The Presidents

Thursday, 8/26

Another perfect weather day with a special evening treat.  But first, we attend a time share type of presentation that allowed us to stay at this park for almost nothing for three days.  Give the nice man $7,000 and annual "maintenance" fees and our two kids and their kids can travel the world forever so cheaply that we should be ashamed of ourselves for not shouting "YES, WE WILL!".  So, you guessed it.  We're ashamed.

Back to major housekeeping so that we can enter Nebraska without being quarantined by the health department for six months.  Late afternoon and ... off to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.  Most visitor view the massive, mountainside sculptures of Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and Lincoln during the day. 

Five Retired Presidents

We chose to pay our respects as the sun was setting, and to participate in the evening ceremony.  Included:  Patriotic music, a memorable and meaningful speech by the park ranger, beautiful movie of the creation of the memorial, including the reasons for choosing these four presidents, and the finale after dark ... the lighting of the sculptures.  Unplanned, but exciting, was the slow procession of large white mountain goats up the path and through the rubble remaining below the presidents' faces.

Concluding was the request for all military veterans to proceed to the amphitheatre stage.  It was most touching to see so many slowly make their way through the audience to the stage, accompanied by constant applause.  Six volunteered to lower the flag, fold it properly and present it to the ranger. 

This evening (with an almost full moon), and the evening rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are the two best planned events experienced on this trip to date. 

Tomorrow?  We leave the Rapid City/Mt. Rushmore area for a day and overnight at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in the very southwestern corner of South Dakota, a state that has developed a special fondness in us. 

Wildlife & Guns

Wednesday, 8/25

It's going to be a great day.  A new air filter 2/3 the size of Doris appears to have eliminated most of the black cloud of smoke on acceleration.  Apparently, the air intake had sucked in and filled the old one with a large quantity of fine, gray/white particles, a couple of beer bottles, and a very annoyed hitchhiker. 

After moving from the Elks Lodge to a full service RV park closer to Mt. Rushmore, we took our very basic rental car (manual windows and door locks; no cruise control; a gas tank so small we can fill it with one of the new found beer bottles) and headed off to Custer State Park.  Good thing we didn't take the coach.  The windy road to access the park was also populated with photogenic one way tunnels that were so height challenged and so narrow that we were required to sound our squeaky-mouse horn before entering.  Not sure what the sounding was supposed to do besides frighten mice from entering at the same time.

The sign says "No RVs".  No kidding.

Anyway, the park gave us natural South Dakota beauty for many miles, but none of the advertised wildlife ... until the wild burros came entered the road to be fed. 

Now we know why our sub-basic rental car came with two mirrors.

And then the pronghorns, prairie dogs ... and finally the bison, better known to the less sophisticated as buffalo, decided to entertain us.  Not one bison ... HUNDREDS!  Bigger than our car.  Heck, bigger than your car!  Being surrounded by them, we wisely and quickly cranked up the windows (as if that would save us).  It was the only thing we could do besides apologizing to the foaming herd for having once bitten their distant relative after it had been transformed into a buffalo burger.

For some reason, the decision to make a right turn came easily.

Did I say foaming herd?  I meant pooping herd.  My God, these beasts have perfected the natural act to the highest production volume of any animal we've previously encountered.  And they don't mind dropping their over sized, fresh meadow muffins on the nicely paved roads.  Note to self:  In the future, stay a lengthy distance from the car ahead of us.  That stuff has also been perfected to fly great distances.

OK, enough potty talk.  We thoroughly enjoyed Custer State Park, but eventually wound our way out and onto county roads taking us to Keystone.  Another old west town transformed into a tourist attraction, it provided great entertainment and some great laughs at the Red Garter Saloon where we enjoyed a comedic rendition of the life of Wild Bill Hickok and associated gun slingers.