Day 4 - One Busy Day

Today's adventure started with us departing a rain soaked KOA in Interior, SD for the western part of the Badlands Loop. Even though it seems like you are going through more of the same, the overlooks are still second to none:



After spending some time stopping at the overlooks for pictures and to just take it all in, we proceeded to the one and only Wall Drug. Now, on I-90 all throughout South Dakota, you are bombarded with signs pleading for you to visit a wide assortment of "sideshow" attractions. The most famous is Wall Drug and I promised myself that I would visit there someday. So we went...



It was big, but actually not quite as big as I thought it would be. I managed to get out of there only purchasing 3 postcards at 35 cents a piece and ice cream. Not bad for a tourist trap.

We then moved on to what has to be South Dakota's most visited site, Mt. Rushmore. I will spare you from the point of view picture that everyone is familiar with in order to show you a different perspective from the trail that brings you closer to the monument:

(Nice job Tom, no boogers!)

After Rushmore, we decided to drive by Crazy Horse to catch a glimpse of it from the highway. You couldn't see it too well, but we elected not to pay $23 for us to see the not-even-close-to-being-finished mountain carving that Crazy Horse himself is probably rolling in his grave over. Of course we did visit the shrine to the white man earlier...

We managed to also cram Devils Tower into a very busy day. This was an awesome site for sure. Of course, the movie Close Encounters of the Third Time made Devils Tower even more of a popular destination, the formation is a sight to see regardless.



On closer inspection however, I noticed someone scaling the tower.



Yes, climbers are allowed on Devils Tower. I can't even imagine what it is like. I believe Devils Tower rises about 800 feet above its base. We considered the 1.3 mile hike around it, but after the long day, we decided to head to our next KOA in Sheridan in North Central Wyoming where I am currently typing this. We plan to sleep in a bit. Personally, I'm looking forward to a dip in the pool. Then, we make our way to Yellowstone!