We took a couple of scenic drives around the Black Hills. The Iron Mountain Road is part of the Peter Norbeck Memorial Scenic Byway. It is one of the most interesting roads I have ever been on. Features include narrow tunnels, 'pig tail' bridges and about 100 bends every kilometer. It climbs and drops, twists and turns so sharply and tighly that even bridges have to be spiral. The scenery is great but you really have to stop to see it otherwise - goodbye! Another road is the Needles Highway Scenic Drive. This road was built to prove that a road can be built anywhere, provided there is enough dynamite. Again, it defies imagination. One tunnel is very narrow (just over 8 feet wide) and you cannot see what is coming until you poke the front of your car into the opening. Of course we did a bit of a stop and reverse - always a surprise. Don't expect to set speed records on these roads. 25 mph limit is not easily achieved.

We also took a drive along the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road and paused to check out the many herds of buffalo, together with deer and wild burros. You give way to buffalo and they don't mind stopping and checking you out as well.

We drove up Mount Coolidge which is one of the highest points in the park and got a good view of the Black Hills.

There are two sculptures for which the Black Hills are famous - Mt Rushmore Memorial and Crazy Horse. We did Crazy Horse first. It is a mammoth undertaking started nearly 60 years ago and so far they have finished the face which is ninety feet high. The entire sculpture will be nearly 600 feet high and around 1000 feet long when finished - and who knows when that will be. Already the third generation of the original artists family are involved (he had 10 kids and at least 7 of them work on it as their full time jobs).

Mt Rushmore is the scpture of the four presidents. We also went to the night lighting program which is a patriotic reminder that we are in the US.

Final thought - one day in the Black Hills is like a penny in your pocket and there are 12 choices of lollies at a penny each. This is a holiday destination rather than a whistle stop.