Tuesday Shopping-sightseeing-tired

It was a beautiful day after the rain. After me and O went for a big walk we went shopping in Cabela's. Just a note: I like Bass Pro much better including prices. O does too as they don't allow dogs. Me and Deatra both got Frog Toggs rain gear and O a new pillow for the camper. I also got a Spot which tracks and plots my progress by satellite. I can hit the check in button and Mike get a message that I am ok. I can hit an emergency button and Mike gets a call and email. If I hit the 911 button state and federal emergency crews pick it up with my location to send help. Mike is putting a link on the blog and on Twitter so you can follow us on a map. Don't you just love technology? I am learning but it is SLOW.
On to Badlands National Park.
Badlands is a unique feature of eroded buttes, pinnacles,and spires that just pop as you are driving through rolling farmland. The majority of the park is prairie according to the book. It has its own beauty much like some areas in the southwest. It is harsh land yet people settled here for the free 60 acres and some of them survived. It is a though existence though. To us it was pretty and unique in its land features. At the visitors center I saw and photographed a unique bird called a Black-billed Magpie. I promise a picture later. They we doing a lot of road construction in the park with pilot cars and all. In the process we got off of the main route and ended up on highway 40. It was beautiful country so we followed it 72 miles to Rapid City, SD. in search of old dead presidents.
As we drove toward Mt. Rushmore out of Rapid City the road started up long seep grades. It is mountains as you might guess with curves and up and down steep hills. It is rugged country. As I was looking around at the mountains all of a sudden one of the had these sculptures on it. We drove around the mountain where the sculptures were and at times got a peek at different angles. We went past the entrance looking for a campground. We found Horse thief lake campgroud. It is National Park campground, $13.50 per night. It is about 3 miles past Mt. Rushmore.
After a snack we headed back to see the 9 o'clock lighting ceremony. It was full of tourists but RV's have their own parking and it was in a good location to get in and out quickly. After 30 minutes of history lessons about the presidents the lights slowly came on illuminating the presidents., It was beautiful even in our tired worn out condition. A few pictures and everyone ran for the exit. The RV parking really helped and I was out quickly. I did not have the right set up for taking that type of pictures so I don't think I got any good ones. I'll post the best one when I can. We are returning in the morning for a daytime viewing and better pictures. Then we are going to Crazy Horse Monument just down the road. After that we have to refocus and remember where we are going and get moving.
The 2 hour time change is messing with our sleep habits. Our body is still in NC time and everything is happening in Mountain time. 313 long tiring but fun and exciting miles today.