Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Mountain, & Mount Rushmore
On Wednesday, I went to Custer State Park. Took the Wildlife Loop. Got Leo a t-shirt that says "I'm the one the ranger warned you about!" on the front, and "Custer State Park" on the back. Ran across a huge herd of Bison, with their babies. The babies are a light beige in color, and even they are huge! Also ran across some Elk, and then the world famous "begging Burros." They stand in the road, and one blocks your car, and the others beg for food! They were a bit lethargic, but they finally came over and took the apples I bought for them. Then, I went to Crazy Horse Mountain, which is on the way from Custer State Park to Mount Rushmore. That was a mistake, I think, because Crazy Horse Mountain is so much bigger than Mount Rushmore. Anyway, Crazy Horse Mountain is HUGE!!! Did just about everything one can do there; the visitor center, the Indian Culture Place, etc. Got my mom a key chain with a little bottle of rocks blasted from Crazy Horse Mountain. I also took the bus ride to the bottom of the mountain (a van ride to the top of the mountain was available, but it cost $155.00!!! Asked the bus driver when he thought the carving would be finished, and he replied, "if Korzac's son, who is in charge of the carving now were to answer that question, he would look you right in the eye, and say "it will be finished on Monday at 3:00 p.m.!" He wouldn't say WHICH Monday, but it will be finished on Monday, at 3:00 p.m.!" The one thing that struck me, and got to my 164th Indian blood, was a quote on the wall from Chief Red Cloud: "They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they only kept but one. They promised that they would take our land, and they did."
Then, I trekked on up to Mount Rushmore. As I said, Crazy Horse Mountain carving is HUGE, so, when I first saw Rushmore, I was going "Oh, this is SO rinky dink!!! This is SO small!!! Looks unreal!!!" I still spent plenty of time there, and got a ranger to take my picture, and then went up the "President's trail," which leads up right to the foot of Rushmore. It said that it was a strenous trek, but I took it anyway, forgetting at what a high altitude Rushmore is, so I was huffing and puffing as I went. Got some great close-up pics (I hope they are great), and wanted to stay for the lighting ceremony, but it was only 5:00 p.m., and the lighting didn't start until 9:00 p.m., with the actual lighting at 9:30 (and, I was dead tired), so I went back to the hotel in Rapid City. Oh, yeah, at Crazy Horse, I ran into the same Canadian tour group I had seen on the Alkali Ike tour in Deadwood, and said hello, and then when I ran into them again at the Rushmore gift shop, I joked "We've got to stop meeting like this!!!" I also kept remembering Kelly's view master, and her saying "I see Mr. Ham Lankin, I see Mr. Ham Lankin," and it was Abe Lincoln on Mount Rushmore!!! Well, enough for tonight.
Tomorrow's episode: Wall, Wall Drugs, The Badlands, and Return to Rushmore!!! Exciting stuff, huh??? Don't fall asleep on me now!!! I still have to tell you about the Buffalo Fridge Magnet!!!
