June 29 - Devils Tower and Rushmore

The morning at the campground finds clear skies and the beginning of a warm day.  Wild flowers, a magpie and other wildlife including a dragonfly that found a way into Rebecca's helmet for the night are things we find around us.  Today is a short day in terms of mileage but lots to see in eastern Wyoming and Western South Dakota.
   

Early morning sky over the lake (Keyhole Reservoir State Park) 

 

Are they twins? --- Antelope are playing early today.

We head to Devils Tower about 30 miles from our campsite and we see some nice wildlife on the way.  Deer, prairie dogs
 etc....

A great area to ride motorcycle - no wonder they have a rally in Sturgis

Incredible beauty

These guys are sooo photogenic - ask my wife how many pictures of prairie dogs
I have taken.



Thistles are weeds but they are pretty.



Brad the Tourist

LOOOOOOOONG HORN

Snow fence on the left of the road to help to stop drifting snow

After Devils Tower we head to Hermosa, SD to a campground we stayed at on a family trip last year.  Good place to do laundry, take a swim (though the water was very warm) and to be close to Mt. Rushmore.  As we travel into the Black Hills again we encounter wildlife.  More mountain goats, some wild turkeys with chicks............... 

and snakes.... we keep seeing signs for "S"nakes... we like those signs 

It looks like Brad and Rebecca have tamed this one.

Rushmore...Incredible vision to be able to see these faces in a "raw" mountain 

After the late evening visit to Rushmore we return to our campsite for our last night in tents on this trip.  After a quick stop for some ice cream about 1/4 mile from our camp a wind storm hit and nearly pushed us into the oncoming lanes of a 5 lane highway.  The tents were being blown flat as we tried to batten the hatches.  No rain but some did not sleep well this last night but I sure did.  ROAD WEARY.