South Dakota-ing

Wonderful Guy are vacationeering again, this time in the wilds of southwestern South Dakota.

We have seen much of what there is to see in this neck of the woods, some of it impressive, some of it interesting and okay, and some of it pretty much for the touristas.

We are staying across the road from this place.  Trust me.  If I had known, and if it was open for the season?  We would have so been there!  Look at the Drive-In!  Can you not see the 'Fred Flintstone foot-y-type cars' lined up?  I told the Guy when we were debating on dinner last night that if that place was open?  Dinosaur ribs would be the ticket...the ones that tip over the car...

And the bowling alley.  Here there are cars of the modern variety parked in front, probably for some maintenancing activity.  Or maybe they are having fun that we want to have, but can't!

So anyway.  Things we can and have done.  Seen the Famous Faces.

Daylight...

and night.

Seen the begging burros of Custer State Park.  They are really a bit intimidating.  We did not feed them, being trained as we are in all manner of not feeding the wildlife.  However we heard from others that once fed, they don't withdraw their head from the car unless otherwise distracted.

I have seen many types of crossing signs in my years, but this one?  I made Wonderful Guy turn around.  Which he did.  Because he is wonderful, and because it intrigued him as well.  Does it mean that it is a 'slow turtle' crossing?  Or slow down....because turtles are crossing?

These are hard questions...

The sign is located in Custer State Park, where most of the animals that live there now are not native species.  The elk are Rocky Mountain Elk, which were shipped in after the Manitoba Elk were wiped out.  Likewise, the Big Horn sheep are Rocky Mountains, instead of the native species which I can't remember now.  There are mountain goats, too, but they were brought in because someone thought they would make for nice 'show and tell (and probably hunting)' up above one of the lodges...and the bison had to re-introduced.  Of course.  Similar with the prong horns.  The herd was teetering on oblivion in the early part of the century until 20 bottle fed babies boosted the population.

The burros are from a herd that used to cart tourists up one of the peaks in the north part of the park.  The herd was...just released.

Obviously there are no wolves or bears (black or grizzlies) and have not been since the 1880's.

But apparently?  There are turtles.