A day off and you know what that means? Laundry day. Yeah I know it is not as exciting as bear wrestling, but if I don't tackle it then I will lose a lot of friends due to the smell. :) My back was feeling much better until I stood up for a while. Then the twinge came back, but walking and moving helped a lot. I appreciate all those that have said a prayer for my back. After a hearty breakfast of sausage biscuits, I headed to the laundromat. Again there was no one there and I was glad. So after about an hour of reading and relaxing my whites were done. I got them stored back at the trailer and then headed to Rapid City to sight see and get some groceries and gas. I decided on my drive over to Rapid City, as it takes about 55 minutes to get there, to go see Crazy Horse monument. The Indian equivalent of Mount Rushmore. I saw this monument under construction with Dad in the 1990's and later with Cathy and the kids. After 30 years of being worked on I expected to see this:
But once again I saw this:
If you zoom in close you will see on the top right a shiny white area, that will eventually be a finger pointing. That is the only change I can see since Dad and I saw it in the 90's. I think they have been working on the museum and gift shops more than the actual monument. To be fair I have always wondered how many qualified stone sculptors there are around the world and how many of them would be available to move to South Dakota and ramrod such a large project. This should make you amazed at how good Mount Rushmore is and how incredibly short the time frame was for it to be finished. It took only 14 years from start to finish 1927 to 1941. The Crazy Horse monument visitor center was very interesting with a lot of Indian artifacts and Crazy Horse's story. They even had an Indian giving lectures to the tourists. The one fact I found interesting in his story was that he was shot in the face by a fellow Indian by the name of No Water because Crazy Horse ran away with No Water's wife. I guess the Indians had the same issues as the whites when it comes to lust and bad decisions. :)
On the way back I stopped off at a place that gives helicopter rides around the Black Hills. I thought I would take a ride high above the Black Hills. That is until I saw the cost. For me a 25 plus minute helicopter trip would have ran $205 plus tax. I was about to do it as I saved money for something special, but the lady also said because I was traveling alone they would have to add another $80 for fuel surcharge. I politely thanked her and left. The price was a little steep for just a 25 minute look around. But here is the helicopter I would have been in:
As I approached Hill City I saw several signs declaring that Mount Rushmore would be closed today. It is because President Trump will be at Mount Rushmore this evening giving a speech and watching the fireworks. I knew he would be here and I also heard that those who wanted to attend could do so using a lottery method that was set up. I also heard that Air Force one would be doing a fly over of Mount Rushmore for a photo op. Last year when I was working Yellowstone they were going to close certain sections of the park because Mrs. Trump was to be in the park. Luckily for us the weather turned cold and snowing and she stayed nice and warm in the Tetons. Dignitaries just cause traffic jams and serve no purpose in the national parks while in office.
I went to Hill City's rail road museum to look around. I got the $5 senior ticket and enjoyed the displays. Most of the items on the walls lamented the passing of the railroad and of the miles and miles of tracks that are abandoned or have been torn up. The one interesting thing I saw in the railroad timeline they displayed was this:
At least Indiana has a spot on the wall. The museum also had a very nice toy train display. I love the workmanship that goes into making a miniature town and railroad display. Very nice indeed.
A part of me would have very much liked to live at the time when rail travel was the only way to get around. I just love spending time on a train. I will be back to Hill City before I leave to take the 1880's train to Keystone and back. The ticket prices for it are much less than the helicopter. :)
Well that is about all. After getting groceries at Wall-Mart I headed back to the trailer to make a nice lunch/dinner of General Tso's chicken and sticky rice. One word of warning. Wall-Mart is not the place you want to be on the day before the 4th of July in Rapid City South Dakota. I got a lesson in patience again. :) By the way the temperature today is 101 degrees and I don't think I will be walking around the town until it gets back into the 80's. Take care and stay safe and have a great 4th of July tomorrow.
I always enjoy reading your blog posts.
ReplyDeleteLester