Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse MemorialOn

On our second day in Hill City, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we drove the the scenic Needles Highway in Custer State Park.. We couldn't have visited at a more perfect time. The foilage was beautiful.

The tunnel will accomodate one car at a time.

Construction began on Mount Rushmore in 1927 and was complete in October of 1941. The sculptures were indended to be carved from the waist up but the project ran out of money. The heads of the four presidents are sixty feet high.

Don't forget to take a jacket. I forgot mine but fortunately had a sweatshirt. At the viewing area the wind was cold. Allow at least a half a day to see everything at Mount Rushmore.

This picture of Washington's profile was taken after we left the Memorial on our way to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Crazy Horse Memorial was commissionby by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. Construction began in 1948. All that is complete is the head which stands eighty-seven feet tall. If finished, the Crazy Horse Monument will be the world's largest sculpture. To help with size perspective, the tunnel shown in the rock is approximately eight stories high.

Allow a full day to tour Crazy Horse Memorial and see the museum and many exhibits.  Be sure to see the historical documentary. A bus will take you down to where the blasting takes place an bring you back.

The Black Hills are beautiful. It's easy to close your eyes and imagine going back in time to the days before roads and modern structures dotted the land. I can see hundreds of buffalo grazing on the grasslands and Lakota warriors riding to the hunt.

How about you?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading and Writing.
Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Day two of South Dakota - Badlands and Hill City Wineries

Friday morning we drove through the Badlands National Park. The landscape changes from grassland to sharply eroded spires and buttes rich with fossils of a variety of extinct animals. It's easy to see how the area got it's name.

It's easy to see how the area got it's name. In our early history, if a person got lost, they'd never find their way out of the rough territory. Today with air search, heat seeking sensors and cell phones rescue would be easier.

While driving through we saw Prairie Dog Town and some buffalo. We found out later that if we'd continued on the dirt road we'd have seen a herd of buffalo and not just the five we took pictures of. The prairie dog I photographed let me get close. It was so curious, it scurried toward me, then changed it's mind. In another area of Prairie Dog Town, we saw a badger digging in after a meal. Dirt flew everywhere. Strangest thing--a coyote stood ten feet away watching the action. After a while it  moved a little farther away and lay down to wait. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't come out where we could identify anything.

From the Badlands we drove to Hill City where we toured two wineries--Stone Faces Winery, Valiant Vineyards second winery and Prairie Berry Winery. Both had free wine tastings with delicious offerings, and we came home with five bottles. 

My next post will be about Mountain to Prairies B&B where we stayed in Hill City. Thank you for stopping by and please leave a comment. I enjoy reading your comments.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/ 

Day 1 in South Dakota - Wall Drug in Wall, SD

In 1931, a young pharmacist, Ted Hustead, and his wife, Dorothy, purchased a drug store in Wall, South Dakota. They gave themselves five years to build their business into a success. By 1936, the pharmacy wasn't the success Ted desired. Though he filled a few prescriptions, he spent much of his time swatting flies and looking out the door at the shade-less street.

One hot day in July Dorothy tried to nap with her two children but the loud jalopies on Route 16A kept her awake. An idea on how to bring people into the store popped into her head. All those people driving across the prairie were thirsty. They'd put up signs along the road advertising free ice water. On the day Ted put the signs out, people were already arriving before he returned to the store.

While getting their free ice water, some customers bought ice cream cones, sodas, and other items. From that day on, Wall Drug had plenty of customers each day. The following summer it was necessary to hire eight girls to help out. Now the drug store draws up to 20,000 customers on a good summer day.

My husband and I ate lunch in the cafe attached to the drug store. Larry had their buffalo burger which he said was delicious. I wasn't brave enough and opted for a regular hamburger. After lunch we browsed the many gift shops. That evening we came back for pie with homemade ice cream and a cup of their 5 cent coffee.

Thanks to JL Wilson for telling me about Wall Drug. Otherwise, we'd have missed it. If you're ever in the area, it's worth your time to stop.

My next post will be will be about Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Thanks for reading and writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/