The weather improved significantly and the ride from Valentine NE to Custer SD was much more pleasant. the scenery also improved quite a bit. Not that I don't like cornfields, but, 1000 miles of corn gets a tad boring. The ride through the plains of South Dakota with only minor wind was nice and moving north into the Black Hills improved my temperament and milage. The last 116 miles of Nebraska sucked up gas at a rate of 29 mpg compared to the 40 I'd been averaging. Riding the Needles Highway was another pleasant change and being a Monday and not a weekend the traffic on the road was tolerable. For those of you that don't know what the needles highway is its a small 2 lane road that winds through Custer State Park. Speed limit never more than 35 and for good reason. The scenery is beautiful. There are 2 very tight tunnels that keep larger vehicles off the highway, so there was not fighting with RV's and Campers along this road. That being said, even on a Monday the road was loaded with cars and motorcycles. The most impressive part of the day was Mt Rushmore. Often when you get to a place that you have wanted to see, you seem a little let down because it doesn't quite match up with what you thought it would be like.. Mt Rushmore was in a word "IMPRESSIVE" As I was leaving the monument, I stopped and got what I thought was one of my better shots of the trip. A profile of George Washington. Settling in for the night in Custer I enjoyed walking the streets and visited some of the stores and restaurants. Today I'll head west again towards Cody Wyoming and perhaps Yellowstone. Despite the greatness of this trip, I am finding myself getting a little weary and starting to look forward to getting home. The weather forecast for today seems to be even more favorable with mid-70's. The last few days of heat and wind has really taken a lot out of me, so some cooler weather will be welcome.
1 Comment
Jim Hall
6/20/2012 03:05:45 am
I visited Mt. Rushmore many years ago and was also very impressed. What I remember most, though, is that Mt. Rushmore is where my daughter (age 9 at the time) had her binoculars stolen. So much for the "Shrine of American Democracy."
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AuthorTim Stubbe AKA Archives
June 2013
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