Mount Rushmore - September 2011

We've all seen pictures of it and yet it is still stunning to see in person.  The sixty foot sculptures were begun in 1927 and completed in 1941. The National Park is a major tourist destination and the requisite shops and museums have understandably built up around it.

You can't climb it (unless you can wrangle an invite from the Park

Superintendant who takes select people up to the top of the presidents'

heads). When I asked a guard about climbing it, he was quite short with me and stated that all climbing was prohibited. They won't tell you about the private tours.

We can probably thank Alfred Hitchcock for what must be a common

and irritating question. Not even Cary Grant, et al, were permitted to climb it in "North by Northwest" but filmed the now classic scene in a movie studio.

We had lunch in the restaurant with the view and tried to picture Grant

and Eva Marie Saint in the same place (we couldn't find any memorabilia).

 

There is a lot of information about the sculptor, Gutzan Borglum, and the carving of the mountain, with old photographs, molds, etc., and you can easily spend at least half a day here.

 

But the best thing is the mountain itself. It gleams white in the distance (from a recent power washing) and this profile stops people in the road.

Sadly, this was a sacred place for Native Americans and there are now four white men carved into the mountain. That's what we do. Come for the carvings but appreciate the history.

Custer State Park, South Dakota - September 2011

This huge park is amazing. Imagine driving down a road and seeing a bison or a big horn sheep along the side of the road. Welcome to Custer State Park.

Cars are slowly driving everywhere and if you see them pulled off the road, follow them; there's wildlife in sight. Unfortunately, some people try to get too close and/or are too loud, and the animals get spooked.

There's a wild herd of bison that is annually "rounded-up" for medical checkups and for a grand tourism spectacular. We did not make the 5:30ish a.m. start time but did check out the area a few hours later. Hundreds of cars were heading the opposite way and we finally arrived at the "pen" area. 

One Minute Video of the Bison

Here's the dark secret of the western round-up. Before the

bison, cowboys, and cowgirls ride up over the hill for the tourists,

pickup trucks have driven through the park, scaring the animals

and funneling them towards the pens. Ah well. It's a beautiful place

in spite of this subterfuge and the park's namesake. 

Visit if you have the chance.

  

Crazy Horse Memorial, West Custer, South Dakota - September 2011

This is an amazing mountain sculpture in

progress, the first blast taking place

 in 1948. It's not without controversy and it

has been operating without government

 funds (and control) by choice. 

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was selected by members of

the Lakota tribe, who chose the Black Hills of South

Dakota for the location. Korczak moved to the Black Hills after

World War II and devoted the rest of his life to the project. He

died in 1982 and is buried somewhere near the base of the mountain;

his family/foundation carries on with the project. 

In case you think you can walk up to the mountain and take

a look around, guess again. You must pay admission and take

the guided and timed bus trip there. The driver is full of information

and historical background so you probably won't be too irritated

by the fee. The sign is somewhat disingenuous as the

paid-for-bus-trips are allowed.

 

 

   Museums, displays, and retail booths are all over

the place and you might as well check them out, because

you've paid for admission.

 

It's altogether stupendous and impressive, and will be even

more so when it's completed.

Here's the wiki info link 

and here's a 35 second video driving away   

Deadwood, South Dakota - September 2011

On a mission to see Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument, we picked the historic town of Deadwood to stay for two nights. It was not what we expected. Historic, yes, but every store front is now a casino. Opening itself up to casinos saved the town financially but ruined it otherwise. You can find some interesting bars to visit and a little retail but not much.

 

 

Kevin Costner fell in love with the area while filming "Dances with Wolves" (Spearfish Canyon), 

and bought a bar/casino in Deadwood. He filled it with his memorabilia

and shows up once in a while, many times not recognized, 

according to our server.

 

My favorite photo was of Kevin with the cast of "The Big Chill". He was

cut from the movie and appears only as a corpse.

Deadwood's biggest claim to fame is being Wild Bill Hickok's place of death. Holding the now known as dead man's hand, he was gunned down by Jack McCall in 1876. 

 

 

He's buried here in Mt Moriah Cemetery, along with Calamity Jane.

 
 
 
 

Deadwood is worth one visit 😊