TOO LITTLE TIME

We were keenly aware we shoved too much into the trip by now. This sleepy town has a lot to offer the typical visitor. I was trying to stay on a schedule, but in hindsight, I was in a hurry to go nowhere. The industry I was in was undergoing a total meltdown and I REALLY did not need to hurry back. But that can wait for another day.

We left Rushmore in the early afternoon for what is a 20 minute ride to the Crazyhorse Memorial. I hoped to come back after dark for the fireworks show at Rushmore. The Crazyhorse Memorial is worth every minute you spend there. Words simply CANNOT do justice to the work that has been done, is being done, and will be done. The scale, the vision, the commitment of this project are all too much to comprehend in a short visit.

I will post photos and more detail later. In the meantime, you can visit their website http://www.crazyhorsememorial.org/.

Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore (http://www.nps.gov/moru) is only a short drive from Badlands. Our route went from Interstate 90 entrance through the park and exited on the northwestern side leading toward Rapid City.

South of Rapid City we toured through Custer State Park (http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/Custer/custersp.htm). This is a great diversion. One of the largest herds of buffalo in the United States roam within the park. The lodge here is supposed to be first rate - it has housed many Presidents - but we did not stay there.

We then went through the needles highway toward Mr. Rushmore. This is a great way to approach. The highway is very scenic and an engineering marvel with some corkscrew turns and manmade tunnels. The last couple of these manmade tunnels "frame" Mt. Rushmore perfectly as you are headed through the tunnel - a nice intro to the monument.

It is a fascinating feat of man's creativity. The story behind the carving is equally fascinating. Gutzon Borglund, originally behind the Stone Mountain Carving near Atlanta, abandonded Stone Mountain and raced to South Dakota. The "rest of the story" is here: (http://www.nps.gov/archive/moru/park_history/carving_hist/carving_history.htm)