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Day 24 - Mount Rushmore

Sunday - September 29, 2019



We were on the road at 6:30 this morning. Our goal was to drive through Spearfish Canyon and then make it to Mount Rushmore before checking into the Fairfield Mariott in Rapid City, South Dakota


Although it was still about an hour before good daylight, we knew there would be almost zero vehicles on Interstate 90. The bad news was that it was foggy. It remained foggy for over 250 miles, well into the morning. In fact, it was so bad, I rerouted our trip to skip the Canyon, knowing there would be nothing to see in the fog.


Fortunately, about 20 miles before reaching the start of Spearfish Canyon, the for lifted! I again changed our route to make the 17 mile detour through the canyon.


The leaves were beginning to change color. I bet they will really be beautiful in a couple of weeks.


Veil Falls

Goole Maps put us on a dirt road to get to Mount Rushmore. It did save us quite a bit of driving and the road was in excellent condition. We drove on it for about 6 miles.

Mount Rushmore...


I was disappointed with Mount Rushmore. Several parts were under construction. We were unable to hike the complete President's Trail and the Avenue of Flags, the Visitors Center (with exhibits), Grand View Terrace and Amphitheater were all closed due to construction. Other than seeing the carvings and using the bathroom, that was pretty much it. Of course, you could still access the gift shop, restaurant and ice-cream store. After all, you can't lose a dollar.

Driving "down" into eastern Rapid City. It looks like the road goes on forever.


We got to the hotel, checked in and went for something to eat. Texas Roadhouse was the winner today. Tomorrow it's on to the Badlands National Park.

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