I Didn't Want to See It | Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

James handed Cara the keys. She hadn't driven in months. The tunnel was 8.9 feet wide. The truck with mirrors out is 8 feet. You can probably guess what happened next.

(To watch the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/ds8J93h1c5E)

This is our whirlwind recap of the last leg of the trip: from our two days in the Black Hills, through Mount Rushmore, across Montana, and into Idaho. We drive Needles Highway through Custer State Park (Cara drives, James films, nobody comes out of the tunnel unscathed), we end up at Mount Rushmore for the lighting ceremony we didn't know existed, we get called out at a day-use-only campsite in Montana, and we find one of the best $18 campsites of the whole trip completely by accident. Plus: the honest truth about what it felt like to actually stand in front of Mount Rushmore when we weren't sure we wanted to be there at all.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• What actually happened in that 8.9-foot tunnel on Needles Highway, and what "holy bejeezus" sounds like when it's not planned
• Custer State Park: bison, deer, wildflowers, spire rock formations, and one of the most beautiful drives we've done
• The honest truth about Mount Rushmore: why we almost skipped it, what we actually felt standing there, and the reframe that changed how we saw it
• The nightly lighting ceremony we had no idea existed, and almost missed
• Montana: headwind, three miles per gallon, a motorcyclist who confirmed we weren't imagining it
• Thompson Falls State Park: $18, right on the Clark Fork River, one of the quiet wins of the whole trip
• The Missoula pizza vs mango addiction debate (both parties believe they are innocent)

Resources and Mentions:

• Needles Highway, Custer State Park, South Dakota
• Bogus Jim Road dispersed camping, Black Hills (not to be confused with Real Jim Road 😅)
• Dockside Grill — beautiful location, great food, does not seat after 7:00 PM regardless of posted hours
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial — $10 to park, lighting ceremony every night, park open 24 hours
• Wind Cave National Park — book way in advance, tours from easy to crawling on hands and knees
• Hot Springs, South Dakota — mineral springs resort, on the list for next time
• Devil's Tower National Monument, northeastern Wyoming
• Sturgis, South Dakota — yes, that Sturgis
• Firehouse Brewery, Rapid City, South Dakota
• Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
• Deadwood, South Dakota
• Homestake Lake Pass dispersed camping, between Bozeman and Butte, Montana — free, up to 14 days
• Thompson Falls State Park, Montana — $18, on the Clark Fork River
• Munson Creek trailhead rest area, Montana — day use only, sunrise to sunset, do not overnight
• Pie Hole Pizza, Missoula, Montana — 19-inch pizzas only, right downtown, worth the roundabout
• Natural Grocers, Missoula — for the mangoes
• Love's RV Park — easy pull-in, utilities, Wi-Fi, laundry, exactly what we needed

This episode was recorded from our camp spot in Idaho. The video footage overlaying the audio on YouTube was captured throughout the Black Hills, Needles Highway, and Mount Rushmore portions of the trip.

There's something about standing in front of something you've already decided how to feel about, and then feeling something completely different. That happened to us at Mount Rushmore. If that kind of honest reckoning with your own assumptions is something you're doing right now, in your own life and your own story, The Reinvention Project is where we go deeper. Come find us when you're ready. https://thereinventionproject.podia.com/the-quiet-reinvention-workshop

You're always welcome at our campfire. The blog, the YouTube show, social, Ko-fi, and how to reach us are all linked. However you choose to be here, thank you. 💚🩷