Luckily, they still had eggs at the Blue Bell lodge for breakfast. The same waiters were there, sheepishly telling patrons what they were out of.
We once again drove through the wildlife loop, less animals in the morning, but still a pleasant drive. Still in Custer State Park, we drove to another lodge, State Game Lodge, built in 1922. We checked into another cabin (winds were 20-30 mph outside, once again foiling our camping plans), asked about the dining room hours and were told that the dining room was closed for a wedding. Damn!
Across the street from the lodge is a park visitor’s center, built of stone by the CCC. The photos of young drafters working on the building were great. They were paid $30 per month (plus room and board) and $25 of that was sent back to the families of the workers, the goal of which was to “keep the young men from idleness and the accompanying immorality,” and all this time, I just thought it was a jobs program.
We drove along the Needles Highway which led us along a twisting route, through one-lane tunnels in the mountain rock, and around amazing rock formations. We stopped and lunched in the sun at Sylvan Lake, then hiked up the mountain, just enough to get a view of Harney Peak.
We’re now ending the day back in the lodge, hitching onto their wireless, enjoying a glass of wine, and being wonderfully surprised by the owner’s decision to open the dining room beyond the wedding party. Yeah! We’re heading to Colorado Springs tomorrow, another 8 hour drive.
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