OUR LAST DAY HERE.
Day 360 – What a difference a day can make, weather-wise. It was 37 degrees and overcast this morning when we got up. Normally it’s been warming up fairly quickly. We had some things to do this morning, so we didn’t get started with the fun stuff until a little before lunch time. We were surprised when we got in the car near noon and it was only 44 degrees and the fog was so dense we couldn’t see very far in front of us.
As the day went on, it got colder, 44 degrees was our high and the fog did not burn off. Much too cold to do some of the outdoor things we’d wanted to do, it was 40 degrees at 4 p.m. and windy, too. We’re leaving tomorrow morning, hopefully by 8:30 a.m. It’s supposed to be 31 degrees tonight. We hope it doesn’t snow.
First we went into the town of Custer and picked up a couple of items from the grocery store, got a propane tank refilled – needed with this cold weather, and got gas in the Honda. We went to a restaurant in town for lunch – Sage Creek Grille. Boy, do we wish we’d stumbled upon this place before. We would eat here many times if we could. Nice environment, great service, and excellent food. We split the Caesar Salad with Shrimp and the Salmon Melt (which was a good-sized piece of salmon fillet broiled with melted Havarti Cheese served open faced over grilled-in-butter bread topped with fresh field greens and a lemon cream dressing, with grilled red potatoes & onions on the side), and just to top it off, we each had a scoop of the most incredible ice cream – Smoked Bourbon Maple Pecan Praline. Best meal we’ve had since Vancouver Island.
We drove the dirt roads and part of the Wildlife Loop again. The Bison that were recently let out have really been spreading out through the Park. It was quite cold and extremely foggy, so some animals did not make an appearance. (We’re talking to you, little Prairie Dogs.) In the dense fog, the area along the drive took on a completely different look and feel. We can’t get enough of the Antelope, Bison, Deer, Burros and Sheep. And the scenery. Speaking of Sheep, this time we encountered the Big-Horn Sheep near the horses in the Horse Campground near our campground, and they were so cute. Check out the video. And the pictures. We wish we could stay longer.
There’s still more to do here. We are planning on coming back again. Of course, we’d still drive the dirt roads and Wildlife Loop again (and again). And we would do the scenic highways we’ve already done, again. But there are towns near the monuments (Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse), Rapid City, Keystone, Hill City, etc. that have some touristy things to do: Wall Drug, The 1880 Train, Bear Country USA, Black Hills Reptile Gardens, The Journey Museum. Just to name a few. (Ron, Sophie, Maple – you should come here! And thank you Liz & Chris for your recommendations, including Mitchell [and the many things that there are to do in Mitchell] – we will catch these things when we come back!)
For more detailed information about Custer State Park, Blue Bell Campground, Custer, SD, click here.