TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014:

Today I drove 341 miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota.



All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.

My first stop was at Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska.


Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska includes an important 19th-century
landmark on the Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail. The National Monument contains multiple
bluffs located on the south side of the North Platte River; it is named for one prominent
bluff called Scotts Bluff, which rises over 800 feet above the plains at its highest point.

The video below is 17 minutes long of Scotts Bluff National Monument.

A few miles east of Scotts Bluff is Chimney Rock.
Rising nearly 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte River valley,
the peak of Chimney Rock is at 4,226 feet.

The video below is 2 minutes long of Chimney Rock National Historic Site.

I drove north across Nebraska on U.S. Highway 395.

The video below is 8 minutes long of my drive across Nebraska.

I checked into my hotel accommodations in Custer, South Dakota.

The video below is 3 minutes long of my accommodations in Custer, South Dakota.

I then visited the famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The video below is 5 minutes long of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

I took a short walk through downtown Custer, South Dakota.

The video below is 3 minutes long of Custer, South Dakota.

As the sun was setting, I ended my day with a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

The video below is 8 minutes long of the Crazy Horse Memorial.

MY DAILY EMAIL SENT ON JULY 15, 2014

Hello Everyone, It was pretty gloomy in Cheyenne when I hit the road this morning just past 7:00. I started my day with a 120 mile drive to Scottsbluff, Nebraska. I then visited Scotts Bluff National Monument. The weather had cleared and it was nice and sunny. This was really a quite beautiful place. A lot more impressive than I had anticipated. From the visitor center a road meanders up the bluff going through several tunnels. And once you get on top there is a spectacular view. I spent a lot more time here than I expected. There was a nice trail on the top looking off in all direction. About 20 miles from Scottsbluff is another hunk of rock, Chimney Rock. The signs all around this place warn of numerous rattlesnakes. It was now time for a 200 mile drive north to the Black Hills. This was truly the most deserted highway I have ever traveled on. It was a scenic drive though and I made very good time. I set the cruise on 80mph and I was there in no time. My only stop was in Alliance, Nebraska for lunch. When we crossed the border into South Dakota this deserted road became a 4 lane divided highway. Still not a sole on it, just me. What a ridiculous waste of money. As I neared my destination I saw a buffalo off the side of the road. I got to my hotel in Custer at 3:00. I dropped the bags and then head out to see Mount Rushmore. The sun was in really bad position. The pictures came out pretty good considering. After leaving Mount Rushmore I drove back to Custer via the Iron Mountain Road. A skinning little road through the Black Hills National Forest with lots of one lane bridges and tunnels. I was driving into the setting sun for the most part. I passed a couple of pretty lakes as I neared Custer. When I got back to Custer I took a short walk through the historic downtown area. About 5 miles north of Custer is the Crazy Horse Memorial. This was my next stop. The sun had almost completely set so the pictures are not very good. We took a bus down to the base of the mountain. They have been working on this monument for about 75 years. It will probably be another 75 years before it is done. The reason I visited here so late is because they have a laser light show at 9:45. But the bus trip finished at 8:45 and I didn't want to wait around for another hour, so I skipped it. I stopped by the local Subway and got a sub to take back to the hotel for my dinner. And that ended my busy day. It's now after midnight as I am finishing up this email. Goodnight, Tim

Click on email photos for the large full-size photograph.

Click on the arrow above to continue to tomorrows adventures!

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