Sid took us on a drive through the back roads just outside of Custer State Park, and I was amazed to see a moose in the distance! We have been so fortunate to see all kinds of wildlife and we never imagined we would see a moose! We stopped and stood quietly near the barbed wire fence for several minutes. The moose never moved. Then, Sid spied a mountain lion and a bear in the same field not too far from the moose. After watching all three stationary animals for a few minutes, we realized they were all fake! We aren't sure of the purpose of the three figures, but we had a good laugh when we realized that we had been fooled.
We have really enjoyed our stay at Blue Bell Lodge at the park. Sid has even said, "When we come back..." So, maybe we will be frequent visitors here.
We drove up to the fire tower at Mt. Coolidge to get a bird's-eye view of everything. This photo shows some of the peaks on Needles Highway, our next destination for the day. Other views show evidence of a massive fire in July 1988 that burned the hillsides of Custer State Park. The Galena Fire destroyed nearly 17,000 acres of the park, yet no buildings were burned, no one was hurt, and very few animals were killed. Just behind where I was standing, I could see the Badlands 60 miles away.
Deemed “impossible” to construct by its critics, the Needles Highway—a National Scenic Byway—was completed in 1922 and includes 14 miles of sharp turns, low tunnels, and impressive granite spires.This is a "very tight" passage that vehicles must maneuver!
We stopped to take a photo of the Cathedral Spires in the distance. It was fun to meet some other visitors from Tennessee on this stop. I thought our Southern accents gave us away, but they had seen us earlier at the State Game Lodge talking with artists-in-residence
Ron Holyfield and Kay Williams, two gifted wildlife artists who call Tennessee home. Ron and Kay have spent the last 18 summers at Custer State Park. We had a delightful visit with these folks. I urge you to click on the link on their names to see samples of their impressive work.
After our trip on Needles Highway, we headed to Custer (the town) to eat lunch, visit shops and photograph the colorful buffalo positioned throughout this historic town.
This is a photo of French Creek near the Blue Bell Lodge taken from one of the backroads frequented by horseback riders. This place is so gorgeous!
We may not have horses, but that didn't stop us from riding around the chuck wagons in front of the lodge.
Sid took us on a drive through the back roads just outside of Custer State Park, and I was amazed to see a moose in the distance! We have been so fortunate to see all kinds of wildlife and we never imagined we would see a moose! We stopped and stood quietly near the barbed wire fence for several minutes. The moose never moved. Then, Sid spied a mountain lion and a bear in the same field not too far from the moose. After watching all three stationary animals for a few minutes, we realized they were all fake! We aren't sure of the purpose of the three figures, but we had a good laugh when we realized that we had been fooled.
We have really enjoyed our stay at Blue Bell Lodge at the park. Sid has even said, "When we come back..." So, maybe we will be frequent visitors here.
We drove up to the fire tower at Mt. Coolidge to get a bird's-eye view of everything. This photo shows some of the peaks on Needles Highway, our next destination for the day. Other views show evidence of a massive fire in July 1988 that burned the hillsides of Custer State Park. The Galena Fire destroyed nearly 17,000 acres of the park, yet no buildings were burned, no one was hurt, and very few animals were killed. Just behind where I was standing, I could see the Badlands 60 miles away.
Deemed “impossible” to construct by its critics, the Needles Highway—a National Scenic Byway—was completed in 1922 and includes 14 miles of sharp turns, low tunnels, and impressive granite spires.This is a "very tight" passage that vehicles must maneuver!
We stopped to take a photo of the Cathedral Spires in the distance. It was fun to meet some other visitors from Tennessee on this stop. I thought our Southern accents gave us away, but they had seen us earlier at the State Game Lodge talking with artists-in-residence Ron Holyfield and Kay Williams, two gifted wildlife artists who call Tennessee home. Ron and Kay have spent the last 18 summers at Custer State Park. We had a delightful visit with these folks. I urge you to click on the link on their names to see samples of their impressive work.
After our trip on Needles Highway, we headed to Custer (the town) to eat lunch, visit shops and photograph the colorful buffalo positioned throughout this historic town.
This is a photo of French Creek near the Blue Bell Lodge taken from one of the backroads frequented by horseback riders. This place is so gorgeous!
We may not have horses, but that didn't stop us from riding around the chuck wagons in front of the lodge.
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