Mount Rushmore is of course the monument carved by Gutzon Borglum that represents the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln that paid tribute to the 150 years that the Union stood and expanded. Though Gutzon started in 1927 the carving was finished by his son Lincoln 14 years later.

For those of you that have never been to Mount Rushmore before, when you first arrive, you can either go up a few flights of stairs, or take and elevator to reach the entrance to the Grandview Terrace to view the memorial. It is quite the site to arrive there and see the thousands of people gazing at the mountain side. On the way up to the Grandview Terrace you walk The Avenue of Flags which includes the flags of the 56 states and territories the avenue provides direct and easy access to the Grandview Terrace, Lincoln Borglum Museum and the Presidential Trail.

At the base of the mountain is the park’s amphitheater which often hosts shows, concerts and presentations, but just as often can be found filled with tourists just looking to take a load off on a hot summer day.

The Presidential Trail is a half mile walking trail that surrounds you with many different types of wild flowers as well as many different views of the memorial. Often times during the summer months I like to go up to the monument, buy an ice cream cone and walk the Presidential Trail as it provides a lot of shade. (A lot more in some areas than others depending on the time of day).

Another good way to escape the heat in the summer is to visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Museum. If you are on the Grandview Terrace you can reach it by taking either an elevator or a flight of stairs down to the base of the mountain. In the main lobby there are various exhibits, pictures, posters and postcards featuring images of the memorial at different stages of its construction. There is a movie theater which runs an EXCELLENT film about the history of the monument, and it is only about twenty minutes long if memory serves me correctly.

In the museum itself there are sculptures, photos, 3-D topographic maps, models, movies, activities and many other exhibits to keep your interest and offer you a look into history.

Mount Rushmore has a really nice gift shop that offers a wide range of products from the traditional t-shirts and post cards to black hills gold jewelry and high end collectors items.

Another of my favorite spots around the monument is just past the entrance. If you are coming up from Keystone, go clear past the entrance to the park and continue for about a quarter mile. You will come to another small parking lot where you can see the profile view of George Washington.

Mount Rushmore has truly become the backdrop of America. The 60-foot faces will look across time “until the wind and rain alone shall wear them away.”

From the entrance of the park you notice that the terrain is a little different than anything you have seen before, and after only two minutes of driving from the entrance it feels as though you are on an alien world. Large spires of rock that look like castles surround you on all sides and the land seems to be a series of canyons and spikes that stretches on forever. I can think of no other way to describe it than as the very teeth of the mouth of the Earth.

This terrain was formed in levels over time, first by a shallow sea that once covered the entire region, then by bombardment of volcanic ash, and then erosion by the winds and rain. Driving along the Badlands loop one will see some of the most breath taking natural imagery the world has to offer. If you are lucky enough to get there just after it rains, the color bands that were formed by different layers of sediment deposits stand out with brilliant shades of red, pink, brown, grey, red and yellow, and it looks as if the rocks were actually painted.

Another special sight in the park is all of the wild life. I have been through the Badlands many times now, and when I went last week I saw buffalo in the park for the first time which really brightened my day, but the park is also home to mule deer, white tale deer, prong horn antelope, big horn sheep, prairie dogs, coyote, turkey and wild birds. You never know just what you are going to see at any time, but it is always a treat.

As you can imagine the Badlands is absolutely rich in fossils. In 1849 there was a “bone rush” which brought hundreds of paleontologists to the area and produced over 77 distinctly different species of fossils by 1854 and the fossils are still a huge draw. Upon entering the park visitors are given a stern warning not to remove any fossils from the park because of how significant they can be to science. Visitors are welcomed to walk the Fossil Exhibit Trail.

The Badlands also offers a lot of great trails for hiking and biking as well as horse back riding and camping. Just make sure you have plenty of hydration with you as the park can be rather dry during summer months and extremely hot. If history is more your thing there is plenty to find here. From the Native American tribes hat lived and hunted on these grounds, to the homesteaders that ranched there, to the Minute Man Missile Silo, there are plenty of things to be learned.

I always enjoy my trips through the Badlands, and for all the more it costs for a car load it makes for a great day with your family or friends.

Just an hour’s drive east of Rapid City sits a small town named Wall. It is located directly across from the entrance to the Bad Lands national park and it has tourists coming from all over the world because of the Wall Drug Store. It all started in 1931 with a druggist named Ted Hustead and his wife Dorothy. They couple purchased the little drug store with $3,000 he inherited. At first the little drug store on the prairie was having a hard time bringing in customers, and the townsfolk were as a cousin said “flat broke busted”.

The following spring Dorothy came up with an idea that would still stand to this day, give away free ice water to the travelers and advertise it along the highway. Since then the Hustead family has continued to run Wall Drug and expand it to what it is today.

When you first pull into Wall Drug, you feel like you are stepping back in time. The buildings all look like something out of Gun Smoke, with wooden sidewalks and places to tie your horses. One of my favorite things to do in Wall Drug is get there when they first open up in the morning and get a giant cinnamon roll and a five cent coffee. Yes you saw that correctly, only five cents for a cup of coffee and it is some of the best coffee I have ever tasted. My wife usually gets the buffet because you get a mountain of food for an affordable price and she says it’s delicious. After breakfast and a few cups of coffee we like to walk through all of the little stores, most of the stores are al connected together from the inside so if there is still a morning nip in the air you don’t have to get a chill.

While the central drug store is still there and pharmaceuticals can still be purchased, there are so many other items to purchase I would be hard pressed to list them all. You can get boots, hats, leatherwear, souvenirs, black hills gold, toys and many other goodies. As you are walking through the halls there are plenty of fun things to stop and stare at. One of my earliest memories of Wall from being there as a little boy are the wooden figures that are all around. Some are seated on the benches, some are standing around. Some that spring into my head are Wild Bill, Poker Alice, The Native Warrior hold the big buffalo skull, Annie Oakley, the show girl and the old prospector. Others, are set up involved in poker games and other various scenes.

Wall drug is also home to a few dinosaurs. There is an 80 foot brontosaurs which sits out side just to make sure you don’t miss it, and a T –Rex that comes to life every few minutes in the Wall Drug Back Yard. Some of the other attractions in the Back Yard include the six-foot Jackalope, gold panning, and a few other fun spots for the kids, and the kid in all of us. That is one of my favorite things about Wall Drug, every time I go there I feel like I am eight years old again and it is my first time there.

It is one attraction I definitely recommend you check out, oh yeah…don’t forget your free ice water.

Deadwood was formed out of the gold rush of 1874 and was the sight of the Homestake Mine. Many legends of the west were rooted in Deadwood including the death of Wild Bill Hickok at the Number 10 Saloon, and is also the final resting place of Calamity Jane.

Poker Alice also called Deadwood home as Preacher Smith. In recent years Deadwood has been the subject of the HBO show with the same name. For many years Deadwood never shook its rough and untamed reputation giving it a character all its own. Now its rowdy reputation as subsided and in its place is a city with a character like none other.

When you walk down historic Main Street you actually feel as though you have stepped into the late 1800’s. Most summer days there are even people in full dress reenacting famous gunfights and giving demonstrations. The streets are lined with casinos, interesting little shops and great places to eat…not to mention the bars and the Number 10 Saloon. That’s right, The Historic Number 10 Saloon is still there and still open for business, and inside the chair Wild Bill was shot in is still there and his gun belt still hangs from it.

Deadwood is home to over 80 gaming establishments ranging from nickel slots to $100 bet limits, classic games to new twists. My wife and I often enjoy going up to spend a day in Deadwood nosing through the shops and eating, then we spend the nights playing in all of the casinos. It is a nice place to hang out, and isn’t as crowded as Vegas.

Deadwood is still a party town hosting the Deadwood Jam, Wild Bill Days, Days of ’76, and Kool Deadwood Nites in the summer and Deadweird, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day in the colder months.

The park is a free attraction that has putting smiles on the faces of children since 1936. One of the earliest memories I have of this area is when I came here on vacation with my parents when I was only six or seven years old. Mom wanted to get a god picture of the city, and being that my dad had been out here visiting relatives a few times in the past, he knew the best place to snap a picture was from Skyline Drive.

After going around all of the hair pin turns to get to an overlook for mom to take pictures all I wanted to do was get out and walk around. A little bit further up the road we finally stopped where I could get out. Dad said to get out, but be careful because there were dinosaurs all around. Being an imaginative young kid, I couldn’t wait to find a dinosaur so I jumped out of the car into the parking lot. As I looked up on to the hill though I saw. I big green thunder lizard.

Years later when I actually moved to Rapid City, I had completely forgotten about the concrete dinosaurs until one day when I was driving west through down town and I noticed the out line of the big brontosaurus up on the hill side. I decided to take a detour and head up there. As I pulled off of Skyline and into the parking lot all the memories began coming back. I walked up the long flight of stairs to stand amongst the dinosaurs once again.

There are a lot of times I remember things from my childhood as being absolutely larger than life, but when I see them again they are no where near as big as I remember. This is not the case with Dinosaur Park. They are every bit as big as I remembered, if not bigger. All seven dinosaurs are life size and there is no other way to describe them but massive.

Emmet Sullivan who also designed the brontosaurus at Wall Drug as well as the dinosaurs at Dinosaur World in Arkansas is responsible for the design of the dinos in Rapid. The project was completed by the Works Progress Administration or WPA which started during the great depression to provide jobs for the unemployed. The dinosaurs were originally the color of the concrete they were made from, but later painted green and white.

Dinosaur Park is one of Rapid City’s many family friendly attractions with no entrance free. There is a concession stand and gift shop, but the park itself is free. If you have never seen it before I would definitely recommend giving it a look. You also get a breath taking view of the city. There aren’t many things in this world that are free any more and even fewer can fill you with wonder and make you feel like a little kid again.

Thanks for reading, and I really do hope you check it out.

As we actually entered the park I was rendered breathless by how scenic it was. Rolling terrain and lush green grass set against a clear blue sky. Then as we got a little further into the park we came upon the free roaming buffalo herd. I had never seen a buffalo up close before. I knew they were big, but I had never realized just how big. The thing that was so amazing though wasn’t just the size of the individual buffalo, but the size of the herd. They were everywhere I looked. Walking at a leisurely pace realizing that they had nothing to fear from us since they were much bigger than any car in the park the lumbered beside the vehicles doing whatever it is that buffalo do. It was a little nerve wracking for some one like myself who never experienced it before to have the buffalo so close to the car that it rocked back and forth. I guess the sign that state “Buffalo are dangerous, do not approach.” Is more than just a marketing ploy.

We continued to drive through the park and as I kept my eyes open for more buffalo I kept spotting mule deer and pronghorn antelope. I couldn’t get over just how many there were. It was wonderful to see. The pronghorn antelope were especially interesting to me. In all of my previous experience most wildlife fears human presence and runs away, yet these guys didn’t flinch. They didn’t excitedly run up to me to see what I was all about, but they didn’t run away. As with any wildlife I chose to view them from a distance, but I got out of the car and watched them graze. Not even the sound of the door slamming got a response out of them. Eventually they walked up in front of the car, crossed the road and went on with their day.

I got back in the car and we continued to drive. Along the way I got to see some of Custer State Park’s other residents. There was a large flock of turkeys that wanted to cross the road, and of course since it was their home we gave them the right of way. After the crossing I also got to see and hear a prairie dog town. I had always just assumed a prairie dog was just a ground hog. I was mistaken. Prairie dogs are not only cute little things, they chirp a lot and seem to almost have a personality. The way they stand up on their little hind legs and keep watch, and then duck down their holes at the first sign of danger makes them fun to watch.

After a few more minutes of driving we came around a corner and I saw one of Custer’s most famous points of interest, the feral burro herd. The burros aren’t indigenous to the area, but were introduced in the 1920’s by an entrepreneur who used them to carry tourists up Mt. Harney. When his venture failed in the 1930’s, he let the burros loose. Currently there are two small herds, about 15-20 burros in each. The burros are probably some of the friendliest critters I have ever met. They have no problem in walking right up to your vehicle, poking their head in and looking for goodies. I was surprised by the fact that many parents were letting their children get out and pet them, and the burros didn’t care and seemed to rather enjoy it. As with all wildlife one should still be cautious when approaching them, and park policy is that tourists should not feed them, however it isn’t uncommon to see people arrive with a wide variety of veggies to offer them.

Two years later when I returned to Rapid City to live here permanently, the first place I wanted to go was Custer State Park. I made myself a promise that now that I lived here I was going to explore every inch of the 71,000 acres that make up Custer State Park that I possibly could. I also wanted to make sure that I got to see all of the animals that call Custer home, pronghorn antelope, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, wild turkeys, mountain lions and a band of friendly burros. So far all I have left to see is a mountain lion. On one really cool trip I even got to see day old baby antelope.

While the animals and landscape are both great aspects of the park, it also has a lot more to offer. If out door activities are your thing then perhaps you might be interested in hiking the 7,242 foot Harney Peak, mountain biking, rock climbing fishing, or my favorite horseback riding. Or if you want to see the animals but don’t want to have to drive yourself, you can take one of the jeep tours.

If you’re hungry, why not stop and fill your belly with a chuck wagon supper offered right in the park, and from there, you can look into some of the other great activities in the park depending on the time of year. Monday night guest speaker series, guided snow shoe hikes, and gold panning demonstrations are all available.

Custer State Park also offers culture and history as well. From the banks of French Creek, where Custer’s expedition first discovered gold in 1874 to performances at the Black Hills Playhouse, to a visit to Badger Clark’s log cabin, there are plenty of things to spark your imagination. Living-history demonstrations, such as candle making and woodworking, take place at the Gordon Stockade. Evening campfire programs feature slide shows, outdoor-cooking demonstrations and films. For the kids, the Junior Naturalist Program teaches them about the outdoors through hands-on activities.

If you don’t get to explore the entire park in one day, don’t worry, there are plenty of campgrounds, or you can stay at one of the lodges. The State Game Lodge is known as the as the “Summer White House” for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for several days in 1953. Sylvan Lake Lodge was suggested by Frank Lloyd Wright and offers one of the most scenic views in the park. Blue Bell Lodge offers guests the “true western experience”. You can trail ride, or take a guided all day ride. You can take a haywagon ride to a scenic canyon for a chuckwagon supper, or you can have a buffalo steak in the Blue Bell dining room. Legion Lake Lodge offers access to some great fishing, and if you don’t have a license or equipment, don’t worry. You can get everything you need at the Legion Lake Lodge Store.

The park boasts scenic drives such as the Needles Highway (SD 87), which twists and turns its way past towering rock formations and through narrow tunnels. At the end of one tunnel stands the Needles Eye, a granite spire with a slit only 3 to 4 feet wide but reaching 30 to 40 feet in the air.

Another of the park’s big attractions is the annual buffalo round-up, chili cook-off and art show in October. I will be sharing my experiences there in another blog if that is something that catches your interest.

Entry in to the park is only $12 per vehicle and the pass is good for a week, or if you live close enough and want to visit anytime you like you can purchase an annual pass for $23

The park is great for people adventuring on their own, couples and families alike. I have never taken anyone into the park that wasn’t smiling when they left, and they always want to go back. I would definitely recommend checking it out. Until next time, this is the local tourist saying…Discover More.

One attraction you may or may not have heard of is Reptile Gardens. As the name implies it is home to many different kinds of reptiles, more species and subspecies of reptiles than any other zoo or park in the world.

If you have driven out to Mount Rushmore from Rapid City then you have already seen Reptile Gardens, it was the big glass dome off to your right on highway 16. Reptile Gardens is one of my favorite attractions because I love creepy crawly things, but I know some of you don’t’ but not to worry, Reptile Gardens also houses a large number of exotic and domestic birds. Let’s face it though, you want to see some scales right?

Reptile Gardens has some of the coolest reptiles I have ever seen. The king of that jungle is none other than MANIAC!!! He is one of the largest crocs in captivity. He is a Saltwater Croc measuring almost six-teen feet long and weighing over 1250 pounds. Now you might be thinking oh if you’ve seen one croc you’ve seen them all and that might not be very exciting, but let me tell you something, in my travels I have been to many large zoos, aquariums and reptile parks and NOTHING comes close to Maniac.

I was given the treat of witnessing a feeding one day which is when I captured the video below and it is mind boggling how fast that bad boy is. You can see for yourself in the video, I in now way altered the speed of the footage and you can see him rocket out of the water toward his dinner. I was on the safe side of the Plexiglas watching the demonstration so I wasn’t really worried. I have seen feedings before and knew roughly what to expect, but when that beast shot out of the water I about had a heart attack. I realized that if I were in the wrong place (on the other side of the Plexiglas) and he really wanted too he could kill me before I got out a scream.

That isn’t to say Maniac is the only crocodilian to see, Reptile Gardens is home to nineteen different species of crocodilians and all of them are something to see. It is almost frightening to see them all with that look on their faces almost like they are smiling at you…with very big teeth.

Another big attraction at Reptile Gardens is Methuselah and his giant tortoise companions and yes, the pun is intended. So just how big is Methuselah? Big enough that if you wanted to you could saddle him up and ride him around, but being that he is over 125 years old he probably wouldn’t enjoy that very much. He and his friends just like to hang out and eat watermelon.

Want to peak at something a little deadlier, then maybe it is the snakes you are looking for. Reptile Gardens is home to thirty- seven different species of non venomous snakes including a giant albino python and 112 venomous ones. My personal favorite is the Russian Cobra. All of the snakes were impressive and very deadly, but the Russian Cobra is extremely venomous and as I found out not at all afraid to strike the glass trying to get you.

Most of the other snakes were content to lay there or slither around in there cages while I filmed them, but that guy as you can see in the tape, reared up, spread out his hood and struck at the glass multiple times. What you might not be able to see on the tape are the trails of venom dripping down the glass where he struck. That combined with the size of him makes me glad he couldn’t get at me. Sure he was no where near the size of the boas, pythons or anacondas, but he was big enough to bight me and that’s all that matters.

Aside from being home to various other types of creatures such as frogs and lizards, Reptile Gardens also has a very special resident. He is the nine year old 150 pound 8 foot long Komodo Dragon. He is one of only about 50 in the U.S. and though he is small in comparison to Maniac, he is big enough to make you realize that if he wanted to eat you, you would want to run. The dragons primarily eat rodents, fish, snakes, wild goats and pigs but lets be honest, they will eat any thing that isn’t faster than they are.

Komodo Dragons are NOT venomous; however their saliva does contain potent bacteria which WILL cause a gangrenous infection if left untreated. Not only that but their mouths contain large vicious teeth which can easily tear off one of your limbs or bring down a water buffalo.

Komodos are one of the most intelligent reptiles in the world. Their intelligence is often compared to that of a dog, but something tells me you wouldn’t want one at the foot of your bed. They are certainly amazing to look at…from a safe place.

Reptile Gardens also has many different spiders and as I mentioned before, domestic and exotic birds. The birds fly around freely in the summer so you can truly appreciate their beauty, but that isn’t all. Reptile Gardens will also surround you with over 40,000 flowers to give the true indoor jungle experience.

And after you are done looking at all the creepy crawlies and finish being awe stricken by the three unique shows that take place at Reptile Gardens you can be sure you will never forget your experience, but if you want to pick up a souvenir any way, Reptile Gardens also has a large gift shop. Now if you are anything like me you probably rolled your eyes after you read the words gift shop, but let me make it very clear, this isn’t a depot for cheap crap. The gift shop at Reptile Gardens carries a variety of unique items that are truly spectacular. I have purchased more than one Christmas present there. So you want something even more authentic to complete your jungle experience? Then take a look at the area of the gift shop known as Jungle Outpost.

The Jungle Outpost sells a collection of pieces from exotic locations all around the world. Incase you are wondering how knowledgeable the staff is about what is sold in the Jungle Outpost, the lady that was helping me there was directly responsible for bringing most of the items back from the jungle villages they came from.

Reptile Gardens opened its doors in South Dakota in 1937 and was founded by Earl Brockelsby and is still owned and operated by his family.

For some one on a limited budget Reptile Gardens is a great value. At $12.50 for adults $11.00 for seniors, $7.50 for kids and children under four admitted free, it is an affordable day of fun for the whole family. It is one of those rare attractions were you feel that you really got your money’s worth when you are done and it wasn’t a tourist trap. I highly recommend you check it out. For any other info feel free to visit Reptile Gardens’ Website.

Boulder Hill is a large rock formation just outside of Rapid City and up until it was destroyed, a forest fire lookout tower sat atop it. The hike up to the base of the rock formation is a little over a half mile and winds you through the woods surrounding it. During the spring and summer many different types of wild flowers can be found here.

Once you get to the base of the formation it offers you two different ways to the top. If you came with climbing gear and are looking for a vertical accent you can climb the sheer face of the rock. There are plenty of holds but the height of the rock should provide a challenge to even the most experienced climber. If you are looking for a little easier way up you can go up the other side. I have gone up this way multiple times, and while I wouldn’t recommend trying to do it in flip flops, it is rather safe. There will be times you do have to “climb” but there is a fairly easy path up.

The real treat is at the top though. No, it isn’t the foundation of the tower that once stood there. It is the panoramic view of Rapid City and the surrounding areas. Not only can you see the city itself but in the distance you can see Mount Rushmore and with the help of binoculars you can peer clear out in to the Badlands.

Though there is evidence that a few people have climbed this formation, there isn’t a lot. You truly feel that it is quite possible that you are the first person at its apex, and it is safe to say most other tourists have never stood where you are. Heck, most people that live in town here have never heard of it.

Another great thing about the climb is that it is free. My wife and I live on the same income as most of the rest of Americans ages 20 – 30, so anything free is worth trying, but even if there were a charge I would pay it. The view is gorgeous, the hike is exhilarating and it gives us the chance to spend the day together doing something fun.

To reach Boulder Hill Fire Tower travel approximately 12 miles west on Highway 385 to Silver Mountain Road. Turn right and travel 100 feet to Boulder Hill Road. Turn left and travel approximately one mile to park, or take Sheridan Lake Road past Red Rocks, eventually Boulder Hill Road will be on your left. Follow it up to the start of the path to the formation.

I hope you all enjoy the hike and the climb as much as I have, it truly is one of my favorite places to visit, and if you’re lucky you may even see a bald eagle in flight.