Tuesday, October 16: Mt. Rushmore

Today we had some beautiful weather in Custer. I saw the sun again for the first time in days and the sky was a beautiful shade of crisp blue with hardly a cloud in the sky…perfect Rushmore weather. I arrived at the park around 10 in the morning and purchased my self-guided audio tour and also checked on the ranger-guided tours. It was the perfect time to visit Mt Rushmore as the Aspen trees had taken on their golden leaves, the air was cooler and there weren’t many visitors which meant that I could enjoy myself at my own pace and could easily find time alone to take in all the sights.

It was so surreal to be standing in front of that mountain, just breathtaking, I learned a lot about the sculptor and the history of how the mountain came to be. Did you know that 90% of the mountain was carved with dynamite and that it took 14 years to complete? It was so awesome. I even saw maintain goats on the drive up to the memorial.

After a day at Mt Rushmore, I drove through Custer State Park on the wildlife loop and saw wild turkeys, different kids of deer and even herds of bison. It was so freaking cool. To round out the day, I drove on the Needles Scenic road at sunset and got to see the Cathedral Spires back lit with purples, pinks, oranges and yellows. It was just beautiful.

When I arrived back at my room, I had to start planning my route for tomorrow and try to figure out where to stay next. It’s going to be in the 20s and 30s in Grand Teton National Park and I’ve found a room at the Jackson Hole Lodge in Jackson, Wyoming.