Needles Highway...

One of the most popular roads in Custer State Park.  It is always packed this time of year.  We discussed last night where we'd like to ride today... Joan suggested Needles Highway, and then a picnic lunch in Custer State Park.

I shot some photos on the way there...

If you've ever driven across South Dakota, you are keenly aware that there are no billboard prohibitions.  In some parts of the state, the billboards are the best entertainment while eating up miles.  Coming into the town of Keystone...

It looks like a typical summer day in Keystone...

Plenty of tourist traffic.  Through town and about to make our turn onto Iron Mountain Road.  The traffic coming at us was all going straight (coming from Mt. Rushmore), meaning we wouldn't have anyone immediately in front of us at the beginning of this fun road.  One last car, turned in front of us, at the last possible second... wanna guess what state it's from?  Yes, Minnesota.  We thought that we'd drive slow to let him get ahead of us... he drove slow.  If we moved closer to him (thinking he might let us pass), he sped up.

Yep, we had him in front of us all along the way.  Maybe he'd pull over after the tunnel...

Maybe at the next tunnel?  Nope...

We came to a stop before the first split to let him get far enough ahead that we'd be able to zip through this fun part...

All the way to Playhouse Road, where I waited to put my turn signal on until he was past it!  Aha - free!

The next to the main feature today is cruising on Needles Highway.  From Playhouse Road, we turned onto Needles Highway; the battery for my GoPro was getting low, and I wanted to stop to switch to video mode...

Again, the decision of what to do with all that video.  The road was uncharacteristically not crowded... on the first part.  Where the scenery is pretty, but the riding isn't particularly dramatic.  Then, the traffic bunches up... until you reach Needle's Eye, where you can't take your eyes off the road because the car/truck/SUV in front of you will make a panic stop as other traffic approaches on this narrow road.  How narrow?  Thanks for asking - they don't paint a solid yellow line down the middle because people would know their dually pickup is taking up WAY more than half the road.  Nice to have a maneuverable scooter on this stretch.

So, I once again cut a few clips to make another "movie trailer," this time with a scary theme...

No photos again, until we stopped for our picnic lunch - well beyond Needle's Eye, past Sylvan Lake Lodge, south to Hwy 16A, then back into Custer State Park, where we stopped in the Legion Lake area and found an unoccupied rickety picnic table...

We had a relaxing picnic, away from the crowds that were heading to the lake, and then back to the scoots...

As we mounted up, Joan asked, "How's your fuel situation?"

"I have just enough fuel to make it to our usual gas station... if we don't take any side roads or 'race it up' too much."

As we pulled out of the parking area, a familiar-looking vehicle was right in front of us: I shit you not - the same blue Volkswagon with the Minnesota plates!  We had taken completely different roads, we stopped for a leisurely lunch, and yet he somehow found us!  Fortunately, he turned onto Needles Highway and we went straight - Ha!

Eventually through to the east entrance of Custer State Park, then north on Iron Mountain Road once again...

It was a lovely uncongested ride, and I made it to the gas station with 3 bars left on my fuel gauge.  Alas, I only got 88mpg, Joan got just over 100mpg.  That still doesn't suck.

Great riding again today.  Yes, even the crowds on Iron Mountain Road (and the video clip doesn't show how crowded it actually was).

We'll probably go touristing again tomorrow, but it will be in the CR-V... the high tomorrow is supposed to be 99º.  I'll be likin' some air conditioning!