Mason City Rural Fire Department

 

Mason City Rural Fire Department, 495 Main Street, Mason City, Custer County, Nebraska.

Custer State Park - Iron Mountain Road

 

The other road to take in Custer State Park is Iron Mountain Road. What a fun drive. Two of the three tunnel give a great view of Mount Rushmore, the other leads you across a bridge, a sharp 270 and back under the bridge. Definitely worth it, your admission into the park is valid for 7 days. Earlier we drove the Wildlife Loop. We saw plenty of  critters but just a few days earlier was the big  bison roundup. So, all the bison were still herded in the same area. Next... on to Wyoming.

Custer State Park - Needles Highway

Custer State Park was something we skipped on out last trip. This year it was on the hit list. For the most part CSP is three roads; Needles Highway, the Wildlife Loop and Iron Mountain Road. On our first afternoon it was Needles Highway. This road contains a lot of switchbacks, narrow roadways and three tunnels (one was called the Needles Eye), all under nine feet wide. Bonus, at the top is Sylvan Lake (think about the movie National Treasure 2)

Mount Rushmore After Dark

Two years ago we stopped by Mount Rushmore National Memorial, this year we originally had no plans on returning the the Memorial itself. As evening got closer I think we both decided to make the trip up to see it lit up after dark. So, after some pizza in downtown Keystone, we drove out. We may have only spent a half hour here, but it was so cool with the lights shining on it.

Badlands National Park -2020

 

Our last trip to Badlands was overcast and rainy. I knew with the blue skies forecasted that I wanted to return. Plenty of color, plenty of wildlife, Plenty of badlands. We didn't do too many of the gravel roads, which are plentiful in the park, but we did do a little more than our previous visit. Overall we spent about 3 hours or so in the park.

Sandhills Journey

 

Day three was the Nebraska Scenic Byway - Sandhills Journey. We got on the Byway west of Grand Island and followed it through Alliance. This took a good part of the day. For the most part it was all rolling grassy hills, cattle, and windmills (big and small) and long long trains. 

The Iowa Theater

 The Iowa Theater

built 1899 - remodeled 1928

121 John Wayne Drive, Winterset, Iowa

September 2020