Through the Black Hills to Mount Rushmore. Rain last night made for a soggy start. The ride (again) was a bit hillier than we expected but good hills. It felt good to climb. My legs are feeling stronger but they know that they have a lot more riding before Brookings (5 more days of riding). We visited Mount Rushmore for a while. Pretty impressive though it still looks fake even when you are standing right in front of it. We rode past the incomplete Crazy Horse monument which is going to be gigantic - all 4 Presidents' heads can fit in Crazy Horse's enormous melon. We took 16 back to Rapid City deciding that it maybe busy but much shorter. The clouds moved in, the wind charged at us and the hills kept appearing but we continued to make good time and escaped into a bike shop before we got too wet. It really started to pour as we got to our campsite. Much to our chagrin, we are staying at a KOA where you are charged $25.99 for a tent site!! Well, cheaper than a hotel and our laundry will be clean (they have machines). Went to the night-time show (guess our $25.99 also buys entertainment) of the Cowboy Poet John Burton. He was great. A real cowboy. When he was 13, he and a friend rode their horses 1400 miles with 4 mustangs.

5 buds and a mac and cheese dinner and I'm kaput. Oh we saw a mountain goat today. Meg has out pedaled me on every hill in South Dakota so far. Maybe I should try some of that Tiger Balm.