With Route 66 in our rear view mirror, we raced through Iowa’s cornfields and most of South Dakota to reach the Black Hills. There is probably a month’s worth of sites here to visit, so we got started right away. After a month of sparse crowds, we realized that this area is a vacation destination for families from all over the world.
MT. RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL
How amazing that this project was conceived of and carried out! George Washington served as president 1789-1797; Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809; Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865, and Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909. First there is a walkway through the Avenue of 56 Flags and then the observation point. The carvings are so very impressive. The Visitor Center and museum are loaded with displays, exhibits and movies telling the story of Mt. Rushmore, the sculptor and the workers. That day there was a model T rally and over 200 of them filled the parking lot.
We returned that night for the “light show” but after sitting 45 minutes til it got dark, then sitting through an hour patriotic/religious ceremony, found out there was no light show. We felt duped.
CRAZY HORSE MONUMENT
Above is what the finished project is supposed to look like.
The idea is not to portray an exact liking of Crazy Horse, but rather his spirit. His hand is outstretched, finger pointing. Where are your lands now, Crazy Horse? “They are where my people are buried.” An expansive collection of historic tribal artifacts and Native American art are on display. The Laughing Water Restaurant on the memorial site has delicious Native American tacos served on fry bread. The Museum is enormous. It is a very impressive place to visit. Hopefully one day the project will be completed and our grandchildren will visit.
CAVES
We toured two caves. Wind Cave is known for its extensive box work, the most of any cave ever found. We also toured Jewel Cave which is loaded with small intricate formations and one example of bacon that is enormous. Both caves demanded a lot of stair climbing. They both claimed to be the longest cave in the world. We think Mammoth is.
Wind cave boasts the most boxwork in any cave in the world. Picture making a brick wall with bricks and mortar. Then take away the bricks and leave only the mortar. That is how boxwork is formed limestone disolved away leaving the calcite matrix.
Beautiful Flow Stone/Jewel Cave
Fried egg formation – Jewel Cave
ANIMALS
On the wildlife loop in Custer State Park we had close encounters with: herds of buffalo, elk, deer, prairie dogs, mountain goats, as well as cows and horses.
Elk
Bigfoot
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
From green fields and prairies we emerged into the Badlands – a stark but lovely series of hills and mudstone formations. This 244,000 acre park is the largest expanse of protected prairie ecosystem in the National Park System. Its subtle hues are punctuated by deep shadow-filled canyons, towering spires and flat topped tables. Although primarily light in color there are areas of yellow and red. Whatever the color, these formations under the bright blue Dakota sky are incredibly beautiful. The Badlands has a unique kind of beauty and we snapped photos like crazy.
We still have much to see in the Black Hills. We will be heading to Deadwood and making a trip to Spearfish where a rare bird has been spotted, bringing birders from all over the U.S. flocking to that town. It is an orange-billed nightingale thrush.
STURGIS, SD
Sturgis is Mecca to motorcycle enthusiasts. In another week this small town will be visited by hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists. We enjoyed the calm before the storm and visited the Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.
This is how Sturgis will look next week