I ate breakfast in the shadow of the presidents this morning. Any guess as to where? If you guessed Mount Rushmore, you’re correct! I hit the road early this morning so as to beat the crowds to the monument and it worked out in my favor. There were quite a few people there before 7AM but it wasn’t crowded. I got to enjoy the Presidential Trail with very little company and take in the views without hundreds of people in my photos.
Mount Rushmore is every bit as impressive in person as it looks in pictures. The Presidential Trail is a little over a half-mile long and takes you closer to the faces. Some displays along the way give information about each of the presidents featured on the monument. I enjoyed the walk; my legs did not. I managed to do some damage to my thigh muscles during my hike on the Notch Trail yesterday and every step today resulted in pain. Which is why the 425 stairs on the Presidential Trail wasn’t the easist thing today.
After my walk, I was one of the first two people into Carver’s Café for breakfast. The café is cafeteria-style and I brought my “skillet breakfast” of scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and biscuits and gravy out to the patio to enjoy while looking up at the presidents. I was expecting it to be busy, but breakfast with the presidents doesn’t seem to be too popular. I loved it.
The rest of the day was spent in Custer State Park. To get there, I traveled the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway (also known as Iron Mountain Road), which was a stunning drive. The road travels through mostly forest and includes corkscrew turns, one-lane tunnels, and views of Mt. Rushmore in the distance. I was ooh-ing and aah-ing the whole way. Toward the end, I even ran into a bison jam!
I never really made a plan for my visit to Custer State Park so it was easy to just decide where to go on the fly today. Custer State Park is on the scale of a national park; there is no shortage of things to see. Hiking was out, so instead I enjoyed a drive along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop where I saw multiple herds of bison, some pronghorn, and prairie dogs, and drove up to the Mount Coolidge Lookout Tower. The Wildlife Loop probably would have resulted in seeing more wildlife had I gone earlier in the day, but I was in that area so it made sense to do it today.
Surprisingly, a good part of my day was spent planning for tonight’s dinner. Such is the case when one wants to eat at the Alpine Inn for dinner. I tried to go last night, arriving at 4:45 before their 5PM opening. I was told they would be able to get me in around 6:45. I passed. So today I got there at 3:30 in order to collect a pager, which they start handing out at 4PM. I could only hope my efforts would pay off with a delicious meal! The Alpine Inn is a German/European restaurant in downtown Hill City. For lunch, they serve a robust menu. But for dinner there are only two choices: a 6 oz. or 9 oz. filet wrapped in bacon or spaetzle primavera. I went for the 6 oz. steak, which came with a wedge salad, baked potato, and (weirdly) Texas toast. The dessert menu is extensive and I enjoyed bread pudding with caramel sauce for dessert. It was all good, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hype it gets.
I’m now happily ensconced in my hotel room relaxing for the night with a nightcap in hand, planning tomorrow’s adventure in Custer State Park.
Traveling with Laura 