There is so much to do in the Black Hills area in South Dakota.
Today I started out with a scenic tour of Jewel Cave. The cost is $16.00 per person for the scenic tour. There is a free 20 minute tour, but I opted for the longer one that covered a bit more of the cave and lasts about 90 minutes. There were quite a lot of stairs to climb and descend, but it wasn’t too taxing.
In the summer months they offer a couple more tours. One being an actual cave exploration and another one consists of a lantern tour, which looks really cool.
Definitely take a jacket as the cave is 59 degrees all year long. You can take in cameras, but no purses, backpacks or water bottles.
The cave is one of the longest in the world, and only over 200 miles has been mapped so far, and they think there is a long way to go to get to the end.
The Visitor Center offers an informational movie that was very interesting. It starts with the the history of when the cave was founded by 2 brothers in 1900, and progresses all the way to the present and how they are mapping the cave using more advanced technology.
My second stop today was an ice cream stop in Cody, South Dakota called Horatio’s. The ice cream was made on site and it was delicious. The town of Cody is one you could spend a couple hours exploring. Main street had a bakery, and lots of small shops up and down the street.
My last stop for today was at the Crazy Horse Memorial just outside Cody, South Dakota. The memorial is still under construction, but the face of the memorial is completed, and they are now working on the outstretched hand of the figure. Again, the museum/visitor center offers lots of artifacts as well as an informational movie which talks about the sculptor and the vision for the mountain.
After leaving the Crazy Horse Memorial, I headed to Mount Rushmore, but it was coming up on 5pm, so decided to save the visit for tomorrow, so I won’t have to rush through it.
The night was spent at the Rapid City KOA Campground, which was very busy, and provided showers, a laundromat, and breakfast options for the morning. I was glad it was quiet, as it was another long day of driving and exploring, but I can’t wait to see Mount Rushmore tomorrow.
