Headed to the Black Hills, 29 TrailBlazers on a rainy Saturday checked out the Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Badlands complete with juvenile and female Bighorn sheep as well as prairie dogs, and hokey Wall Drug, all en route to our great digs in Lead. Trip trivia: great weather and food, miles and miles of open skies and emerald hills, fluffy white clouds, a medical emergency that ended well, first light shining in the windows by 4:30 am – groan!, springtime with lilacs galore, and many wine-tasting and photo ops.

 Sunday found us at Spearfish, Roughlock, and Bridal Veil Falls and later hiking at Bear Butte, a sacred Indian shrine, or the Rim Trail.

Monday we drove the scenic Needles Highway with its rock tunnels and great views in Custer Park and the Wildlife Loop featuring lots of bison and pronghorns. One trio hiked the Prairie Loop Trail and encountered a rattler.

Tuesday featured visits to Mt. Rushmore to say hi to George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy courtesy of sculptor Borglum and a tour of Crazy Horse where progress is slow but steady; it may be completed in a century or more, but don’t hold your breath!

Wednesday we headed to the Devils Tower in WY, a massive, towering rock formation with a unique geological and cultural history. Next, the 120-year-old General Store at Aladdin and the Vore Buffalo Jump, an interesting archaeological site where Indians drove bison off a cliff before they had horses for hunting, were well visited. Some went to Deadwood to see a reenacted gunfight in the street and the graves of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

Thursday the hike de jour was to the tower atop 7,200 ft. Harney Peak, unbelievably the highest point between the Rockies and Switzerland! There were gale force winds on top and incredible panoramic views. Some also explored Jewel and Wind Caves or did a crisscross-the-creek water hike to the Devil’s Bathtub. There was also sightseeing at Ellsworth Air Force Base and the High Plains Western Heritage Center.

Friday 10 of us soaked up history on a round-trip 1880 steam engine train ride from Hill City to Keystone and lunched at the Alpine Inn. Others shopped, rock-hounded, and wine-tasted, while the more ambitious either drove to Wyoming to hike or rode bikes on the Mickelson Trail. As you can see, there was something for everybody, and we all arrived home safe and sound!

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