Day 20 – Mt Rushmore SD

Bill started the day with laundry at 7am. Lucky me, I got to sleep in! Then he took a nap and watched a Formula 1 Race. The strap that pulls the awning down came off (stitching disintegrated), so I did a sewing project, and we got it back on. We shall see how long that holds! Luckily our mishaps have been minor and fixable so far.

We took off about 1 to head to Thunder Head Falls. This is a gold mine that got flooded when the miners broke through an underground stream. It let loose a waterfall at the back of the mine, which then had to be abandon. There were a few people there, but it is such an out of the way place that we had it mostly to ourselves. It was interesting and rather impressive.

At 7 we took the KOA bus to Mt Rushmore for the lighting ceremony at 9:30. It was pretty when we got there, so we went into the museum, saw a movie. Bill wanted to walk the Presidents Trail, so I stayed in my seat in the ampetheater. It started to rain, and then it started to lightning, so everyone was asked to move inside. Bill found me after his walk. The crowd hung out waiting to see what the park would do. I wandered up to the general viewing area and sat. They announced that due to severe weather in the area there would be no program, but they would turn the lights on anyway. Which they did. Then it started to pour. I walked toward the front to wait on the bus. It was there and waiting to take the first load back, so I jumped on, calling Bill to tell him where I was. He came back on the second bus. It is still stormy, but I am safe and warm in the RV!

I posted more photos on the Rushmore Area link. I also have a weird item of the day: A t-shirt that Bill saw in the Rushmore museum. Check it out in the photos.