Last night we were supposed to stay at another Harvest Host, however there was a bit of confusion regarding our Walmart grocery pickup time. So we ended up staying, for the first time ever, in a Walmart parking lot! It wasn’t glamorous but it did allow us to get our restock when it was ready and then take off super early because we had many miles to cover!
Our travels today took us from Wisconsin, through Minnesota and finally into South Dakota. We also crossed another time zone, which really has us all messed up!
You could see forever…
We took a quick pit stop and wandered around near The Badlands. This particular stop was labeled as an “overlook”… as someone accustomed to the grand views at the overlooks in Shenandoah National Park, this was a bit underwhelming. However, there was an understated beauty to behold in the vastness of the area.
I’ve certainly heard people speak of this phenomenon referred to as “dry heat”. However, I don’t think one can truly appreciate what it feels like unless you experience it. As a lifetime East Coast girl, I must say I prefer the dry heat of the mid-West. The only to effectively describe it would be to imagine you are standing in front of a dryer vent but will a box fan blowing directly on you. Interesting feeling, to say the least.
As we were driving through the area of South Dakota near the Badlands, the temperature reached 106 degrees. If you weren’t already aware, it is only possible to cool down an RV down 20 degrees below the outside temperature. If you just did the math in your head, yea… it wasn’t great. And remember when I mentioned that Mama doesn’t do well in the heat. Well, let’s just say I was very eagerly awaiting our evening stop!
Our final sight-seeing destination for the day was at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota!
We intentionally timed our travels so we would arrive at sunset and be able to experience the Sculpture Illumination in the evening. I would highly recommend anyone else planning a visit to do the same. Everything was perfect – you could see the monument in daylight, snap fabulous photos as the sun sets behind the monument, the temperatures are cooler and you also get to enjoy the very moving evening ceremony!
The ceremony consisted of a 20 minute video about our country’s history and how the monument was built. At the end of the video, there was a dramatic lighting of the monument, followed by the entire audience singing the Star Bangled Banner together. Regardless of your political views, it was a moment when you could tangibly feel the immense pride associated with being an American. As a perfect ending to the evening, the Park Ranger invited all service members, past & present and families of fallen service members to the front of the amphitheater for the retiring of the colors. The crowd then erupted into a passionate and heartfelt round of applause thanking them for their service to our country! 🇺🇸
#4SweetsAdventure 
Did you get to see Crazy Horse?
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Unfortunately, that was not on our itinerary!
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