Day 23 - Long walk, Mount Rushmore and a Gun Fight

We needed some exercise today. Three weeks of deep fried food is taking its toll. It's hard to find a vegetable on most menus and I think we've had a few too many burgers and side orders of onion rings so far.

So, back into Custer State Park for a 6 mile hike. We started at Badger Clarke Hole and set off on a loop that would take in three other trails and bring us back to our starting point. It was a glorious walk in lovely country. We had hoped to see a lot of wildlife but had to settle for lots of chimpmunks, a wild turkey and 3 deer. Not bad - but we were expecting to stumble upon herds of buffalo and a few mountain lions. We did find mountain lion tracks - so they were there.

After some 2.5 hours and a short cut at the end we got back to the car - glad to have got some exercise, but ready for lunch.

Lunch was a burger in Keystone (Hey - we had earned it!). Next was a chairlift ride up to the top of Keystone and for James, Olivia and Emma - a ride down on a tobogan. For me + Jack - back down on the chairlift. It was a long ride down and there were huge smiles at the end. Olivia who had been a little scared at first actually wanted to do it again!

Onwards to Mount Rushmore. Having seen Crazy Horse yesterday I was a little unsure about Mount Rushmore - but I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed.

Mount Rushmore was originally planned to be a series of statues of Wild Bill Hickock and other cowboys - it would be a tourist attraction. Instead the commissioned artist decided to make it a monument to American history - rather than just a wild-west relic.

The results of 14 years and 400 peoples efforts are significant. It's quite something seeing (another) statue carved out of a mountain. There is good information sites here and we learned a lot about American history - particularly the French and Spanish claims to American land and the timing of when the USA actually came together.

We ended today in Hill City for dinner. By chance we saw a gun fight. 6 old gun slingers wandered down the street looking for whisky and women and ended up shooting up the town until the sheriff stepped in and killed them.

The highlight was when James was asked for a Quarter. He nervously gave the cowboy his coin and watched wide mouthed as the cowboy threw the Quarter in the air and shot a hole straight through it.

James had to pick up the Quarter and show it to the crowd.

James is chuffed. He wanted me to spend time with him searching for the bit of the quarter that was shot out.....I convinced him it would be very hard to find.

Another full day. Onwards tomorrow to Wall....

Ken