The next stop on our journey was Hill City South Dakota. We were fortunate to find a beautiful RV camp at the Bar J Ranch. Hill City is perfectly situated in the Black Hills between many small cities (including Sturgis) Mount Rushmore,Crazy Horse, where in the evening the have a lazer light show that lights up the mountain and ends with a vision of the finished rendition of Crazy horse. pretty cool to see and then there was the Badlands.(Bad to the bone) Along the way we stopped at Custer's Memorial and where it is noted for "Custer's last Stand". We arrived just as the annual Sturgis motorcycle event was ending. Apparently the weekend before we arrived, 700,00 motorcycle enthusiasts took over not only Sturgis, but Hill City, Keystone, where there is the original boardwalk that dates back to the early 1800's, Deadwood, and other closely located areas. What a yearly boom for the small tows and businesses there. And they welcome them with open arms! Many stayed on for the following week and we had the opportunity to chat with, dine with, and converse with many riders from all over the country. Interesting to say the least.
As we were setting up our campsite and opening up our slide-outs, we discovered one of our windows had shattered during our drive from the Big Cottonwood River to SD. How, we have no idea but trying to find a place to get it fixed was no easy feat. As luck would have it, we found a place in Denver CO that specializes in RV glass repair. That is our next destination. We taped it up and enjoyed our time in the hills and towns of SD.
Both of us were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the area. Yes, it is impressive to see Mount Rushmore and understand the feat it was to accomplish. Learning how the 4 presidents were decided upon was an interesting lesson in history and made a lot of sense when you gave it some thought. Crazy Horse is another amazing undertaking and being there you can understand why it has taken so long to get to this point in the structure and why it could possibly take another 50 years to complete. The interpretive center and the surrounding area provides so much american history and a deeper understanding of the fate of the native Americans. Crazy Horse is a monument and a symbol to all Native Americans, not just the Lakota, and it is to show the white man that the red man has heros too.
The buffalo roam freely in Custer State park, along with the deer and the antelope ( you can hum the tune) wild burro, elk, and prairie dogs everywhere. We had storms many evenings, thunder, lighting, and driving rains where you could not see out the window. We now know why it is so green there.
We visited the so-called famous town of Wall and Wall Drugs on our way to the Badlands. Wow, unlike anyplace else for sure, The
Next Stop Denver Colorado and a visit with family. Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment