There are fewer photos than normal as I had to respect my passengers' tolerance for the infinite stop-start-stop-start-to-take-a-photo that I usually do.  Our first stop was in Cheyenne, WY where we spent quite some time digging around a western outfitters where a few "cowboy" shirts were purchased.  Amy's two friends are both Elvis Tribute Artists and they also perform country songs, so this store was an appropriate stop.

Our drive north on the I-25 was a long one but we had time catch up as friends and check out what rural Wyoming looks like.  After Chugwater, the scenery started to liven up and become quite pretty, but before long we headed east towards Custer.  A pit-stop was necessary in Newcastle, our last stop in Wyoming, and then we headed into the exquisite Black Hills National Forest.  Completely different scenery along here, and I did all I could to try and see the trees and rocks and general beauty of this area.  Shortly before Custer you'll notice the Flintstone's Bedrock City which looks like great fun.  I would imagine it would be the perfect spot for children.

We drove through Custer until we reached the entrance to the Crazy Horse monument.  We were a little behind schedule and decided to forgo the $28 per car entrance fee and just admire this immense achievement from the roadside.  Amy had seen it up close before but we were happy with what we could see from afar.  There aren't many signs for this incredible monument, so be on the lookout for the entrance.

Next we hotfooted it to try and catch a glimpse of Mount Rushmore before the sun set, and we were quite lucky.  However, for a good photo, we decided to return in the morning and we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day.  As there weren't that many tourists on the road, all stopping and gawking, we were exceptionally lucky to find a small pull-out and we had a fabulous view of the four presidents.  We didn't really have the time to spare but a visit to the museum and a walk around inside the grounds would have been nice.  Next time!  The road to Rapid City (Hwy 16) is a lovely one, and if you're lucky enough, you'll also see the fall leaves as they change color.  Do try and stop at the quaint town of Keystone as you leave Mt. Rushmore.  It's adorable.  We continued into Rapid City for our first night at the America's Best Value Inn.

After breakfast the next morning we headed south on Mt. Rushmore Road (which becomes Hwy 16) to go and take a second peek at Mt. Rushmore.  We noticed a lot of attractions along this stretch of road, like the Reptile Gardens, the Black Hills Maze or Bear Country USA.  We chose to visit the Fort Hays Chuckwagon and Dakota Film Museum (free) which turned out to be a thrill.  Not only can you get a glimpse of how life was in the 1880s, there are also Dances with Wolves memorabilia and information.  I loved it!  You can have dinner and live music in the delightful Chuckwagon Supper and Cowboy Music Show. 

We hit the I-90 east towards Murdo and took Exit 170 to go and see the spectacular 1880 Town.  Not only does it house replicas of buildings, there is also a Dances with Wolves exhibit, which for any fan, is a huge must.  I enjoyed popping in and out of the various buildings (saloon, hotel, post office, bank, school etc.) and walking around, but the movie memorabilia and props were fantastic.  I saw the original wagon John Dunbar rode on to Fort Hays, his little house he lived in and much more.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the Badlands National Park even though it was a free national park day!

After the lovely time we all had at the 1880 Town, it was back west on I-90 to the small town of Wall.  Amy had been to the main attraction, Wall Drug, and wanted us to experience the vastness of this HUGE "drugstore".  A very, very large store complete with a large restaurant with the most incredible art collection.  You could spend a couple of hours looking around and not see everything on offer.  We had buffalo burgers which were a little tasteless and a tad pricey at $7.50!  The restaurant also has homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls, the likes of which I've never seen.  Wall Drug is famous for their free ice water and 5c coffee!  I thoroughly enjoyed my early morning saunter through this store, and yes, I did have a 5c cup of coffee, at 7am when they opened.  I noticed that they had an $8.99 breakfast buffet.  Our spot for the night was at the quaint Ann's Motel, just one block away from this gigantic attraction.

The next stage of our trip was back west along I-90 to Deadwood (junction with Hwy 14A), all the while keeping our eyes open for buffalo.  We'd not seen any so far.  The drive along Hwy 14A was just gorgeous.  Deadwood is a little casino town and very cute.  Take a drive through the main street to orientate yourself and then walk the length of it.  There is a lot of history in this area, and aside from gambling, you can pop into any number of hotels and read about who did what to whom and when.  For example, it says on a flyer on Deadwood History, that "Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall on August 2, 1876."  (For more visit DeadwoodHistory.com.)  We were anxious to visit Kevin Costner's Midnight Star casino and restaurant.  What a lovely entrance, complete with staircase to the restaurant.  We didn't eat there but spent time looking at some of the movie costumes Costner wore.  There are many more costumes and props from other movies in the Celebrity Hotel, which is definitely worth visiting, especially if you're into seeing signed rock stars' guitars, an Elvis jumpsuit, Herbie the Love Bug and much more.  On the way back to Rapid City to spend our last night at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn, we drove through a thick mist which added atmosphere to the pretty route along Hwy 14A.  Just north of Deadwood is the turn-off to Hwy 85 to the Tatanka: Story of the Bison, started by Kevin Costner.  As we hadn't seen any bison and thought there were bison at Tatanka, we made a quick stop to ask.  There weren't, just the tour and story of how the bison once roamed the plains of North America and what happened to them, along with a huge brass sculpture.  You can also enjoy the interactive exhibits.

The last leg of our trip took us south on Hwy 79 out of Rapid City (in torrential rain) towards Hot Springs where we turned right onto Hwy 18/85 and worked our way back to I-25 and then it was south to Denver.  Once we were really and truly out of Rapid City, and the rain subsided a bit, we spotted some bison close to the road.  We stopped to take some photos, making James really happy, as he (and we) finally got to see some real bison.  We stopped briefly in Hot Springs and I noticed a beautiful wall mural opposite a gas station.  I was told it was done by a local artist.  Another lovely stretch of road which just added to our trip.  The last hour and half to Denver was a nightmare I'm not going to recall.  It rained like I've never seen and the interstate was treacherous.  We made it safely to Denver where I spent the night at Amy's friend Audrey's house before heading south and home after a wonderful road trip.
  I would highly recommend a road trip to this part of the country, and if you have children, so much the better.  I know that I have a second trip in me as there was so much more I wanted to see and photograph.

These are the three intrepid travellers.

I would recommend at least four full days in this area as there is a lot of driving involved, which takes up a lot of sightseeing time, not to mention the host of things to see and do in this area.  I tried really hard to find accommodation in Hill City, Keystone and a few other out-of-town places, but was told that there was a "buffalo run" that weekend, which is why accommodation was non-existent in these areas and why we stayed in Rapid City.
A few days after I returned home, I watched Dances with Wolves which I had bought on DVD a year ago and had never found the right time to watch.  Wow, it was impressive second time around as I had just seen so much of what I saw on the screen.