Day 2 from The Black Hills

   Wow, just absolutely wow! Custer State Park did not disappoint. Darlene and I started the day watching two rabbits play and eat at our cabin. We then drove the 23 miles to the town of Custer, South Dakota. We went by Horse Thief Lake named for a gang of rustlers lead by Horse Thief Johnny. Some local and interesting folklore and what some say are just out and out lies. There is a line from an old movie that says ” when facts get in the way of legend, tell the legend.” I think that is what happened in this case.

   We also passed by The Crazy Horse Memorial. It is massive and they are still working on it. We did not schedule the time to stop, but did get a good look from the highway.

   We entered the town of Custer. Like Keystone, it is quaint and very clean. They have buffalo statues on every corner in various colors. We ate breakfast at Calamity Jane Coffee House. Another example of a small world, our waitress was from Gulf Shores, Alabama. The food was decent and the staff was very friendly.

   We then headed into Custer State Park. We saw such beautiful scenery created by our Lord and so many species of animals. The park is huge and takes the better part of a full day to go through. We drove on Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and part of Wildlife Loop Road. Granite mountains, rocky canyons, deep green valleys, lakes, streams, and many ponderosa pines.

   Our first stop inside the park was  Sylvan Lake. It is so picturesque. This is where part of National Treasure Book Of Secrets was filmed. You can walk along the concrete trails and view the lake and rocks. You can even go to the exact place where Nicholas Cage put his hand in the hole in the rock. We did not take the extra 3/4 mile hike uphill to do that. It was still very pretty and neat to see.

   We then drove to the next stop Legion Lake. The road that leads there has the “Eye Of The Needle Tunnel.” 8 feet wide and 9 feet high. You need to know your vehicle can pass through it. Legion Lake boasts some of the best fishing in the area; lake trout, bass, and walleye.

   Now it was time to go and meet our tour jeep. The company is Buffalo Jeep Safari Tour. This is well worth the money. Our driver was named Gloria. She was very friendly, very knowledgeable, and had many interesting stories to keep you entertained. We drove part of The Wildlife Loop Road and some off roads that were more like trails. These are closed to the public so just another reason to book the tour. You can spend your time looking at animals and scenery instead of watching the jeep go where you are not allowed. You also don’t have to miss a sighting because you had to watch the winding and curvy roads. We got to see buffalo, big horn sheep, pronghorns, turkey, deer, elk, and many prairie dogs. One of the trails we went on, I spotted 3 big buffalo up on a mountain ridge. Gloria got her camera and got a picture as well, saying how rare a sight that was to see. You don’t usually see bulls together; one to a heard so they don’t fight over the females. The trip lasted about 2 hours or a little longer. Gloria kept us about 20 minutes longer to  make sure we got to see as much as possible. I recommend booking the tour and book the last one in the day of possible. Animals are most active in mornings and late afternoons, almost dusk

   We got back about 7 and had a thoroughly enjoyable day. We had reservations a half mile down the road at The State Game Lodge. Interesting fact-Calvin Coolidge used this as his summer white house. The decor is still from the era he served as president through the mid 1920’s. Darlene had the Walleye Almondine and I had a Bison Filet. We learned here that a Bison and a Buffalo are one and the same animal. They are called bison in National Parks and out west but in South Dakota and some State Parks, they are called Buffalo

   This was such a great day and Darlene and I made some  memories we will treasure for the rest of our lives. I suggest you put this on your bucket list if it is not already. Join us back at this blog in a  few days. I will review day 3 near Keystone and our day at the iconic Mount Rushmore National Park. Until then have fun planning your trips.