bookfairysun

Just got back from our latest journey to the "Badlands" and the Black Hills in South Dakota. For the first 3 days we stayed at the Circle View Guest Ranch, a fantastic working ranch and B & B. You could tell we were way out West because there was no cell phone service! Fortunately, they did have 1 computer so I could keep in touch and send out messages about our adventures. And what adventures we had...feeding their pet burros, walking down to the original 1880's cabin with Hank the cowdog (head of ranch security), and visiting the Pine Ridge Indian reservation to see actual photos taken at "Wounded Knee". The Badlands landscape was other-worldly and oddly familiar. Many places in the area have been the backdrop for Westerns, including "Dances with Wolves".

For the rest of the week we headed back to "civilization" in Rapid City. From that home base we visited Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Deadwood in the Black Hills. Mount Rushmore is the biggest tourist attraction around there of course, but I had more fun taking pictures of the Prairie Dogs, Pronghorn antelopes, buffaloes and burros in Custer State Park and visiting the saloon where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in Deadwood. We also got to see the house of "Poker Alice" in Sturgis. It was a great trip for history buffs and lovers of wildlife.