After our trip through the Badlands, we can’t imagine that the landscape could so quickly turn green and wooded as the sandstone sculptures give way to granite peaks. Mt Rushmore is stunning! The memorial allows you to get very close to the sculptures for viewing and picture takings. The story of how Mt Rushmore was funded dates back to Calvin Coolidge who spent 3 months vacationing in the black hills during his presidency where he fished and relaxed while the country’s business went on. He traveled with his wife, 2 dogs and a pet raccoon. Simpler times for sure! 
We stopped at a Scandinavian shop called “All things Scandanavian” where I added to my collection of Norwegian holiday recipes and an authentic wilkommen rug. The historic towns of Keystone, Deadwood and Custer did not disappoint. Deadwood was a surprise in that it became a progressive Victorian town post it’s mining shanty.
