Needles

So yesterday was the first time I was able to really escape Mt. Rushmore and do some sightseeing of the West!  I befriended a guy named Tyler and forced him to chauffeur me around South Dakota so I actually could see the region that I keep recommending to tourists. I really am a good friend.

There's this incredibly scenic highway that is close to Rushmore called "Needles Highway," where there are these massive granite spires and endless hills... oh and there are these tunnels that only small compact cars can fit through... larger vehicles have actually gotten wedged in them before.

Oh hey!

Penis Rock

Sylvain Lake (which was also "on top/behind Mt. Rushmore" [not really though] in the movie 'National Treasure.')

Incredibly claustrophobic tunnel

I also ate dinner at this amazing restaurant last night called the Alpine Inn... they only serve steak. Perfect for a carnivore like me. (No meat jokes)... Vegetarians/Kosher-keepers need not go there to eat; they literally have 2 choices of food to eat; a 6oz steak and a 9oz steak, and the restaurant's schtick is that they serve it with a baked potato, Texas toast, and a huge wedge of lettuce with their own homemade ranch dressing... (best ranch I've ever had in my life)... yea, apparently there are like these little old ladies churning butter and stuff in the kitchen?

In other news, my roommate arrived today, which means his background check passed, which means he's not an axe murderer... or at least an axe murderer who is in the system. He just graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in something related to parks, so that makes sense, I guess. He seems nice... (so far... muahahahah)!