Rapid City Muffler Man

Located just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota on the road to Mount Rushmore is this giant muffler man.  Holding a pick ax, and with Harley Davidson branding on his shirt and belt, Andrea and I couldn't help but stop and get a look at this cheesy roadside attraction.  It was a random thing to come across, but then again, that was kind of the point of the lengthy road trip.

Bear Country USA in South Dakota

Back in 2007 on a road trip to Mount Rushmore, my friend Andrea and I stopped at Bear Country USA just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota. Bear Country is a drive through wilderness park that allows you to see various animals, including wolves, bison, elk, and bears (obviously), up close and personal from the comfort of your vehicle.

While it was a pretty relaxed experience, the most lively animal was actually an elk that approached Andrea's car and started chewing on the antenna. We had quite a few laughs about that encounter over the course of the trip. 

In addition, checking out the bear cubs after our drive through the wilderness park was a definite highlight. They were pretty cute, and we got there just as they all started climbing up a tree at the exact same time (check out the video below). It was another worthwhile stop on our road trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Reptile Gardens

We hadn't given much thought to what else we wanted to see on our 2007 road trip to Mount Rushmore, but stumbling onto Reptile Gardens was a pleasant surprise.  There was a live show with poisonous snakes, there were loads of tropical plants and animals in the sky dome, Andrea lost a game of tic-tac-toe to a chicken, we saw alligators and crocodiles being fed, and at the end of it all, I bought myself a Steve Irwin action figure in the gift shop.  It was a good afternoon. 

Dinosaurs Over Rapid City

High above Rapid City, South Dakota is Dinosaur Park, a small patch of land atop a hill in the centre of town that provides some impressive views of the surrounding area. These quirky roadside attractions seemed right at home in the Black Hills, and have actually been there since 1936.  

We quickly discovered on our road trip in 2007 that there was no shortage of random attractions to explore in the area that had popped up as a result of Mount Rushmore. From the Cosmos Mystery Area to the Berlin Wall, there were lots of surprises.  These campy dinosaurs were just one more reason to love the Black Hills.    

Welcome to Deadwood, South Dakota

Having previously highlighted the experience we had in Deadwood (and after realizing how popular the original post was) I wanted to follow-up with a few of my favorite snapshots from our visit.  I've got to admit, there's nothing quite as genuine as playing Star Wars slot machines in a town famous for old west drama.  I suppose that sums up the vibe of the town, an eclectic mix of the old and new.  There was surprisingly lots to do and explore. Whether you saw the show on HBO or not, the modern version of Deadwood still packs plenty of punch.

The Mount Moriah Cemetery, home to the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, was a definite highlight and provided some impressive vantages of the town.