5.29.13 Black Hills vacation

I"m going back a month in time to try to reconstruct our trip.  On May 29th, Dan, Joe, and I headed west.  We made it to wind cave in time for a tour, but the tickets were sold out and there were only 4 spots left for the last tour of the day, a 20 minute one room tour.  We decided to do it and really enjoyed it. While we were waiting, we walked a short hiking trail.
We then checked into the Holiday Inn Express, thinking that with all the hiking over the next couple of days, air-conditioning, a hot shower, and pool fun sounded good.  Not to mention continental breakfast. This was the view from the pool and the breakfast room...a little waterfall landscaping.

Funny...right across from the Holiday Inn, is a campground that has been there since the 60's...the Flintstone Village.  Fiberglass sculptures abound! I remember Esther and Furniss taking us here with the pop up camper when I was 6 years old.

Bedrock!

Dino!

Forgot to mention we played mini golf right next to the motel.  Note Joe's hat. 

Early Saturday morning, we set out for the Crazy Horse Volksmarch. We realized it had been 10 or 12 years since we had last participated. This is the model of the sculpture at the museum at the bottom of the mountain.  I just realized I have only cell phone photos loaded, not camera photos. 

The temperatures were great for the 6.2 mile hike. Joe was the perfect age to keep up.  Here are Dan and Joe at the top of the hike. 

Crazy view. 

Getting ready to head back down the mountain.  

Under the arm.  They often park a piece of heavy equipment in this hole they are blasting through the mountain, under the arm, to give you an idea of the size.

At the bottom of the hill, near the end, Joe was growing weary. 

We drove along the needles highway next.  Joey had never seen them. He was like the big horn sheep that climb in the rocks.  

The Cathedral Spires, near where you honk and drive through the needles.

So unique and beautiful. Amazing.

But wait, there's more fun ahead!  We hiked around Sylvan Lake too! 

I consider this to be Joe's 8 year portrait!

They were set up for a wedding at Sylvan lake, looking out over the water. There were also two seperate groups of wedding parties at the game lodge in Custer State Park.  Beautiful place to be married!

We estimated that we did well over 10 miles of hiking in one day. The motel pool was welcome again Saturday night.