PartyTheNightAway
Jul 2022
Average trip. We arrived at approximately 8 am and made our way towards the entrance of one of the buildings to pick up our tour tickets. We were given directions on when and where to meet up and told to hed on over to the building next door for some breakfast. The breakfast options were very limited, and we had the option of choosing from pancakes, sausage and biscuits and gravy. There was live music playing for the duration of the breakfast. Once we finished eating we waited outside for the bus to arrive. This is when things started to go downhill. The bus driver called out individual names based on when they booked their tickets, and that determined the order that everyone sat inside the bus. Unfortunately, since we bought our tickets the day before, the only seats available when our name were called were all the way in the back of the bus. The back of the bus was EXTREMELY loud, especially when going uphill. I could only make out every third to forth word of the bus driver during his narrated tour. Also- our view to the right side was also completely obstructed by the bathroom. Whenever the bus driver pointed out an interesting viewpoint on the right side- we could not see it due to the bathroom being in the way.
We first visited Mount Rushmore and were told that we had an hour to view the monument, which was definitely not enough time. We only had time to snap a couple of pictures in front of the monument, watch a short introductory movie in the museum, and go to the gift shop before it was time to leave. I would have loved to spend more time exploring the museum, and even hiking the trail around the monument. We then drove on Iron Mountain Road where the bus driver did a fantastic job navigating the tight tunnels. We then ate lunch inside Custer State Park at the Game Lodge and that felt rushed as well. Lunch was not included as part of the tour and we had to pay 17$ per person for a buffet style meal. There were several other buses in the area and the line to the buffet stretched almost to the door. By the time we reached the front of the line and picked out our food, we only had about 30 minutes to eat. The meal was very good. After eating, we drove on Needles Highway and enjoyed the views. Next we went to Sylvan Lake, where I felt rushed once again. We only had enough time to hike halfway around the lake, before it was time to board the bus and leave again. Finally, we visited Crazy Horse Memorial, where we only had a short time to explore the area once again. We managed to go on a bus tour that brought us closer to the monument, rush through the indoor museum and tour the gift shop before we had to leave.
The entire tour was narrated by the bus driver, but like I mentioned earlier, the back of the bus was extremely noisy and I could barely make out what he was saying. Our views were also completely obstructed on the right hand side due to the bathroom being in the way. The tour ended at roughly 5:30 pm and we had a 45 minute break before the second part of the tour started (dinner and the show). The dinner was buffet styled once again as well, and we had to wait until our row was called in order to get in line. There were numerous options of food to choose from, including a baked potato, baked beans, chicken or pork, applesauce, biscuits and spice cake. There were several drink options available including lemonade, water and iced tea, with different drinks available for purchase for an additional cost. The meal was pretty tasty and shortly after we finished eating, the show started. The performers did a great job at keeping the crowd engaged and playing a variety of music.
Overall, this was a good introductory tour to the area, but I definitely would have liked to spend more time at each attraction. The next day after the tour, I emailed the tour company regarding my complaints about the seating arrangement on the bus, and how I couldn’t see or hear much for the duration of the tour. The company never responded to me, which to me means that they do not care about their customers. I would not do this tour again.