Trip Introduction
In September of 2011, we took a driving trip with Julie's parents (Gary and Surella) to see some of the historic sites in Wyoming and South Dakota. James had a new truck which had plenty of room for 4 and so we headed west.
Saturday, 09/10/2011 – Departure Day
We picked up Julie's parents mid-morning and headed west. Our route took us west on I-80 through the majority of Nebraska. We stopped just west of Omaha at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. While the setup was similar to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum space near Dulles, the craft at this exhibit were mostly focused on the cold-war era when the Strategic Air Command stationed at nearby Offutt Air Force Base managed keeping bombers in the air at all times. The exhibit included several reconnaissance planes and multiple bombers. After a couple hours visiting the museum, we continued west and spent the night about half-way across the state.
James and Julie stand near a SR-71 spy plane
A B-1 Bomber on display
A cruise missile sits next to one of the bombers
A U-2 spy plane hangs from the ceiling
Sunday, 09/11/2011 – Continuing Northwest
On Sunday we continued west and left I-80 in western Nebraska passing several landmarks used by wagon trains heading west across the plains toward the west coast. We crossed into Wyoming and stopped at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site. We stopped for the night shortly after the first of the Rocky Mountains became clearly visible on the horizon.
Stone monuments used to mark westward travel
We stopped near Chimney Rock for a photo
Visiting Scott’s Bluff National Monument
A marker about the cross-continental telegraph at Fort Laramie, Wyoming
A view of some buildings and the parade grounds at Fort Laramie, Wyoming
Mountains in the distance
Monday, 09/12/2011 – North and a Little East
On Monday we headed north along the eastern edge of Wyoming and visited Devils Tower National Monument. After lunch and some easy hiking around the base of the monument, we headed east into Rapid City, South Dakota where we'd be staying the next few nights.
Looking up at Devils Tower
Julie and James on one of the trails
The effects of erosion are visible around the tower
A chipmunk near the walking path
Tuesday, 09/13/2011 – Large Monuments
To save time and parking, we decided to take a bus tour on Tuesday that included stops at Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
The faces of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore and Visitor Center from a distance
A bison near the road
A lake near Mount Rushmore referenced in the movie National Treasure 2
The face and extended arm at the, still in progress, Crazy Horse Mountain Memorial
A picture at the Crazy Horse Mountain Memorial
Wednesday, 09/14/2011 – Trains and Wildlife
The weather turned cool and cloudy Tuesday night. On Wednesday we went on a train ride and visited Custer State Park. We were hoping to see a large herd of bison, but the closest we got was stopping for the free range donkeys.
The scenic train we road near Rapid City, South Dakota
Donkeys on the road in Custer State Park
A young donkey near the side of the road
Not quite the thundering herd of bison we were hoping to see
Antelopes also roam free in Custer State Park
Thursday, 09/15/2011 – Staves, Planes, and Bears
Thursday was cool and overcast. We started the day visiting Bear Country USA, a drive-through animal park to see some other animals since we'd missed the bison on Wednesday. After our fill of animals, we headed to Ellsworth Air Force Base and visited the museum. We rounded out the day visiting a Scandinavian stave church "Chapel In the Hills". It reminded Julie and James of the Norway exhibit at EPCOT.
Two elk looking for more grass
The wolves watched us drive through the park
A black wolf watches the happenings around the park
We stopped so the bear could do whatever it wanted
Something got the attention of two of the bear cubs
Climbing practice
The outdoor display at Ellsworth Air Force Base
The stave church: Chapel in the Hills
The high ceiling at the center of the stave church
Friday, 09/16/2011 – Heading Back East
On Friday we left the Rapid City area and headed back along I-90. We stopped in Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, and Mitchell. We made it to the eastern side of South Dakota before stopping for the night.
The Badlands of South Dakota
Wild deer in Badlands National Park
A quick glimpse of the sun shows the beautiful colors of the area
The Mitchell Corn Palace has the exterior redone every year with different images
Documenting our visit to the Corn Palace
Saturday, 09/17/2011 – Home Again
We finished our trip on Saturday dropping Julie's parents off after lunch and then heading back to Urbandale. The truck worked great and we had fun visiting the various sites even when the weather wasn't always the best.