On Thursday 6/19 we arrived at Beaver Lake Campground just outside of Custer SD. We were about 20 miles from Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain. Custer State Park is also just East of Custer. We went to Mt. Rushmore on Friday and also did some shopping in Custer.
Mount Rushmore is the first National Monument in the US and it is a really nice memorial. We walked to the base of the mountain and toured the displays that explain how this amazing project was completed. We went back to the memorial on Saturday night for a lighting ceremony that they have each night. After a brief talk they show a twenty minute film that highlights the contributions of the Presidents that are carved into the mountain and the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who spent a good part of his life completing the memorial. After the movie and the lighting of the mountain they brought all the veterans in the audience up onto the stage of the amphitheater for the retiring the flag ceremony. It was really nice.
Sunday we visited Crazy Horse Mountain. This is a private mountain carving that has been in process since the 6/3/48 and is probably only about 30% finished. When it is complete it will be the largest mountain carving in the world. Crazy Horse is a memorial to the Native Americans. It is amazing the amount of rock that has already been removed. This monument will not be finished in our lifetime. It is very impressive.
We were able to do two very nice hikes in Custer State Park and we also drove the wildlife loop and saw numerous antelope and a herd of about 200 buffalo. The buffalo have had there calves now and it is really neat to watch them.
We finally had some great weather except for the hail we had the day we were at Rushmore. This is a very pretty part of South Dakota and Custer State Park is not to be missed.
Today is Monday 6/23. Today we drove to Wall SD and visited Badlands National Park which is just south of here. We also spent a couple of hours wondering through the many shops of Wall Drug which is a big tourist trap in Wall SD.
Tomorrow we are on a boogie across SD to Mitchell. We heard that there is a place called the Corn Palace that is an interesting tourist attraction. If we have the time we will do the tour.
Most of our days now will be one day drives until we get home July 2. I guess we are both in the getting home mode but we still have a lot of miles to go.
Life is Great!! Enjoy!
Bill and Eileen
Monday, June 23, 2008
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