Our all day tour included being picked up at our hotel and taken to Fort Hays for a great complimentary breakfast before boarding the bus for our all day tour of Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, and the Cathedral Spires and Needles areas.
Mt Rushmore is, as always, an inspiring sight. The wind was perfect, so I could get down near the bottom of the amphitheater seats to catch a great shot of the presidents with a waving flag off to the side. Don't forget the museum and informational videos down below the avenue of flags. Next we went for an extended tour through Custer State Park! Exciting things around every corner, amazing tunnels, twisting and turning roads, up and down and around and around! Watch for wildlife! There is plenty, and we even stopped to visit a little lonely burro along the road in the park, and at one point we got held up for a bit while a large herd of buffalo ambled across the road in front of us! Some of the tunnels line up to show a spectacular view of Mt. Rushmore across the wide and beautiful valley! The driver was great and stopped the bus frequently for us to get out and capture some gorgeous photos. One tunnel was so tight, our bus "almost" got STUCK! We had a great laugh at the expense of a very curious, head-shaking crowd, who watched as our driver expertly navigated a tunnel most busses would not attempt to go through. It was great fun! The Cathedral Spires and Needles areas are like being on another world. . . and so beautiful.
Next we were taken to the Crazy Horse Memorial. This monumental carving is paid for by DONATIONS ONLY. No government agency, or government funding is involved. It will take much, much longer than the 14 years it took to build Mt. Rushmore. It is authentic, beautiful, and educational, as well. It is HUGE! You have no idea it's that big until you see it in person. Take time to view the Indian museum. There are so many artifacts and wonderful photos and historical things. I learned quite a bit about Crazy Horse, the man, that I didn't know. Also, look for a giant box, loaded with rocks that are left over from blasting, that you are welcome to take as a memento. Please consider making a donation to keep this amazing project moving forward.
Around noon, we stopped for lunch at the lodge in Custer State Park.There was a buffet, which we thought was a bit pricey, so we opted for the buffalo stew, which was delicious!!
Our tour bus operator and guide was very knowledgeable and personable. He gave us plenty of time to visit Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse, and he made us all feel like old friends.
Towards late afternoon we were delivered back to Fort Hays, where we could walk through the old buildings from the Dances With Wolves movie site that were moved there from the remote and hard to get to former location.
Next we were welcomed into the showroom for the tour provided "chuckwagon supper" consisting of chicken or beef sandwich, with baked beans, baked potato, green beans, dessert and a drink. After supper we were treated to a rolicking and fun western style show, which again, was part of our tour package. The entertainers were fantastic and pulled us into the spirit of their show quickly. They sang, they joked, they put on a great show, enjoyed by all very much!
After the show, the van took us back to our hotel. It was a big, full day! It was MORE than we expected, and I would highly recommed it to anyone going to the Rapid City area. It was a convenient, relaxing, and enjoyable way to hit some of the more popular attractions in the area.