Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, and the Badlands... We are "from" South Dakota afterall...

Before we got really serious about making a dash for Elkhart, IN, we knew we had to spend some time in South Dakota.  We had to go to Mount Rushmore - it's a national monument - top tourist attraction for Americans and folks from Canada and other countries.  Ho hum?  We were not prepared to to be awestruck, and we were.  Once again we found ourselves immersed in the history of the place - how it came to be, why in that spot, who all were involved.  Why those four presidents?  We decided to walk the many, many stairs - the presidential walk.  Fortunately, we also took the tour, renting the electronic devices that provide historical information at various points along the walk.  Let's just say, believe it when the sign says this is a strenuous walk.  We put both of our new right knees to the test.  It was all worth it at the end as we were literally standing in the "face of history."

After Mount Rushmore, we visited the yet-to-be-finished mountain sculpture of Crazy Horse.  When it was decided this sculpture would be created, the Native Americans were the decision makers.  According to the documentation, Crazy Horse was the embodiment of the spirituality of of all Native Americans.  Some of the most  interesting aspects of this monument are the work is all privately funded, and the work is overseen / done by family members of the original sculptor... who was an apprentice of the sculptor of Mount Rushmore.  The model of what the finished work will look like shows the head of Crazy Horse in full feathered head dress, on his horse, with his arm / finger pointing out over the land.  "My land is where my people are buried."  We speculated how long it would take to complete the Crazy Horse monument.  Time is not the primary issue.  Money is.  The family is committed to its completion.

The museum and educational facilities connected with the monument reflect a long range plan to preserve the history of many Native American tribes and to promote education. 

Our next venture was to Wind Cave National Park.  This park is a fascination blend of the prairies of the Black Hills and the mystery of what lies beneath the prairie.  As the story goes a young man named Alvine and his older brother were hunting one day and discovered a hole in the side of a rock hill about the size of a football.  As he leaned to look into the hole, a strong wind blew his hat off.  Alvine and his brother thought that was great fun and came back the next day to try it again.  This time when he looked into the hole, his hat was sucked into the hole.  The exploration of this "place" started, and Alvine discovered a cave that has now 144 miles of mapped channels. Scientists estimate that only one tenth of Wind Cave has been discovered.  The cave has the largest amount of box formations of any cave.  There are no  stalactites or stalagmites.  Formations that look like short honeycombs and crystals that are called snow crystals fill the cave.  I've mentioned my fear of heights, and now I share with you the dark close places don't thrill me either.  Mark off spelunking as a future career for me.  Our guide reminded us that Alvine explored and mapped a total of ten miles of Wind Cave before he died at the age of 21 - by candle light.  She turned off the electric lights that dimly lit our passage way after light one candle.  Then she blew the candle out.  We literally could not see our hand in front of our face.  I've never experienced such darkness, and it was unnerving!

Jerry fascinated with the rock formations

Boxwork formations throughout Wind Cave

 We completed our time in South Dakota as visitors in the Badlands.  Years ago, both our children went on distance running camps each summer, and Wall, SD was one of the stops.  They loved Wall Drugs.  So a stop there was a bit of our family history - plus the purchase of two t-shirts for Chris and Sara - that just had to happen.  After that stop for lunch, we traveled into the Badlands National Park and were able to find a camping spot in the park.  There are parts of the Badlands that look like we just drove on to another planet.

 During our brief stay in the Badlands, the temperature stayed well above 9 degrees.  Long range hiking for us was out of the question in that heat, but it didn't stop us exploring this unusual landscape for two days.  Time and again during our journey this year, we have been struck by how well the National Park Service has constructed so many of the parks to be user friendly.  We also appreciate how well versed the rangers are and how often they emphasize that these are OUR parks. 

An interesting note about the sunset picture...  I'm really into sunsets and often shoot short time lapsed pictures as the sun appears to rush to sink below the earth's skyline.  I never have issues with focus.  I tried several shots with both my camera and my phone and could not get one to focus.  My untested theory is there is a strange atmospheric disturbance in the Badlands causing this hazy result in photography...  The Badlands does look like another planet after all.

Our last stop before heading to Sioux Falls was at the Minuteman Missile Site which is now a National Park.  The tour which is a must do includes a tour of the decommissioned D-9 control building and a self guided tour with cell phone recording of the actual site where a training sample of a Minuteman 2 missile is housed.  It was at this site I confirmed my belief that no U.S. history should be taught in a classroom. Field studies of one to two years should be taken by all high school students to learn, in the field, about their country.  Financial support of this idea is yet to be worked out...

We learned from a young ranger with a degree in history what it is like to be a missilear - working 24 hour shifts on watch.  We learned of the incredible protocol connected to missile defense in the U.S. The space provided the missilears below ground was half the size of our motor home.  The young ranger challenged us to think about being the persons (it takes two at one site along with a partner site) to launch the missiles.  Each missilear knew that in  the event of a nuclear strike, their job, and their value to the country was over.  This last visit was chilling as well as humbling.

After a brief overnight in Sioux Falls to pick up mail (Alternative Resources), eat at HuHot Mongolian Restaurant and check out our favorite sporting goods store, we are headed back to Elkhart for some much needed time with family and friends. Soon... Pam