Day 15: Mt Rushmore, Rapid City SD, Badlands NP

I left Ryan and Ghost first thing in the morning and hit the road.

I drove through northern Colorado and through Wyoming, passing through Cheyenne. It was wide open country - grasslands, rolling hills, and the Rockies off in the distance to my left.

Finally got to South Dakota to see Mt Rushmore. To get there, you drive through a winding labyrinth of craggy cliffs that look like they're going to fall right on top of you. It's a really impressive monument and the experience is very well laid out for tourists. There was hundreds of people however, and most not wearing masks, so I didn't stay too long.

After Mt Rushmore you pass through more mountains and cowboy towns until you get to Rapid City about 20 miles north. It was pouring rain, so I kept driving another hour or so to my next destination: Badlands National Park.

It's a long, windy 20-mile stretch of alien landscape with pullouts or overlooks every mile or so. Very cool, though not a huge park compared to some of the others I've been to on this trip.

Finally, I got through the Badlands and got a room in Wall, SD. It's an old town that calls itself "The Window to the West." Very long day, lots of driving. This will be the last national park and probably the last day with scenic views on the trip.