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PHIL'S PHILOSOPHY
You know Carol, there is one thing I'm really missing on this trip. Everyone we see has at least one little nervous dog with them. Don't you think we need one too? I really miss walking it with the guys at the campground in the morning, cleaning up after it, and having it get hair all over the van. Whadda ya think?
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I think you need counseling....
We're off to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse today. Everyone was talking about the new entrance and facilities. Some liked it, others didn't. We thought it was awe inspiring. But we hadn't seen it before. As you walk up from the parking lot, you go through a granite entry with flags of every state, with the 4 guys right ahead of you. People said you used to be able to get closer, and it was less commercialized. We took a tour with a ranger (these guys and gals are good!). Saw the studio where Borglum and his men worked, and heard the story of the Monument, complete with demonstrations of the tools, etc. It is amazing no one was killed, and that it was ever finished as far as it was. Borglum's original concept was never completed as the rock below the busts was not granite, and could not be carved. The whole Monument took 14 years to complete, at a total cost of under a million dollars! Crazy Horse Memorial -- under private development since 1949 -- refuse to take any government help -- but visitors are "contributing" $8 pp at the gate. The visitors center and Indian Museum are very well done. The 11 minute video is definitely worth it - and the Indians working on their crafts is very interesting.
"Phil, Phil -- what are you doing with your bare feet of that piece of paper?" "Oh, glad you caught up with me. This is Tony White Thunder of the Lakotah Tribe, and he is going to make me a pair of those cool beaded moccasins." "Really!! -- why, pray tell?" "I am really into this Indian stuff and I think it will be a great trip memento -- and we can pass them on to the kids" "Uh huh, and how much has Phil White Wampum promised Tony White Thunder for this?"
You don't want to know... What's next, a headdress with cool feathers??
We are due in Brookings SD a week from today to visit a childhood friend of Phil's, so we have some time to kill in this area. We haven't golfed since June 23 in the Sierra's. Phil's shoulder is feeling better, so we thought we would try one of the local courses. Hart Ranch kept being recommended, so we gave it a try. A nice course with some pretty holes. We were both pretty rusty, but a nice afternoon, nonetheless.
Oh, I have my camera back! Seems to be working. I'll get some new pics up soon!
Today was interesting. The needles highway, the pigtails, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills Playhouse in the evening. All just driving and looking on very narrow roads, but the scenery was really neat. The pigtails are bridges that are built round and round like a pigs tail to lift you up in a small space. Quite ingenious. One tunnel on the needles highway was only 8'7" wide. Our rig is 8'2". It was actually kind of fun squeezing through there. Had lunch and went on a walk around Sylvan Lake. Huge granite rocks lifting right out of the water and along part of the shore. Lots of activity there. Swimming, paddle boats, canoes, etc.Tried to stay at the Sylvan Lake Lodge, but they were full. They got us into another nice lodge though, The State Game Lodge. Turned out better, as the Game Lodge is closer to the Playhouse, and you don't have to go over that Needles highway at night! Dinner was great - Trout and Walleye Pike!
The Black Hills Playhouse was fun. I had heard that their productions were first rate. They were doing Cabaret. It was entertaining, but I didn't think the quality lived up to its reputation. Lake Oswego Community Theater does a better job.
Custer State Park is huge and beautiful. Phil was herding Buffalo with the car, as those guys were everywhere. This is rutting reason, and we did see some action. The baby buffalo are so cute too. Custer is an interesting park in that it is totally self sustaining. They actually sell 400-500 head of Buffalo each year. They have one of the largest, most productive (over 90% of the females calve each year), and best herds in the country, and sell them for slaughter as well as to other individuals to start or supplant their herds. This provides about 1/3 of the cost of the park. The rest is paid for through entrance fees, part of the take from concessions, including the 4 beautiful Lodges in the park and camping fees. They say they run it like a business, even though they report to the State Parks Commission -- what a novel idea!
Boy was it hot in Hot Springs! We found a KOA and headed for the pool. We usually don't camp when it is this hot, but the motel selection was poor. Pretty little town with all the buildings made from a local red sandstone formed brick block. Made the buildings really pretty against the barren hills. Checked out the Hot Springs -- but soaking in a hot tub of water when it is 95+ outside was not too appealing!
Visited The Mammoth Site where there is an active archeological dig going on for many years. They have built a building over the entire site now. There was an ancient sinkhole that many of these Mammoths (large elephants) fell into and couldn't get out due to the steep sides. They drowned and then over thousands of years the site dried up and filled in. The dig is being done "in situ" -- the bones are being left in place -- quite interesting.
Played golf at Southern Hills - the #1 9-hole course in the country for 3 years (97-99) according to Golf Digest. A beautiful little course, up and down the hills. Definitely one of those courses you need to play once in order to know where to shoot. The greens are hard and fast.
Off to the Badlands. It will be interesting to see if the 35mm camera was able to capture the beauty of these hills. The digital pictures don't do it justice. This is another one of those places that you just have to say "why this, why here?". The "Wall" has been formed by erosion from an ancient sea, and fossils abound in this area also. The coloring of the hills varies from beige, rose, steel blue, sea foam green, brilliant gold-yellow, and rusty brown. Incredible against the bright blue sky. We went through late in the afternoon, and the shadowing really made them pop out. Another WOW experience.
On into Wall for the night so we could see the famous Wall Drug the next day (there are signs literally all over the world saying how many miles to Wall Drug -- hundreds of them in Mt. Wy. and SD). What a piece of Americana this place is! All that is really in Wall, SD is Wall Drug which takes up several blocks. This started as a little drug store that advertised free ice water for travelers. 100 years later it has evolved into most everything a traveler could want -- and alot you don't want! A fun place for kids of all ages with everything from an old fashioned soda fountain to a giant animated dinosaur that "breathes" fire every 12 minutes. Disney-like dioramas of Cowboys and Indians, Fiddlers, etc to horses and bears you can climb on for a picture. If there is a trinket you can think of -- they have 2 -- each a little more garish than the last!
We're starting to get into the Great Prairie now. Fields everywhere - wheat, sunflowers (for the oil and seeds), and corn mostly. Farm implements lumbering down the highways to the next field to be harvested. Much of the work is now done by "contract harvesters" who bring their own equipment, people, etc. School teachers make up many of the crews.
The state capital of SD, Pierre (PEER - we learned quickly the correct pronunciation!) and the wide Missouri River appeared out of the middle of the fields. A lovely town of about 20,000 on the banks of the river, which has been beautifully made into a park (no sea walls like Portland). Drove up to the Oahe Dam and recreation area. One of the largest earthen dams in the world. Fishing is what everyone does here -- there are boats everywhere. All the motels advertise boat parking.
We found our best "value" of the trip in the Capitol Inn Motel (too hot to camp with no tress!). Right downtown by the Capitol and the Park. Nice outdoor swimming pool in the courtyard with grass all around, guest laundry (becoming a very important feature to us!), nice well maintained rooms, electrical hookups for the van, continental breakfast, great AC, ---AND they let us wash The RWH -- no charge! Most campgrounds and motels won't let you do that, and, of course, it won't go through a conventional car wash. The poor thing has not been washed in over 6,000 miles! It was really dirty! We got our swim suits on and suds her up, even as the heat again climbed into the 90's. We then promptly jumped into the pool to cool off! The Rolling White House is white again!
Oh, and the price for this bit of heaven -- $35 a night + tax! Mark it down -- Best Value!
This morning we did a walking tour of the Capitol Grounds and surrounding park (another park besides the River park). The Capitol Building is gorgeous -- all inlaid Italian crafted Terrazzo floors. Beautiful woods, and murals that are splendid. The place is totally unattended (it's Saturday) and they let you wander everywhere. Phil even sat in the Speaker of the House's Chair - wish I had the camera!
The roof is copper that has turned black instead of green -- they say it is because the air is so clean, it didn't oxidize the normal green color -- not sure I buy that. Striking, nonetheless. Outside by the lake that runs through the grounds, there is an artesian fountain. There is so much natural gas that bubbles up with the water that it actually is lit on fire. Very strange to see this bubbling fountain -- with fire coming out the top. Maybe I'll try to get a night shot of it tonight....
