I got my bags backed on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler episode 252. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about Western

Towns, caves, and giant presidents as we go to the Black Hills of South

Dakota.

I know that I should be heading home.

Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen. Before we get

into this week's interview I do have one new story for you. There's a new tour

company that's doing a nudist tour of the Adriatic Sea.

Now I'm not a nudist, nor am I likely to become one soon.

But the idea of not having to pack a lot of extra clothes for a cruise

was enticing until I saw you still have to dress for dinner.

I'd like to welcome to the show, Fred, who's coming to us from Fresno, and is coming to talk to us about the Black Hills.

Fred, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Chris.

Glad to be here.

So the Black Hills, there are, I think in the world a couple different places that go by the name Black Hills, which ones are we talking about?

These are the Black Hills in South Dakota. Most people have heard, at least in the United States, have heard of Mount Rushmore, and that's in the Black Hills.

It's an isolated mountain range in the prairies of South Dakota is about 100 miles east of the Rocky Mountains. And why would somebody go to the Black

Hills? Well, interestingly, it was never on our radar screen as a place to travel to,

but the year before we went, we went in 2007. The year before we went, some good friends of ours

did a driving trip from California back east

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