South Dakota

These pictures are out of order, but with the Indian culture so strong in this area, I needed to be sure that the Buffalo and Chief Crazy Horse were recognized. The Chief Crazy Horse carving has been being carved for the last 50 years. It is completely funded by the donations and admission fee to the carving area.

Antelope with kids

Crazy Horse Carving and Statute of what it will be when finished.




We made it to South Dakota and overnighted in Custer, SD. wanted to see the National Woodcarvers Museum there and Jewel Cave. The Museum was interesting to me since I woodcarve. Most of it was about caricatures and movement of the carvings by machine. I'm not real fond of carving caricatures so I was a little disappointed that there were not more realistic carvings. The Jewel Cave was great. It had some formations in it that I had not seen before. There are a lot of crystals in the cave. Pictures do not do it Justice.

Next we headed to Hart Ranch, an RPI Park outside of Rapid City. It's one of the nicest campgrounds we've ever been to. We only played pickleball one day since the wind was blowing so strong. On Monday, it was raining all day. Since then it's been great (except for the wind). We did a lot of the tourist things here since we had never been to this area.


Mount Rushmore through a Tunnel

Mount Rushmore

Bob with the Needles in the background

The Eye of the Needle

Me on a tunnel at one of the roadsite viewpoints. Mt. Rushmore is in the background

The area is beautiful, but there's a great contrast of scenery in a small area. I can see why this is a Motorcycle Haven. So much beautiful scenery. After Rushmore and Chief Crazy Horse and the drive around Custer State Park, we drove up to Lead and Spearfish on our way to visit with Pat and John Irwin in Sturgis. The drive through Spearfish Canyon was one of the most beautiful drives we've done since we've been here. Not very many animals, but waterfalls.


Bridal Veil Falls

Bob and I at Roughlock Falls

Another view of Roughlock Falls

John and Pat Irwin at Knuckles in Sturgis. I called my brother-in-law Stan from here, he rides and I wanted to see if he wanted be to bring him anything from Sturgis.

This is the contrast I was talking about. After all the rolling hills and grasslands, you get to the Badlands. This is me out on one of the rock formations.

Bob at one of the viewpoints. On the way to the Badlands, we visited the Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. My brother-in-law Denny would have appreciated this. They had a very interesting voice guided picture tour of the history of the Black Hills according to the American Indian (Sioux) point of view. This included pictures of the different treaties that the US Government did not keep. One of the interesting things to me was that for a nation formed for religious freedom, the US denied the Sioux the right to practice their on religion.
They also had a man there that was painting the Sioux pottery vases. I wanted one, but of course, I wouldn't part with the dollars to get it. We were going to by the Sioux Pottery place (the artist informed us that we could see more vases and painting being done there) that we passed on the way back to the park, but it was too late by the time we got there. So, no vase.
We're on our way now to Devils Tower for the night.