Crazy Horse

Because one mountain sculpture just isn't enough, on the same day we went to Mt. Rushmore, we also drove to the Crazy Horse Monument.  This sculpture is impressive in a different way than Rushmore.  It is on a much larger scale and is being carved so it can be viewed from 3 sides.  However, after 50 years, this is how finished it is--not very.  It would have been nice to be able to get closer to so we could appreciate the scale.  From this distance, it appeared smaller that Mt. Rushmore, and so for me, a little disappointing.  Maybe it would have compared better if we had seen it first.

The model of the sculpture is on display at the visitor's center, and I enjoyed the movement and energy of it.  Crazy Horse is sitting astride a horse with its neck arched and tossing its mane in the wind, and he is pointing straight ahead.  The markings on the base of the mountain show where the horse's ear, face and eye will be carved.  

There aren't any pictures of the end of our trip because it was all in the van.  The day after Rushmore, we  reluctantly drove away and headed west to Wyoming.  We took a quick 2 hour detour north so we could all say that we had been Montana.  In Montana we saw a gas station with very clean bathrooms and a hand made wooden tractor trailer toy with a flat bed and 3 construction vehicles on the back.  James immediately asked for and got it for his birthday at the end of April.   

Two hours south and back into Wyoming we saw a lot of nothing for most of the day.  Once we passed a town which had a sign that read, "Lost Springs, WY  Population:  1".  Mr. One-Man-Show had a nice large farmhouse, barn, outbuildings and a gas pump which was more than many of the towns we saw.  

The weather was much cooler, so our outside picnic plans were changed to inside the rest stops.  We found that less than ideal on a variety of levels.  That night we made it to Nebraska where we were greeted the next morning by SNOW.  It was hard to believe that a few days before we were hiking and wishing for short sleeves.  

The final day was just driving through the snowstorm and arriving fairly late at home, happy to see our own bathrooms and beds.  

Mount Rushmore!

Day 3-  On the most beautiful day we had seen in months, a quick drive from the Air Force Base took us to the world's best art museum for boys--Mount Rushmore.  One piece of art.  Larger than life.  To get a good look at it you take a hike.  Carved by dynamite and guys suspended in midair using jackhammers.  And...

in the museum this fun activity will have all your kids lining up for more.  Choose the video clip of your favorite part of Mount Rushmore being sculpted.  Press down on the dynamite plunger and BOOM!!!! watch part of the mountain explode away and a shower of granite fall to the earth.  We probably could have stayed there all day.

Bill especially enjoyed the sculpture and it was hard for us to leave for lunch.  Bill and Thomas, Anthony and Maria went back to the mostly empty park that evening to see it illuminated.  

Beautiful.  I hope we make it back some day.

The Badlands--Day 2

I had a wonderful time riding next to Bill across South Dakota.  The kids were happily engaged listening to Bud, Not Buddy, and Bill and I could chat and watch the terrain go by.  I thought South Dakota was very interesting...when I looked up.  When I looked ahead or out of a side window, there was flat flat flat as far as the eye could see.  Western Kansas has nothing on South Dakota.  However, if I looked up, there were thousands of birds, migrating in paths like bird interstates.  

When we first saw the birds, they looked like smoke after a candle has been blown out, very black and in defined lines.  On closer inspection we could see the hundreds of individual dots--small birds--which made up the lines of smoke.  And as I followed these lines with my eyes, I could see them extend miles into the  distance like long snaking rivers in the sky.    On the other side of the van were different migrating birds which traveled in small flying Vs like geese, but these Vs twisted and turned like ribbons being blown away in the wind.   

Almost at the end of the day, we came to the Badlands.  Imagine traveling west in a covered wagon, rejoicing over the easy going on the flats of South Dakota and then being confronted with this.  The water erosion here has created colorful, deep and narrow canyons which extend for miles and miles.  The kids were happy to get out of the van to look and then wander through the visitor's center for some wiggle time.  I would love to go back and camp and hike there...when everyone is potty trained.  

Spring Break Trip: Day 1--An Inauspicious Start(er)

ETD:  9:00 am
ATD:  4:45 pm