The sunniest day yet in the Black Hills (and our last day in the area) called us back to Sylvan Lake and Needles Hwy. This is one of our all-time favorite places, hands down.
So beautiful!
Surely Sylvan Lake and the Needles were inspiration behind the 90’s virtual reality puzzle games “Myst” and “Riven”.
From Keystone to Hill City and back, aboard the 1880 steam locomotive on the original route of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
Dahls Chainsaw Art has workshops all over the many Black Hills towns including Bigfoot in Keystone and Smokey the Bear in Hill City. 
Just as in Hot Springs and Custer yesterday, both Keystone and Hill City were overtaken by Sturgis cycles. Most Main streets are blocked off to cars, limiting the streets to cycle parking along each side as well as the middle line. Excellent people and cycle watching! 
Grab a beer, sit a spell and enjoy the show – why yessir we did indeed at the Tin City Saloon across from the Harley Davidson store in Hill City, and at the red-velvet-wallpapered Ruby Rose Saloon upper balcony in Keystone
The sunniest day yet in the Black Hills was calling us back to Sylvan Lake and Needles Hwy.
Picture album is on the way….
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
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
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.
