Day 9 | Denver to Rapid City
This morning was our last in Denver and I think we've only just started.
On the way we stopped in at the Red Rock Ampitheatre. It is a high natural seating area for about 10,000 looking down on a stage area. Due to navigation, we walked in at the lower end, walking up in excess of 200 stairs and then walked up the seats, squillion long flat steps.
The drive north from here is towards and through Wyoming and then South Dakota. Being Autumn everything looks dry but it is still warm (mid-20s) which everyone is commenting very warm for October. Lots of ranches, but seem to be few cows although we did see some bison / buffalo and deer. We stopped at a few picturesque places and a few quirky petrol stations.
Watching the sky, we hoped to stop for sunset somewhere. We just picked a road off the highway to an idyllic rural area complete with brook gurgling and horses snickering in the pasture. It was an okay sunset but I think it underlined that this is the countryside.
Denver to Rapid City (Mt Rushmore) Just over six hours
Arriving at Rapid City in time for dinner we were impressed with our hotel right in the main street. We decided to walk the main street for somewhere to eat. It was vintage two-story brick shopfronts with new trendy tenants. The Rushmore Hotel and Suites is marvellous so far. Dinner was at the Wine Cellar a fancy intimate setting. The menu was brief and the servings small in comparison to the usual. The chief even coming out to make sure we were happy with our meals.
Highlights:
Rosie | Making it to the top of those amphitheatre steps
Angus | The rolling plains (even though they’re so dry now)