Custer State Park part 2

Friday September 16, 2011
Broken Arrow Campground
Custer, South Dakota

 

After we left the Bride and Groom
to their wedding at Sylvan Lake,
we went on down the Needles Road.

 

It is a great road to drive and I
wondered  if those who designed it all
had motorcycles or convertibles.
It was completed in
(can you believe it???)

1922

Here’s the tunnel at the formation
for which the road is named.

 

 

One way tunnels, better toot your horn.

 

 

 

On the right, just before this tunnel, is the needle’s eye.
We were standing right beneath it so it wasn’t
possible to show how tall it was.  But you sure
would have to have a very LARGE thread to
go into this needle’s eye.

 

 

Out the other side of the tunnel…….
the Black Hills of South Dakota

 

 

and the formations known as the
Cathedral Spires

 

 

And more narrow tunnels

 

 

Nine feet wide?  Really???

 

The Needles Highway was amazing.
At its end we went over to the Center Lake Area
to see the Lake and campground there.

 

On the way we passed by the Black Hills Playhouse
which is closed for the season not just the day.
Wish we had been here to attend.
That’s the thing during the summer,
if you want to avoid the crowds, that’s not the
time to come to parks
but if you want to take the cave tours,
see the ranger programs, attend the playhouse
you must come then.

 

 

We passed the playhouse, came around a curve
and here’s what we saw out the window.
(That’s our blue $15 pass stuck to the window)

 

 

Needless to say, he was close enough
for me to get a close up photo.

 

And then as we drove by the picnic area on
the way to the campground….

 

 

 

We drove on into the campground and guess
who had moved into Site #3??
He looked about as big as the trailer in site #4
behind him.

 

 

I really liked this little campground and some of
the sites were big enough for Winnona.
David was loving this combination camped in site
#1.

 

At that point, we started off on our final escapade
of the day, to drive the Wildlife Loop.
We figured we’d seen the buffalo already but who
else might we run into on this 18 mile road through
open grasslands and pine-speckled hills.  It was
late afternoon by then so we thought we might
have a good chance since we would be there at dusk.

 

And sure enough, the hole herd showed up
to stop traffic.

 

 

The bison got themselves across the road
and we drove on.

 

And then there were the wild burros.

 

 

Now I know all the literature says do not
approach wild animals but burros really are different.

 

We had adopted two burros from The Fund for Animals
when they were looking to get homes for those who
might otherwise be shot in Death Valley years ago.
And they were wild and wonderful!
GREAT personalities and very independent!!

So David is off to see the burros and I’m
stuck in the car.  :-(

 

 

We really loved seeing these distant relatives
of our Fred and Ginger!

Our Ginger was Brown just like this mama
and our Freddy was black  just like this colt.

 

 

And they knew I loved them and couldn’t
really get out to give them a pet
so…….they came to me as I sat in the car.

 

 

 

Nose in the window time!
Sure wish I’d kept that carrot and
that apple I had for lunch.

 

 

Since I had no food, I guess using my mirror
to scratch his face was second on the agenda.

 

 

 

When it got dark, they moved on
…….sort of………

 

 

and so did we.

 

 

Great day at Custer State Park!