Rushmore from the air!

Our fun on Friday began with a helicopter ride around Mt Rushmore!  The flight took us in front of and behind the mountain.  Extra fun was Facetiming Nathan during the flight!

After our flight, we went to pick up my bib for the race.  Then we drove the course on Iron Mountain Road.  It made me a little nervous to see the hill!  But it was also cool to see Mt Rushmore from the road and through the tunnels.  They did a great job planning and building this road!

Mt Rushmore was a mile across from the road

At the top of Iron Mountain Road

Our ride for the week...a Hyundai Kona

Then we left Keystone and headed to Deadwood.

More Mt Rushmore sightings on the road to Deadwood

We got a coke at Saloon 10 in order to see Wild Bill Hickok get shot!  Deadwood is basically a wild west Vegas!  Lots of restaurants called saloons which had casinos inside.  But it was fun to see the shooting of Hickok and the actor told the story well.

We ate lunch above the saloon at the Deadwood Social Club

Our plan for the rest of the day was to go to Custer State Park.  But since Lead was 5  minutes away, we stopped there at the Sanford Lab Homestake visitors center.  Behind the center was a huge hole in the ground leftover from gold mining.  And the lab is underground near there.  They do nuclear fusion stuff.  Again, didn't take the time to read all the displays!  But I do know gold mining started this town.

Camden in an old elevator used in mining days

The hole!

So far this day had been fun, but we were ready to head to Custer State Park!  It would prove to be a great decision!!

I can't forget that we bought our favorite souvenir this day!  I had asked Dave what he wanted us to bring him, and joking he said Kristi Noem (governor of SD), but maybe some bison jerky.  We found the perfect gift for him!