America the Beautiful

Cotopaxi, Colorado to Custer, South Dakota – 496 miles

We had a full day ahead of us but Al wasn’t ready to rush away too quickly from our little piece of heaven on the Arkansas River.  After a TRX/Interval workout and a little relaxation, we got on the road around 10:00 AM.  It was quite chilly upon our departure – so chilly I had to purchase a long sleeve shirt at one of our stops to stay warm.

Our route today took us through Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Cheyenne, and whole lot of grasslands!  I have never traveled to South Dakota before so this was an adventure within itself.

Just outside of Cheyenne we turned off on a two-lane highway that led us through eastern Wyoming.  When looking out the window we could see for miles and miles.  I couldn’t help but sing, “America the Beautiful” while driving.  On this trip we have had the opportunity to experience the beauty of America up and close and personal.  We truly live in a beautiful country filled with a rich history and diverse terrain.  

It seemed to take forever to cross into South Dakota where the National Grasslands were to our right.  We crossed the Cheyenne River at Edmonton, South Dakota.  The Cheyenne River is a tributary to the Missouri River and the main water source running adjacent to the Black Hills of South Dakota as well as the Badlands.  There is a whole lot of history in this place; it is where the Sioux Indians fought the Union Troops, resisted being put on reservations.  The largest Indian massacre, Wounded Knee, took place on December 29, 1890.  Today, one of the poorest Indian Reservations, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation sits at this very spot.  We learned a little about this reservation from my brother, Mike, who did his thesis on Buffalo.  Traveling to South Dakota and speaking to the Indian Chiefs of several tribes gathered much of his information.  We anticipate seeing lots of buffalo on this part of our trip.

We rolled into Custer, South Dakota at approximately 8:30 PM.  It was freezing!  We bundled up, made pasta for dinner with a Greek salad and hit the sack.  Tomorrow we will explore Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial.