South Dakota and beyond. Day Five: Custer State Park and Drive Home.

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."

~Martin Buber

After checking out of our hotel, we drove to downtown Rapid City and walked around the City of Presidents, which is a series of life-sized bronze statues of former U.S. Presidents. The statues are pretty cool and it's a quaint downtown.

Of course, I had to find George (Washington) and give him a kiss for old-time's sake.

We also wanted to drive by Mount Rushmore one more time on our way out of South Dakota. In doing so, we got a little "lost" and ended up on a very curvy road through Custer State Park and the Black Hill National Forest. It was BEAUTIFUL! So beautiful that we hardly took time to take any pictures. Thanks to Katie for the few we have.

Brian kept apologizing for getting us "lost" because he knew that it would cause us to arrive back in Salt Lake City later than planned. I really didn't care because it was one of the most beautiful stretches of road I've ever been on. I think it's called Needles Highway. Not sure, though. We were "lost" remember? At one point we were on a paved path through the trees, only wide enough for one car. (I think there was a corresponding path a way off for cars going in the other direction, but we couldn't see it.) It really felt like heaven. There wasn't another car in sight during the stretch of the road and I felt like we were in some sort of fairy land because it hardly seemed like a car should even be there.

It was a perfect surprise and really proved to us how incredibly beautiful The Black Hills area is. Really stunning and very much worth the trip. Worth the crazy hot windy! weather we experienced driving back home across Wyoming. We stopped in Wyoming only long enough to get gas a few times and in the thriving metropolis of Casper, we called Shepherd and sang to him for his birthday! Something that probably won't ever happen again. The call from Casper, not the singing. :)

Next time, I'd like to got to Badlands National Park also. I seriously had no idea South Dakota had so much to offer!

(Written July 13, 2013)
.
.
.
.

South Dakota and beyond. Day Four: Devils Tower.

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember,

and remember more than I have seen."

~Benjamin Disraeli

On Sunday, we attended sacrament meeting at an LDS ward in Rapid City, which was fairly near Storybook Island, a children's storybook themed park with free admission (thanks, Brian!), where we had planned to eat our picnic lunch. Unfortunately, they don't allow food and beverages inside, so we walked across the street and found a picnic table underneath a tree and ate there before we made our way through the park.

Storybook Island's mission, as stated on their website, "is to provide a free, safe, educational environment for those young in years, or young at heart, to experience the power of imagination."

It was a hot day, but we had fun roaming around.

After we got our fill of playing around, we set out for Devils Tower, which is actually in northeastern Wyoming, about an hour an a half from Rapid City, SD.

It really is a site to see, even from far away. Teddy Roosevelt designated Devils Tower the nation's first national monument in 1906.

The tower stands 865 feet high and is actually the core of a volcano which has been exposed for millions of years.

There are rocks and boulders at the base of tower which are broken pieces of columns that have fallen from the sides. It's kind of strange because there is a whole lot of nothing surrounding the tower. Just trees and land.

We walked around the base of the tower along the 1.3 mile "Tower Trail," Along the way, I was given the Native American name, "Shady Face." I bet you can guess why. Although the tower is open every day of every month of the year for climbing, the month of June has been established as a voluntary closure for all climbing routes on the Tower out of respect for Summer Solstice and traditional cultural activities of American Indians.

The voluntary closure has been implemented each June since 1996, and has proven successful: the average number of climbers in June has seen an 85% reduction. Despite this request to respect the traditional cultural activities of the Native Americans, people still climb. In fact, that day there were at least three or four people climbing. It definitely looked pretty intense.

Our country is chock-full of amazing natural geological formations. This was just amazing to see.

That night we planned to go back to Mount Rushmore to attend "the evening program" and see the monument at night.

We gathered in the amphitheater for a short patriotic program, with the monument in the background. Sitting behind us was a family with a little girl named Emery. She was about four or five and was very surprised (as was I) to hear that there was someone else named Emery.

At the end of the presentation, all members of the audience who had served or are currently serving were asked to come up on stage for the lowering of the U.S. flag. I was a little surprised at how many there were. There were over 50, I think. As they left the stage, they each touched the flag and spoke their name. their branch of the military, and what war (if any) they served in. There were veterans from every war since WW II. It was really moving. Even little Emery's dad got up on stage.

(Written July 13, 2013)
.
.
.
.

South Dakota and beyond. Day Three: Part Two: Crazy Horse.

"My lands are where my dead lie buried."

~Crazy Horse

After spending the day at Reptile Gardens and dinner at Desperados in Hill City, we headed to Crazy Horse. Brian had read ahead and learned that we could bring two cans of food (or something like that) and forgo the entrance fee. Leave it to Brian!

Prior to coming to South Dakota, I had never even heard of the Crazy Horse Memorial. Of course, I knew about Crazy Horse and the Lakota Indians and the Battle of Little Big Horn, but the memorial in stone to Crazy Horse is like the best kept secret of the Black Hills.

While there, I learned that maybe that's due to the fact that sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski (1908-1982) never accepted federal funding for the project. He, in fact, twice turned down offers from the government and instead felt Crazy Horse should be built by the interested public and not the taxpayer. Unfortunately, without the powerful financial backing of the state or federal government, I think they are lacking a bit in the marketing department.

For a little background, Korczak Ziolkowski, born in Boston of Polish descent, received a letter from Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear inviting him to the Black Hills to carve Crazy Horse after learning of the sculptor when Korczak won first prize at the 1939 New York World's Fair. 

Photo found here.

"My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes also," he wrote, referring to Mount Rushmore just 15 miles east of the Crazy Horse site in the Black Hills.

Over the next several years, Korczak began preparing and planning for the monument, until June 3, 1948 when the site was dedicated and the first blast occurred. As you can see, the carving is a very slow-going process (no big financial backers) and in the past 64 years, only the face is really carved out. If it's taken 64 years to only do the face, it will take 500 years to do the rest.

This made me very sad, actually. Although Korczak believe in the free enterprise system, and only wanted the interested public to contribute, I feel that his wife and children who work together with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Board of Directors in continuing the work, should allow the Federal government to donate, as a way of apologizing for what "the white man" did to the Native Americans by taking their land and killing their people. For heavens sake, Crazy Horse was murdered at Fort Robinson, Nebraska under a flag of truce on September 6, 1877 by an American soldier. He was stabbed in the back, quite literally. Don't you think "we" need to make amends for that? And don't you think the Lakota people (and Korczak's family and the Board) need to accept forgiveness? I do.

While touring the site, I felt a very real, almost tangible, spirit. The Black Hills is sacred land to the Native Americans, and I felt that. The experience was sacred. There was a feeling that I can't quite describe that made me feel very emotional, very connected, and yearning for a brighter day. 

As the evening arrived, I felt the sacred feeling of this area even more. I think this is one reason I feel strongly that they should acceptance financial donations from the federal government. To me that would symbolize forgiveness, giving and accepting. Righting a wrong to the best of our modern-day ability. It would symbolize and hopefully effect a merging of two cultures. We're all brothers and sisters.

We decided to stay for the evening laser-light show, which admittedly, seemed a little hokey. The show tells the story in lights, "illuminates our cultural diversities, celebrates our similarities, and encourages harmony among all people."

See what it will look like someday? I just hope it doesn't take 500 years... that's no way to honor Crazy Horse.

During the show, I dropped my small brown bag with the silver charm of the Crazy Horse Memorial that I had just purchased. I had a really hard time enjoying and concentrating on the show because I was paranoid about my charm.

We were sitting on a raise wooden deck and I thought it had slipped through the cracks. As my Mom has often said, 95% of the things we worry about aren't worth worrying about... after the show, I found the bag. Silly me.

On the way out we walked past one of the old engines used in the project, as well as a pile of rock that has been blasted off the mountain. We were allowed to take a couple home to remember.

This visit was one of the best surprises of the trip.

The vision of the future Crazy Horse includes an Indian Museum of North America, an Indian University of North American and Medical Training Center, as well as the Visitor's Complex, and will look something like this.

Photo found here.

So donate NOW!

(Written July 13, 2013)

.

.

.

.

South Dakota and beyond. Day Three, Part One: Reptile Gardens.

"Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek."

~Dan Rather

Who knew that we came to South Dakota to see alligators, crocodiles, orchids, tortoises, snakes, and eagles? Saturday morning we drove out to Reptile Gardens, which originally seemed like an odd choice, but was actually really fun.

On the way there, we stopped at a little craft and food fair in a park. We even watched a belly dancing show. I was having a hard time getting a good shot, but you can see her purple costume twirling.

After getting our craft and belly dance fill, we continued on to Reptile Gardens.

Our own Vanna White.

A careful plan of the day, allowed us to see all the shows they had: the bird show, the reptile show, and the snake show, as well as have time to fit in all the other photo ops.

I love how this picture shows "the way out."

The bird show seemed a little silly and slightly out of place for Reptile Gardens, but it was entertaining enough.

Then on to the reptile show, where we learned what not to do at home.

Oh and the tortoises.

They reminded me of Sheldon and Shelonda.

They loved me. Of course.

And how could we forget the snake show? (Apparently, I could... I didn't take any pictures. This one is from Katie's camera.)

Then we walked through the orchid tropical rain forest greenhouse thing. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Beautiful.

Also, although we never took a picture, I met up with my good friend, AnnMarie, from my mission. She lives in south-eastern Wyoming and was in the area with her family to see the "carved mountains." They had been wanting to come to South Dakota and see Mount Rushmore for awhile, and when I said I was coming, they were inspired. :) Too bad we didn't take a picture. Next time.

Dinner at Desperado's on Main Street in Hill City, South Dakota was delicious. I got buffalo, which makes me kind of sad because I love buffs. Ever since driving by my herd in Golden Gate Park, they've become friends. And they became much more than stone creatures when a dog got in their enclosure and caused a stampede. Love them. I may never be able to eat buffalo again, even though it is delicious and much healthier for you than beef. My poor little buffs.

Then we were off to see Crazy Horse...

(Written July 8, 2013)
.
.
.
.