First off, we didn't realize what we were getting into until it was too late. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and once you start up it, there's no place to turn around. You have to go all the way to the top to turn around and come back.
It's a mile long gravel road with some of the sharpest turns I've ever seen, all of which are on the side of a steep cliff. And God help you if there's somebody else coming back down. You just have to do your best and pray a lot on the curves because they're so sharp there's no way to see if anyone is coming.
Once we got to the top, thankfully, the view was breathtaking. The Observation Post is used to watch for forest fires, a constant (and understandable) concern. There was a terrible fire in 1988, started by lightning, the effects of which can still be seen today.
The trip down was just as scary, but at least then we knew it would be over soon enough. I white knuckled it all the way down, while Marsha just prayed. Still, the views from the top were unbelievable.
After leaving Mount Rushmore, we took Iron Mountain Road to Keystone (and our next hotel), and that was an experience in itself.
Iron Mountain Road is 17 miles of hairpin turns, places where the lanes split in two and rejoin later, and pigtail bridges (where you go under the bridge and then swing around to cross it) made of stacked logs. But the best part is the three one-lane tunnels carved right into the mountain. When you get to one, you have to stop and blow your horn. If its clear, then you can pass through. If someone else is coming through, you have room to pull over and wait. Our first one was on a curve, so we couldn't see through until we'd rounded it. Luckily, no one was coming the other way.
When I walked into town to grab some dinner, I saw the perfect shirt in a store window. If the store hadn't been closed, I'm sure I would have bought it.
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