Summer 2016 Road Trip: Stage 8

South Dakota Monuments: Crazy Horse 

and 

Mount Rushmore

When we lived in Europe, our family put a lot of time and effort into visiting as many places as possible. Ron and I took the kids to many beautiful places; and, they all had numerous travel opportunities through the DODDS school system.  And yet, when we were stateside, most of our vacation time was spent visiting family, going to amusement parks, or taking the kids on a camping trip. I guess I thought the stateside opportunities would always be there... some day... in the future.  Well, I'm not getting any younger and my "somedays" are quickly dwindling. Visiting Mount Rushmore was always one thing I wanted to do "someday" but never got around to it. It's actually pretty sad that hearing about the National Parks Pass for Fourth Graders was the motivation to finally mark it off my to do list.  What's really crazy is that the parks pass wasn't even accepted at Mount Rushmore! We sure were glad we didn't go to the effort of getting the pass and only going to Mount. Rushmore!
On our second day in South Dakota, we visited the two monuments; Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.  What a contrast! One is totally funded through private contributions and the other through public funds.  One is dedicated to the struggles of Native Americans, and the other is dedicated to the memory of those who helped forge this nation. Visiting both places on the same day creates conflicting emotions because you recognize the mistakes our nation has made while celebrating our accomplishments.
Crazy Horse Monument is not only a tribute to the Native American, but to family commitment and dedication. The family of Korczak Ziolkowski has dedicated generations to the project, exemplifying what families with a shared vision can accomplish. I doubt the monument will be completed in my lifetime; but, I hope that my grandchildren or great-grandchildren will see it completed.
The visitor's center has a very informative video that explains the vision and progress of the monument. There is also an opportunity to stroll through the studio and purchase items from a gift shop. Many of the facilities are run by members of the family or Native American students that participate in the education programs sponsored by the foundation. It is indeed an enlightening experience.

A view of the monument

One of many sculptures housed on the grounds.

Model of a sweat lodge found in the visitors center.
Sophie was getting a close up view.

I loved how the museum had a model aligned with the
monument. If you stood in the right spot, you could
visualize what the complete project would look like.

Another model of what the complete monument will look like.

After visiting Crazy Horse Monument, we went over to Mount Rushmore. It is VERY tourist driven. Once again, quite a contrast. I have to say that the program in the evening was very respectful of the American Armed forces. However, I think it was a more than a little cheesy. Probably because being part of a multi-generational military family give me the insight of knowing that most soldiers don't serve for the recognition. But, I still believe it is a visit to this place should be on every American's bucket list.

Maggie found the name of the Crazy Horse Monument sculptor on the
plaque honoring those who worked on Mt. Rushmore.

A bust of the man credited for Mount Rushmore

Avenue of flags...

Texas!!

Penny Press Time!!

I know there is a reason why these four president were chosen to be immortalized on the side of the Black Hills; but, for the life of me I can't remember why. Look it up if you want to know.

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

Theodore Roosevelt

Thomas Jefferson

There are several walking paths on the ground. The ones we took were well maintained, not at all crowded, and had small rest areas along them with shaded benches facing some amazing views.

Seth, Maggie, Leslie, and Sophie

Sitting through the evening program: Seth, Scott, Maggie, Leslie, and Sophie

One last shot of the mountain.

All in all, I think we are all glad we made the trek and had the opportunity to see this amazing blend of engineering and art. I think one of the things we really enjoy about our stay here was the occasional and unexpected glimpse of the monuments when we were doing some sight seeing. Pretty neat experience!

Summer 2016 Road Trip Stage 7

Custer, South Dakota and Bear Country USA in Hill City, South Dakota

The first morning we were in South Dakota, we decided to visit Bear Country, USA. There was a wide assortment of animals that are native to the area. We absolutely loved the baby bear pit. They were so playful and CLUMSY! There is a nice gift shop with a small grill to get a light meal.  The facility is well maintained and beautifully landscaped.  It is a nice place to spend a few hours and I think the grandchildren enjoyed themselves.  It is also the place were we learned that Sophie is a tight wad. She fell in love with a bear backpack but didn't want to part with the money to buy it. It took the girl about an hour to finally decide to buy it.  She ended up convincing her mom to pay for part of it. That was just before Uncle Scott said, "I wonder if I'm going to have to go in and buy that back pack for Twitchy."

Sophie and Maggie

This plaque commemorates the founder of Bear Country, USA. Once again, I can't remember why he started it. Just google it for more information. Even without knowing the reason, the animals here are healthy and well cared for. I'm going to assume they are there because they would be unable to survive in their natural habitat. It will make it a little easier to accept their captivity.

Maggie, Seth, and Sophie

Maggie, Sophie, and Seth

After our trip to Bear Country, we needed to find a place to eat. We drove to Custer, South Dakota and ate at a cute restaurant called Sage Creek Grille. I had the most delicious buffalo burger! There were very few franchise restaurants or motels in the area. I think it had to have been a conscious decision made with the intent of keeping local merchants in business. Smart move, if you ask me.  

Throughout the town there are custom painted buffalo statues. Each one of them was a work of art. We didn't do a lot of walking around, but I managed to get a photo of most of them. 

Our lunch stop.

Summer 2016 Road Trip Stage 6

Racking up the miles through Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota

I could tell that the miles were staring to wear on us at this point. Tempers were short, moodiness was setting in, and the girls were starting to squabble with each other. We only had miles of driving ahead of us this day and we were looking forward to staying put in South Dakota for a while. Adjusting to a different motel each night, trying to find someplace to eat where everyone would be happy, and begrudging every potty or gas break added to the stress. I think this was the point when Scott and I started to have more serious conversations about getting an RV for future road trips.  Of course, that conversation took place before we actually reached the Rocky Mountains. Driving a small "not a van" and a Jetta wagon through the mountain passes was challenging enough. But the day we were there couldn't have been a worse time. There was a bike race going on that included over 3,000 riders! Instead of enjoying the majestic and breath-taking view, we were trying as hard as we could to keep from knocking one of the bikes over the edge of a cliff. THANK GOODNESS the main visitor's lodge and parking area was off limits to the bikers. We were able to get out of the cars, do some shopping, enjoy the views, stretch our legs, relish the cold, crisp air, see some pristine snow, and use the restroom. I think without that break we would have had a totally miserable drive.

Thank goodness there was very little oncoming traffic. 

Leslie did a great job driving through the mountains.

Leslie and Scott were driving through the mountains. I tried my best to get pictures without a bike rider photo bombing me. It was tough because they were EVERYWHERE.  I ended up deleting more pictures than I saved.

When we finally reached Alpine Visitor's Center, nerves were stretched to the limit.  But, the short amount of time we spent here was so enjoyable.  The height of the snow beside the parking lot was staggering! The grands couldn't believe it was really snow.  

The ride down the other side of the mountains was less stressful because the bike riders took a different route about half way down. Unfortunately, most of the beautiful vistas were behind us. We all agree it is a place we need to visit again. But, the next time we go, we will be checking the park events calendar to make sure they aren't having a stupid Ride the Rockies race on the same day!

The grands next to a snow wall!

I had to put this picture in. He was RIGHT ON THE EDGE
OF THE MOUNTAIN!! 

Going down out of the mountains wasn't nearly as tension filled. And, unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as beautiful. Still, I'm glad we made the trip. Honestly, who in their right mind would travel all the way to Colorado and Wyoming and NOT drive through the Rocky Mountains?

In all the years we spent traveling around the world with the military, we met very few people that were actually from Wyoming. I didn't really know what to expect while we were driving through. And, since this was a road day, we didn't plan on staying anywhere for very long. If I were to offer any advice to someone driving through the southeast corner of Wyoming, it would be this. If you see a place to eat, stop. If you see place to get gas, stop.  You won't have many options.

Seth

Maggie

Lusk, Wyoming

We drove north on US 25, then headed east into South Dakota. We passed through a tiny little place called Lusk. It was the cutest little town. I would have loved to stop but that wasn't an option. We were done with riding in the car! I think we were all excited to see the Welcome to South Dakota sign.

Sophie, Leslie, and Maggie

Scott

While we were in South Dakota, we stayed at a campground/RV park/resort called, Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City. One of the music teachers at my school is actually from Wyoming and had stayed there with her daughters. She highly recommended it and it really was a nice place to use as a home base for the next few days. It was clean and well maintained, had lots of tall pine trees, some cute cabins, a small camp store, and a pool. We spent a lot of time out on the porch of the cabin or around the fire because the weather was perfect. We kept checking the temperatures in Texas and weren't looking forward to going back to the heat.

On the porch at the cabin: Seth, Scott, Maggie, Sophie, Leslie.

The only downside to the cabin was the need to take ALL of the necessary items: bedding, dishes, games, camp chairs, bath linens, silverware, paper products, etc. We did make a trip to a local Wal-Mart once we got there to buy food. Once again, our thoughts turned to the many conveniences of owning an RV.

It's kind of unbelievable how our original plans for a trip to South Dakota ended up being such a long and crazy road trip. It was also hard to believe we were finally there! We had a lot planned for our last few days and were relieved to have a place to stow our luggage and plunder while we did some sight seeing. We were also glad to have a place to cook some meals and not be spending so much money on food!