Jeanine and I arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota in the wee hours of the morning sans our checked baggage thanks to major thunderstorms over the Denver airport which forced all ground personnel at the airport to take cover. Adding insult to injury was a mix up at the hotel which placed us in a smoking room. With the new day, however, came the opportunity to explore the Black Hills. Our first stop was Mount Rushmore, a must see destination for anyone visiting the area. We returned to the airport to collect our recovered bags and then headed east towards Badlands National Park. On the way we paused for lunch at Wall Drug, famous for their marketing efforts to lure travelers from all over the world to their now greatly expanded enterprise. After our meal Jeanine corralled a giant Jackalope for a quick ride.

We entered the Badlands from the northeast entrance and drove west to the other side where we camped at Sage Creek. The ubiquitous prairie dog was a constant source of entertainment.