We had one last day in South Dakota before it was time to head home to start thinking about school again. And we made the most of it by getting up with the sun. The Custer State Park Buffalo Safari rides were highly rated on all the travel sites and rather than driving through Custer hunting for the bison herd ourselves, we thought it might be nice to let someone else take the wheel. Then Beau could gawk out the window as much as me! And sunrise seemed like the perfect time to do it. We got up when it was still dark, conveniently walked just across the parking lot, and set off in search of some wildlife with our wonderful guide, Randy, who we kind of wanted to adopt as our South Dakota grandpa by the end of our morning.
Randy informed us that since we were the first jeep out, we were tasked with finding the herd from the previous night and reporting back to the rest of the guides that would leave soon after. Their typical plan of action is to start around the same place the herd was spotted the night before, but it's really anyone's guess as buffalo don't really sleep at night and can move at speeds of 35 mph at times. The guide promised us wildlife on our drive, but also said they can't always guarantee an up close look at the bison. So as we drove on the quiet roads in the early morning hours, we admired the gorgeous sunrise and kept our eyes open.
It only took us about fifteen minutes before we saw them in the distance. They looked like tiny ants from where we were, but soon enough our guide took the back roads we would have never attempted without him. And before we knew it, we were parked smack dab in the middle of a huge buffalo herd! It was one of the neatest experiences of my life. There had to be over 300 of them, grazing as far as our eyes could see. And they weren't the least bit concerned with sharing the road with us. They got so close at times I swear they brushed right up against the jeep, which made us hold our breath a few times! We saw lots of mamas and their babies, running and playing with their friends, and even got to see one of the big king bulls that roam around out there. They are fascinating creatures who get to call a pretty beautiful place their home.
We saw lots of these little pests, too! Farmers may hate prairie dogs, but I thought they were pretty cute!
Any guesses on which of us didn't find the bison hunt as fascinating?!
We definitely got our money's worth with our jeep safari ride, and returned back to the lodge so excited about our experience. We packed up our things and headed to Sylvan Lake for our last afternoon of the trip.
We spent the rest of the day at Sylvan Lake, known as the "crowned jewel" of Custer State Park. The lake is in the heart of the Black Hills, is bordered by the most gorgeous sandstone cliffs, and includes hiking trails around the lake and off the beaten path if you choose. The first thing we did was rent a canoe and take to the water to explore our surroundings.
Beau and I said it more than once but this place was so pretty it almost looked artificial. The giant bolder rocks up against the bright blue sky and blue green water looked like something Disney pays millions of dollars to recreate. It's no wonder this place was the backdrop to movies like National Treasure. We took our time hiking the path around the lake and discussing that it is the perfect backdrop for an action movie.
And apparently the perfect place to find Big Foot. Evidence number one...
The influx of bikers for Sturgis made the environment busy but fun. There were several roadside stands selling grilled bison burgers and cold beer, and we loved grabbing burgers by the lake for lunch. Then we all took a polar plunge in the icy cold water before heading up the lake to our third and final home for the week.
For booking everything in less than a week before we left, we really hit the jackpot with our lodging choices! It was fun to stay in three completely different places and locations and we loved every experience. We camped, we stayed in a lodge, and our last night, slept in a quaint little cabin just at the top of Sylvan Lake.
Our last night in South Dakota was one of my favorite nights of our whole trip. We had a fantastic dinner at the Sylvan Lake Lodge restaurant, then stopped at a general store for a few cocktails and s'mores supplies. We lit a fire, changed into our cozies, and enjoyed one last night in the great outdoors under the thickest blanket of stars. It was quiet, we were all so content and happy, our lungs filled with fresh air, and our hearts full of memories. It was a pretty wonderful way to end such a long chapter of home, knowing we would be ready to return to school with lots of adventure and lots of together. Two of my very favorite things.
And we can't forget the Badlands! We hit them on the long way home Saturday and were happy to check another National Park off our list. It was a great week!
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