were actually executed was fascinating. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum was a brilliant man.

Album of Black Hills – Mt. Rushmore

Sylvan Lake and the Needles Hwy

This portion of the day was by far the most breathtaking and my favorite. Driving the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, we did the Upper 70 mile loop. Several one lane tunnels, and bridges, and numerous wildlife kept me gasping at every turn. Sylvan Lake was beautiful. I have no doubt that this scenery inspired some of the imaginary worlds of the game “Myst”.  I wish we had had more time to linger and take more of the trails around the lake. This location is one that I hope to do a return visit.

Hopping back in the car, we continued on to traverse the Needles Highway. It was mind numbing scenery of surreal looking rocks, and many tight and twisty curves. Just what I love!  Bighorn sheep were spotted here.

Sylvan and Needles

 

An Alien World 

What better way to illustrate a foreign landscape than with a tutu pic!

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First up today was a somber visit to the MinuteMan Missile National Historic Site. “The only value in our two nations possessing nuclear weapons is to make sure they will never be used“, President Ronald Reagan. It was a MAD World (Mutually Assured Destruction).  It was an emotionally charged 60 minutes there.

Next up was the much anticipated Badlands National Park. This post is still in draft, as I’ve got to incorporate all of Jim’s stunning pics he took himself on his phone, but I’m so thrilled to share our sights today.  Panoramic scenery, Prairie Dogs, Bighorn Sheep, baby cows (awwww, they’re so cute!), cold cold winds, cloudy for the most part, but that didn’t damper it’s beauty whatsoever. This place shines bright.

 

Badlands Natl Park pics 
 UPDATED and current!