ANNIVERSARY TRIP DAY 16, RAPID CITY, SD – THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2007

A few last words about Devils Tower Lodge – it has incredible proximity to the tower. Otherwise you have to stay about 9 miles away. So even though Frank, the owner, was talkative and eccentric and the room was not as clean as I would have liked, I think I’m glad we stayed there. As John wrote in the guest book, “It was a unique experience, not one we will forget.”

Frank's B and B is very close to Devil's Tower
Frank’s B and B is very close to Devil’s Tower

Along with proximity to Devils Tower, there are also lovely grounds and outbuildings.
Picturesque setting
Picturesque setting

At Devils Tower there’s also a prairie dog town. They get very agitated when you walk by. We were barked at by lots of prairie dogs.
Prairie dog town
Prairie dog town

After leaving Devils Tower we stopped at the Aladdin Coal Tipple, an historic site. It is the last remaining wooden coal tipple. Mostly we had to stop because we didn’t know what a tipple was. In case you don’t know, it’s a chute that uses gravity to get the coal down from the mine and sorts it according to size.
Aladdin Coal Tipple
Aladdin Coal Tipple

Mid-afternoon we arrived at Mt. Rushmore. I asked John what we were going to do there. He responded, look at a giant head, then look at another giant head, etc. Actually the museum and video were more interesting.
Mt. Rushmore (Four Big Giant Heads)
Mt. Rushmore (Four Big Giant Heads)

So we are making our way east. It’s only taken over two weeks to get to South Dakota. We are staying at Audries Abend Haus cottages. Our cottage is named Heinrich. George mentioned that we were the only people he knew who stayed in accommodations named after infamous WW2 guys (as in Himmler.) Our cottage has a bison head in it. It also has lots of warning signs like don’t turn the air conditioner past 6, don’t throw things down the toilet, don’t have visitors, no children, unplug the coffee pot and more and more.

The cottage has no internet and no phone so posting will be spotty for the next few days. We are currently at the library at the South Dakota School for Mining and Technology. We stopped on our way to the Museum of Geology which is on the campus.

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