We had to stop and get refueled with food because the next adventure was Crazy Horse Memorial. More on that later. We pulled out of Mount Rushmore and stopped in the pull out where you can see George Washington’s profile. Then headed to Hill City, were we drove through town once and almost said that was cool. As always things open up and happen if we are supposed to be somewhere. Dave and Candi whose stomachs were on central time were growling for food. What opens up but a parking space in front of the 1885 Steak House. We were also there right before the crowd that always seems to follow Dave and Candi anytime, they eat out. As Roy says timing is everything. Lunch was good and when your full it is time to walk it off and go shopping. I confess unlike Mount Rushmore I did have a t-shirt jump in my bag. The front says “Who needs GOOGLE when you have a husband who knows evrything” Obviously that is an untruth. After we finished shopping back in the jeep and we head off to Crazy Horse Memorial.
I had never wanted to drive up to see Crazy Horse up close when I could view everything I needed to see from the road. Candi had visited Crazy Horse in 1990 where nothing at all like what she saw today. I’m jumping ahead of myself, but they have an area in the museum that shows progress on the statue from year to year.
I never had a desire to take the time to explore the grounds of Crazy Horse. In fact I’m not sure there was a visitor center to visit. I did just check and yes there was a visitor center. Click here for the timeline. The above pictures show the slow progress of bringing down a mountain. The amazing thing is how detailed the work is. You can see the finger take shape.
It was $35.00 for the carload and that got you admission into the visitor center. You can also ride a bus to the base of the mountain for $5.00. (this is not handicap accessible). We decided not to do this. I will be honest I was not expecting much. I have to say I was impressed with the details and artifacts in the welcome center. There was even a place to pick up a rock or two from the actual mountain. Both Candi and I decided to get some rocks. Also I found this to be quite interesting when it comes to how large the actual monument will be. The hole is 100 x 110 ft. the arm is 263 ft long. I do have to say the detail on the finger blows me away.
I learned more information on the Navajo Code Talkers. Enjoyed seeing all the hand worked beaded headdresses. Saw a large dream catcher. On the patio there was a plaster cast 1/34th version of the completed Crazy Horse, this will and is a multi-generational project. In the gift shop I bought a t-shirt that I will hold dear to me. ‘Never Forget Your Dreams’ a quote from the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski. There are times when I just think my dreams are not within reach. I have to remember I will reach them just in another way. As we were leaving here there was this super cool cloud formation. Yes, it did hold rain.
Candi did mention I could take a helicopter ride around Crazy Horse I kept say not unless Dave goes with me. He said NO. We decided to head home via the Needles tunnel. We had to show them the one lane tunnel called Needles Eye. Well, we missed the turn-off to Needles Highway which turned into a good thing, otherwise we would have been doing the tunnel in the rain. As we pull in there was climbers who had just finished climbing the Needle I still need to catch one of them in the act of repelling down the rock.
Heading home on big daddy’s road we wondered if we might see him. All of a sudden, he comes running up the road and slows down right by the car as if to say I’ve been looking for you all day. (or something just spooked him).
We go a little further and see another big daddy hanging out on the side of the road.
At home we had dinner and decided to hit the hay early because I heard Dave was going to be wrestling a gator in the morning.
On the Road with Buki-6 