Yes we're still in South Dakota

We got a slow start this morning since there were several maintenance items that needed to be taken care of (ice machine water line leaking, couch to be bolted down, two broken drawer hinges, frame on bathroom door coming loose, broken toilet seat lid hinge, external water tank leaking etc). We then stopped in Custer, where we had spied a truck car wash, to attempt some petrified bug removal.  

The kids passed the time at the park and at a really cool rock shop – the owners had been in the business for 5 generations and had their own personal geology museum as well as thousands of cool rocks for sale.  We added a few new specimens to the growing collection.  We next decided to drive Needles Highway and part of Iron Mountain Highway even though we had to detach the car – it was well worth it – there were 6 granite tunnels – one only 8 feet wide, cool rock formations, and great views.  

Greg and the kids did some frightening free rock climbing – always my least favorite family activity.  We drove on the pigtail bridges, built in the 1930s, which are an ingenious way to raise or lower the elevation of the road without switchbacks, by creating corkscrew ramps that circle back under a series of bridges across the mountain gullies.  They were really interesting. We (finally) headed out of town at 4PM, and the fact that we actually missed the last tour of Wind Cave did not stop us from exploring the natural entrance to the cave ourselves.  

Although it is still warm weather, the signs of the coming Fall are here.  We are finding it somewhat difficult to predict just how long we will spend in any one place – I am determined to make it to our most Northeastern travel destination (whatever that may be) by Oct 10^th.