Instead of going through Badlands National Park to hit I-90, Randy decided to take the shorter, scenic Rt. 44 to our destination of Hot Springs, SD. It was a little bouncy so we took our time but did not have any issues. We passed a small herd of buffalo just before crossing over one small section of Badlands National Park that crossed over Rt. 44. I didn’t get a very good picture as I wasn’t expecting to need my camera. Hot Springs is a little farther out than we wanted to be, but we could not find a spot closer to Rapid City.
We had time to explore Hot Springs after setting up at the Hot Springs KOA, so we explored the town. Our first stop was the Pioneer Museum, 300 N. Chicago Street. The museum, located in a historic sandstone building built in 1893, is on the hill between the upper and lower part of Hot Springs. The building served as an elementary school until 1961. It is now a museum maintained by the Fall River County Historical Society and contains four floors of unique artificats and pioneer era treasures. We spent about an hour looking at the artifacts. Randy’s favorite finds were the post office boxes that reminded him of a similar set up from his days at SMA and a bear skin coat. i loved all of the quilts, kitchen utensils and glassware.
After the museum we explored part of downtown Hot Springs. We stopped to view the picturesque waterfall in town and Welcome sign.
We ended the day by going out to dinner. We went to Woolly’s Grill and Cellar. We were not that impressed by the food, but Randy did like their Bloody Mary!
