South Dakota - Days 6 & 7 (Driving Days)

Friday we took a drive on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway.  There were a few places to get out along the way.  The first was Bridal Veil Falls.  We hiked a bit to the falls crossing a stream.  It was very cold which felt great since it was another hot day.   In the stream, we saw an America Dipper.  At first we thought it was a typical bird and it had been injured, but later we learned that the bird likes to hang out in the water and float around eating the insects in the water.

The next place we stopped was Roughlock Falls.  We parked the Buffalo Protector and had a nice picnic lunch right near the falls.

"A stunning highlight of Spearfish Canyon is Roughlock Falls, widely considered one of the most beautiful locations in the Black Hills. The scenery is so beautiful that cinematographers for the motion picture "Dances with Wolves" decided to shoot its final scenes here.  The name Roughlock Falls originates from difficulties early settlers encountered while traveling through Spearfish Canyon. Wagon drivers would "roughlock" the wheels of their wagons with logs or chains to keep them in place and slide down the slope.  Visitors can fish or picnic in the nature area surrounding Roughlock Falls. The canyon itself is also a spectacular place to explore with several designated walking paths and hiking trails. In the fall, photographers flock to the canyon to capture vibrant gold and red aspen leaves as the seasons change. Roughlock Falls is also an excellent place to bird watch, especially for rare species like the American Dipper."

After the scenic drive we decided to go into the town of Spearfish and stop at the DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery.  We learned quite a bit about raising trout.  By then it was time for dinner.  We found a nice restaurant in town.  As we walked out of the restaurant we noticed their was a street fair.  The kids were able to ride horses and get some fresh squeezed lemonade.  Then back to the campground....for our last night in the Buffalo Protector!

We woke up early Saturday morning and headed to back to Rapid City to return the RV.  The kids were still asleep when we left, so we let them sleep in the bed while we drove.  After we picked the car up, unpacked and cleaned the RV we began our journey home.  Of course we had a few stops in mind.  The first place we stopped was Storybook Island.

Then we took a scenic drive through the badlands.  It was 104 degrees...the kids did not even want to get out of the car....but we did and we walked around a bit at a few overlook stops. 

Finally, we got back in the car and drove all the way home....we arrived around 1AM.   It was an amazing trip, we had a great time, saw some amazing things and learned a lot! 

See the last set of pictures from our trip....