Another very scenic and curvy road is Iron Mountain Road, that connects the Mount Rushmore area and Custer State Park.
An interactive map:
Bison:
There are three narrow tunnels on this road:
One-way road:
Another tunnel:
Pigtail loop road:
Low narrow tunnel:
The third tunnel:
This tunnel has a view of Mount Rushmore:
Pigtail loop road:
One-way roads:
Mount Rushmore view:
A fun drive.
We also visited the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
The South Unit is easier to get to, and thus more popular, but in our opinion not quite as interesting. Still scenic, though. This post is about the South Unit; see yesterday’s post for the North Unit.
Here’s a map:
An interactive map:
Entrance:
Info signs:
Info signs:
Display:
Gift store:
Exhibits:
Jenn and David:
Prairie dog town:
Wild horses:
Bison:
Wild horses:
Hike:
We visited the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming — five museums in one, on western topics.
Map in the foyer:
Natural history museum:
Library:
Gallery of gunfighters:
Buffalo Bill museum:
AR:
Plains Indian museum:
Buffalo Bill’s house:
Bald eagle:
Art museum:
Gift store:
Some interesting exhibits.
We did an old west cookout and wagon ride while in Yellowstone.
Horse riders, and wagon riders waiting:
Wagon ride:
Horse riders:
Horses and wagons:
A wagon used for bathroom handwashing:
Cowboy coffee:
Buffet:
More cowboy coffee:
Horses and wagons:
Chuckwagon:
Music:
Wagon ride back:
Taking the horses back:
A fun experience.
The Canyon area of Yellowstone National Park includes a village of shops and lodges, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and Hayden Valley:
Canyon Visitor Education Center:
We saw these stickers, and (later) bought the Grand Teton and Yellowstone ones for the back of our truck canopy:
Otter Creek picnic area:
We found our initials carved on the table — no, we didn’t do that:
Reversing GIF of a bison having a dust bath:
Chittenden Bridge view of Yellowstone River:
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:
Bison in Hayden Valley:
Bison on the road:
Mud Volcano area:
Bison on the road:
Check out the video from this area, including some cute otters.
In the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park is the Tower-Roosevelt area, with Tower Fall and Lamar Valley:
Heading up Chittenden Road to the Mount Washburn trailhead:
On to the Tower General Store:
They have ice cream, which we had as a snack:
Tower Fall:
Interesting rocks:
Bison in Lamar Valley:
We stayed at Crescent City / Redwoods KOA Holiday in Crescent City, California. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A KOA amongst the redwoods.
Dates:
Weather:
Noise:
Site:
Utilities:
Internet (in usage priority order):
Amenities:
Our review on Campground Reviews:
The forest is alive with the sound of…chainsaws
We had a pull-through patio site and enjoyed the semi-private space provided by the large hedges between sites. Our site was long enough for our 40′ motorhome and tow vehicle, which we disconnected and parked behind. The patio had a nice table and chairs, a fire pit, and a swing seat. This was a good campground for heading to various units of Redwood National & State Parks. The main downside was the extensive clearing of some additional land, presumably to expand the campground, so there were chainsaws and construction equipment going all day. There’s not a lot of signage to guide you to the park, and it would be pretty easy to miss it if you weren’t paying attention. We camped at Crescent City / Redwoods KOA Holiday in a Motorhome.
Tip for Other Campers: Stop by the Redwoods NP info center in Crescent City for info on the best hikes and drives in the area. Check out Grove of Titans, if nothing else. Battery Point Lighthouse was also cool.
Interactive map:
Campground map:
Our site, a large deluxe site:
Amused by Banana Slug Lane:
Patio:
Other sites:
Cabins:
They have lots of tent sites:
Office:
Rec hall, bathrooms, etc:
Dump station:
Kinda sad playground:
Dog park:
Goat:
They have a chicken run, but only one chicken; apparently they used to have more, but something got them. Rather sad — chickens are social animals. They said they’ll get more soon:
They are expanding the campground, cutting lots of trees:
A nice campground; we’d stay here again.
We visited the world-famous San Diego Zoo. It was definitely the nicest and largest zoo we’ve ever been to.
Enjoy the animal pics! Just 15% of the pictures I took; there was a lot to see.
