Hi, my name is Tony, one of Croswell’s tour escorts. I have been looking forward to the tour though the Black Hills and Badlands all summer! And it certainly did not disappoint! There were mountains high and canyons deep. There were natural wonders and quaint western towns.

On Sunday, me and my driver, Chuck, pointed the coach west and headed toward our first overnight in Moline, Illinois. We stopped for a fantastic dinner of fried chicken, pot roast, mashed potatoes, and green beans at the Machine Shed Restaurant, then off to the hotel. Unknown to the passengers on my coach, there was a little something special waiting for them. Our little treat? The hotel sat right on the bank of the Mississippi River. I knew if we could time it just right, we could watch the sunset from the embankment along the river, a true spectacle to behold. Many folks and I gathered around 8:30-ish on the bank to watch our first day gently conclude with a brilliant display of color over the Great Mississippi.

While doing my planning for this trip, I noticed that on our second day – as we crossed Iowa – we would roll right past the World’s Largest Truck Stop, I-80 Iowa. We had to make a pit stop anyway, so why not just do it there? And it was the biggest truck stop I have ever seen…it must have been as big as a Wal-Mart! There were various shops set up throughout and a food court that would knock your socks off! (Speaking of socks, you can get them there, too.) You could shop for hand-made jewelry or pick up a pair of flip-flops with AstroTurf on top of them so you could always walk in the grass.

The hotel that night, the Country Inn in Sioux Falls, SD also had a little extra treat. The hotel was situated on the Big Sioux River with a walking path that followed the river to an attractive city park with beautiful waterfalls. As I ventured out to take in the city’s riverside park, I met many passengers along the way also taking in the fresh evening air as our second day faded softly to a close.

Our third day took us to the Badlands. Along the way, we stopped outside Champlain, SD at a visitor’s center to enjoy our boxed lunch. This was a perfect stop! There was a 50-foot-tall statue of a Native American woman called “Dignity,” an informative Native American Culture Museum, and expansive panoramas of the Missouri River. It was easy to spend an hour having lunch and exploring.

After lunch, we were off to the take in our first glimpses of the Badlands. We headed off the interstate to follow along the Badlands Loop, taking us past some gorgeous - and barren – landscapes. There were soaring buttes and vast canyons, each one showing off its layers of various hues. There were horizontal stripes of burnt oranges, deep yellows, earthy tans, and brilliant white as if painted on by an artist.

We made several stops because the entire coach of passengers was awe-struck by the sprawling and breathtaking vistas. Along our meandering path, we came across some of the native wildlife, such as a few rams and a prairie dog town or two. You could hear the prairie dogs “barking” and watch them run from burrow to burrow. Once we experienced the wide-open spaces and sheer cliffs of what was once Sioux hunting grounds, we were off to Colonial House for dinner. We enjoyed our dinners and shared pictures and stories of what we have already seen along the way to Rapid City, SD. Then it was off to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Eager to begin all of what our fourth day promised to bring, we all climbed aboard our trusty steed with Chuck at the wheel. Today, we had an extra passenger – our step on guide! He told us stories about the area’s natural history as well as stories of gunslingers and prospectors that came to the area looking for gold. Our first stop was at the most famous man-made attraction in South Dakota…Mount Rushmore! We had plenty of time to enjoy the memorial, walk around the President’s Trail, and admire the stone artwork found in the Artist’s Shed. There was also a fantastic gift shop with souvenirs ranging from thimbles for a couple of bucks to sculptures with price tags in the thousands. I got my hat there, by the way.

Our next stop was at the Crazy Horse Memorial just a few miles away from Mount Rushmore. The memorial is obviously still under construction because the Native Americans of the area are raising the money on their own; they wish to use no government money. It is proving to be a truly gorgeous work of art as it slowly takes shape. As part of our tour, we got to drive up to the base of the mountain for better views of the work in progress. This was a great extra experience for everyone on tour with us!

Once we had lunch, explored the Native American displays and gift shops, and viewed Crazy Horse up close, we headed off to take in some of the beauty and excitement the Black Hills has to offer. We cruised through the sleepy town of Custer, into Custer State Park, and onto the Wildlife Loop. As we made our way along the Wildlife loop, we saw a few animals, such a prairie dogs and antelope, but we were in search of the elusive buffalo. We saw wide open meadows speckled with the occasional tree. There were rolling hills and stunning grassland. We stopped to feed the resident donkeys, which was great fun, but still no buffalo. Ready to cut our losses and leave Custer State Park, we headed for the park exit without spotting bison one. And alas…just as we had almost given up hope, we spotted stopped cars…then we saw what we came to see! The bison were in the road and running along both sides of the coach! That was an exciting moment on our journey around the Wildlife Loop.

The next thing on our itinerary was dinner at the Millstone. The food was good and the service friendly; it was a welcome meal at the end of the busy day. As dinner came to an end, it seemed we had a little bit of extra time before our next activity. So what better way to kill a little time than to walk the streets of Keystone, SD? The charming little shops, confectionary delights, and wild-western décor made this an awesome addition to our day. We even stopped at the chainsaw art store on the corner and some of us got our picture taken with the “World’s Largest Sasquatch.”

After a good laugh with all the crazy wood-sculpture artwork, we headed on to our last stop of the day – the nightly lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore. This was a stunning event. The day came to a close as the sky changed from light blue, to indigo, to a blanket of darkness with the sparkles of the stars. The ceremony began in the last of the evening’s twilight, highlighting the accomplishments of the Presidents depicted in the monument. Then, on came the lights…first on the faces then on the base, lighting up the entire mountain. It was such a magical moment it felt like looking at a postcard. After another great evening, it was back to the hotel for another good night’s rest.

Halfway through our 8-day tour, we were as excited as ever to get on the road again and see even more of spectacular South Dakota! With our step on guide for the second day at the lead, we headed out of Rapid City toward Sturgis, the home of the famous annual Biker Rally. On the way, we headed off on a dirt road and came upon Buffalo Chip, the popular campgrounds overrun with rally-goers. They had set up a beautiful display of American flags to celebrate the veterans among the hundreds of thousands of bikers sure to come. After a short stop for photos, we headed off to the town of Sturgis. As it turns out, it was just like any other small town, except for the small thing of the expected 1.1 million bikers that will converge on it in just a couple of weeks. From Sturgis, we headed on to Spearfish Canyon. This was a drive that followed along a river that wondered through the natural beauty of Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills. The bottom of the canyon was lush with forests and waterfalls; the canyon walls were sheer and worn with time. At the end of Spearfish Canyon was the small, and famous, town of Deadwood. This was the location of the shooting of “Wild Bill” Hickock and the capture of his assassin, Jack McCall. This is a town where its wild-western history comes to life with live re-enactments, tours, and museums.

After spending a few hours strolling the streets of Deadwood, we were off to the hotel and then to grab a bite to eat. There were food options at the hotel, but for anyone interested in getting out, I had found a local, casual, burger joint right down the road. A small group of us hopped back on the coach and headed over to Sickies Garage for a great burger and a wonderful milkshake.

The next morning, we headed out for some sightseeing on the way back to Sioux Falls for another overnight stay. Our first stop was Wall Drug in, well, Wall, SD. Famous for free ice water, 5-cent coffee, and scrumptious donuts, this little attraction that grew up around a drug store is an awesome place for a quick stop. Get a t-shirt, a donut, and a 5-cent coffee and you’re set!

Next on our itinerary was lunch and the Corn Palace. In a small town called Murdo, SD, I found a gem of a diner that was able to seat my bus – the Covered Wagon Café. The food was fresh and hot; the service was quick and friendly…even the owner was waiting on us! After a delicious, mom-and-pop lunch we headed off to the Corn Palace. What a fun place. I’m sure it is the kernel of the community. But be careful what you say…the walls have ears. Is that corny? I bet it’s the stalk of the town. Ok, sorry, let me corn-tinue. The mosaics on the side of the building are all made of cobs of corn of various colors. It was very cool to see! There were several mosaics on the walls of the Corn Palace such as Crazy Horse and a rodeo rider on a bucking bull. What an a-maize-ing place this was!

For dinner, we were treated to the Tea Steakhouse. This must have been one of the best steaks I have had in a long while. It was super tender and flavorful. To wrap up another delicious meal, a perfect slice of cheesecake was delivered to me. Again, I found myself stuffed after eating too much. (It became a running joke about how often we were eating. ☺ There were great places to eat for every meal. If you go hungry, it’s your own darn fault!)

The last two days of our trip were travel days, crossing Minesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. One highlight was an unexpected delight. When we stopped in Austin, Minesota for lunch, we happened upon the Spam Museum. Yes, an entire museum devoted to the canned meat popular in Hawaii and great when fried and served with eggs. Complete with a Spam-tastic gift shop, the free museum displayed the history and production of the famous canned food. Oh, and there were free samples of fried Spam served on a pretzel stick instead of a toothpick. I think I giggled and laughed the entire time I was in the building. Talk about the things you can stumble upon when traveling to new places! On the last day of our trip, we stopped for lunch at Portillos Hot Dogs just south of Chicago. This was just a fun and friendly place that must be experienced to be explained. You can get your Chicago style dog, a chili dog, or anything in between. The hot dogs were fabulous, served up fast, and great with a side of crinkle-cut fries and a Dr. Pepper.

Chuck and I both had a fantastic time with everyone on our Yellow Bus. I hope all our passengers had an amazing trip with us and remember messing with Tony at Wall Drug about staying longer or leaving earlier and the “long con” on our famous Driver #2. What a blast!

I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to the Black Hills and Badlands in breathtaking South Dakota. I am looking forward to seeing you on one of Croswell’s many fabulous tours!

From the Escort Seat of Tony Gettler

It's Mountains and Canyons, Prospectors and Legends!