South Dakota, November 2010

South Dakota along its western boundary is very similar to the north with an interesting National Park area known as the "Black Hills of Dakota" and it's interesting history and characters.  Mt Rushmore with the Presidents' Carvings is in the Black Hills.

More prairie.

With some grazed by Merino sheep...

...and other areas for intensive cattle finishing.

There are restored tourist towns in the Black Hills such as Deadwood.  The town has a population of 1,100 people and 83 casinos.

Here a lone person (Kath) wants to leave town, waiting on the restored railway station, now the information centre.

This is a feature of the Black Hills located not far south of Rapid City.

A monument carved out of solid granite.

From left:- Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Lincoln

A couple of international visitors.  It was cold !

During carving, this picture gives a perspective of size.  The work was lagely done with explosives.

Washington from a different angle.

"Crazy Horse", work in progress.  When completed it will show him on his horse.

There was some interesting engineering around scenic roads.  It was not the intersection of two roads but the same road in a tight loop to gain altitude.

Also an interesting stone bridge over a water course.

Several short tunnels through granite rock were encountered.

He was unlikely to come to life but it would not be appropriate to sit closer to Abraham Lincoln.  Besides his hand was hard and cold, very cold.

A typical view from the Black Hills.

Where Elk abound.  Well, they can be seen.

A real surprize was in store.

The mamouth archeological museum at Hot Springs about an hour south of Mt Rushmore near the south end of the Black Hills.

The excavation was contained within a large building and is an ongoing excavation site of mamouth remains.

Back to the present livestock.  A mob of Red Angus cattle encountered as we left South Dakota for Wyoming on Highway 24.