Stopping to catch my breath!

Although it has only been a few days since I last posted, we have done so much that it seems like a week has gone by.

We revisited Mt. Rushmore by full light of day and the difference was remarkable. While still impressive, the beauty was gone. The soft lighting of the setting sun gave depth and beauty; now it was just carved rock. We did go back a few days later to catch the sunrise as my friend, Gloria Peck, suggested. Again the soft light of the rising sun as it struck the faces made them art. I took a photograph in the sunrise that mimics the color of my first view, but the background sky was grey, not lavender and pink. It's OK, I have the memory and maybe when I get home I can photoshop the picture to replicate the one in my head. Modern technology!

Technology has been a challenge on this trip. Being spoiled by always being connected either by cell phone or Internet has made me cranky when there are problems with that connectivity. I have seen people with laptops in arms walking to find a connection. Who would have thought that camping would include a need for speed. The KOA campgrounds offer WiFi, but it is often slow with frequent drops.

After visiting Mt. Rushmore we went to Crazy Horse Monument. This unfinished sculpture is of Chief Crazy Horse on his stallion. The model on display is beautiful; the mountain, a work in progress. I liked this for a number of reasons. The artist who was self taught and of Polish descent, was asked by the great chiefs to immortalize Crazy Horse so others knew that there were Native heroes as well as the white men on Mt. Rushmore. The Black Hills belong to The People, so it makes sense that one would be immortalized there.

The following day we took the rental car on a road trip into the Badlands. This included a long stretch of gravel road (boy was the car dirty when we were done.) through native lands that looked like another planet. Again no matter how many photos I would take or buy, no justice is done to the true beauty of the place. Some formations looked like sand castles. The weather was changeable that day making the sky in the background interesting as it went from blue to ominous clouds.

Our last day in South Dakota we drove to Custer State Park where we were greeted and wowed by the wildlife. Up close and personal with bison; we watched mothers with the calves romping across the road, a bull rolling in the dirt to help him shed his winter coat, and another blocking traffic trying to cross a one lane bridge. There were wild donkeys and mules who knew how to work the crowd. It was like they were ticket takers standing in the road approaching each car for a hand out. The best was an SUV with one donkey in the front window and one in the back. There were signs about not feeding the wildlife, but I guess the people couldn't read any better than the jackasses. We also saw a few prairie dog towns. As a child I remember them at the Philadelphia Zoo. My mom said they made me laugh. It was fun to see them in a natural habitat.

We ventured to Wind Cave, a National Park. Only one tour was left, so we took it and enjoyed it very much. There were formations in this cave called boxwork that is rare in other places around the world. As a "dry" cave there were not the requisite stalactites and stalagmites. We were more than 17 stories below ground. Much of the cave has still not been explored.

Above ground was more wildlife. So cool that the National Park had two levels to enjoy and explore.

Tuesday was a dreary drizzly day. We broke camp which would have made me sad if the trip were ending, but we were leaving for another great adventure. We drove to Deadwood, SD, just to say we were there and then to Devils Tower, Wyoming.