Thursday, June 1, 2017

Our long anticipated trip begins in Denver Colorado.  We met Marie and Ed in the airport, got our car and arrived at the hotel by noon.  Of course, lunch was first on the agenda!!

We decided to do a recon of the RV rental facility where we’d be getting our “home”.  We were told we wouldn’t be able to pick it up until noon.  We were somewhat disappointed, because we were hoping for an early start… being anxious to get going and all!

We drove into the city proper, walked the river walk, and ambled over to Larimer St and had a light dinner at Osteria Marco, where we had Vicki’s graduation dinner!  The street was lit up beautifully, and it was a beautiful night.

 

Friday, June 2^nd, 2017

We decided to bring our suitcases to the Road Bear RV, then do our food shopping at the local WalMart.  I think we did a pretty good job of it – much better than last time.  Lenny thought to buy little Styrofoam coolers and ice for the perishables.  That endeavor (shopping) took most of the morning.  We found a little dive of a coffee shop (The Butcher Shop) that turned out to be better than decent.  Actually, the name of the place wasn’t even posted – we found it through Google Maps, and address only!!  We were greeted effusively by a wide smiling happy Mr Congeniality!  It was pretty cool and lunch perfect.  Of course when we arrived at Road Bear, our RV was ready, but the staff was running in circles trying to get other groups out.  I think there was a total of 12 RVs going out.  Eddie and I decided they need to be better organized and assign times for every pick-up and departure.  Apparently, everyone is told noon, so they are inundated!!

After our run-through with Wolfgang, Lenny started it up and realized the AC was not working.  Uh-oh -  bring in the maintenance guy – everyone out -  now what?  During this delay, the black clouds rolled in and it began to rain.  OK – small disconnection, easily remedied – let’s go!

I should mention the beauty of the Rockies – they are truly breathtaking.  At times, you couldn’t tell if the snow topped mountain peak was a peak or a cloud!

Our RV is nicely appointed – larger than the last time, with extra beds, updated appliances and 2 TVs!!  We were very comfortable during the 4-hour drive to Wyoming.  I can’t believe I’m here!!  Wyoming is the COWBOY STATE!  We stopped at the welcome center and that was a beautiful facility.  I was sorry that we didn’t have more time to explore all the museum-like vignettes it had.  The one thing that was mighty to behold was the skeleton reproduction of a woolly mammoth – which was indigenous to the area 11,000 years ago!!  HOLY COW!!  Or HOLY MAMMOTH!!! I kept thinking of Ayla and Clan of the Cave Bear – wow!

The vastness of this part of the country is overwhelming.  Lots of green, livestock, mesas, mountain outcrops, and a rainbow!  We got to Guernsey State Park by 7.  We were anxious to have our first cocktail and noshes.  Thanks goodness we bought a roasted chicken cause we were not in the mood to deal with food preparations!  We popped out the sides of the RV and enjoyed the great outdoors.  The campsite is situated on the banks of the Guernsey Reservoir. We were not alone – campers, tenters, boaters, dogs – a beautiful, peaceful, serene park.  A train keeps coming through – filled with coal cars, (if you can believe), and then returns later, empty.  I’d like to learn where it’s coming from, and where this coal ends up.  Now, its off to the Black Hills and MT Rushmore – I’ve got my pencil ready to check off Bucket List Item!!

 

Saturday, June 3, 2017

After a restful first night in the RV, we were all up at 5:30!  We watched the sun come up over the lake (reservoir) and it was magnificent.  Leisurely, we got ourselves together and were ready for departure by 10.  First stop, gas and shopping for forgotten items in the teeny town of Guernsey.  Then onto Register Cliff State Historic Site.  This is a 100-foot cliff with the carved names of thousands of pioneers who journeyed past this point.  Many of the inscriptions were made between 1840-60.  Whenever I’d travel in Europe to ancient cities and get caught up in their history, I always marvel that as the US is soWhi young, we don’t have that type of history.  Well – I stand corrected!!  I got goose bumps reading the names of all those who went before!! 

 

 

So as background – the Oregon Trail (2,000-mile trail) began in Kansas City MO during the mid-1800’s.  The emigrants left their homes for better lives for various reasons.  Economic depression of the 1800’s encouraged people to go west and claim land (homesteaders) for themselves.  Initially, it was a fur trading route.  Later on, the gold rush in California was an impetus, as well as religious freedom (Brigham Young).  Nearby, were the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.  This is a well preserved examples of mid-19^th century footpaths used by muleteers and others who walked beside the wagons.  It was hard to believe that our forefathers WALKED all that way, pushing handcarts, and, riding in covered wagons, risking life and limb. 

 

 

Things must have been pretty horrible for them to leave what they knew for something totally unknown.  I have a new appreciation for the term “Pioneer”!

While we were exploring this bit of Americana, I burst into song, of course – DON’T FENCE ME IN!  I was rewarded with Marie joining me!!!

Our next destination was Mount Rushmore.  YIPPEE!!  While driving to South Dakota, the landscape changed significantly.  The rolling hills of the Great Plains, gave way to mountain majesty, covered in Ponderosa Pines.  The state routes we took were not your regulation highways.  We could see the asphalt extend for miles before us, encouraging another tune to erupt from my lips…This land is your land, this land is my land… that ribbon of highway that goes before me… oh soo patriotic!!

We turned off one major thoroughfare for another and lo and behold, on the side of the road were antelopes (or pronghorns) – another song!!!  Home, home on the range!!!  Where the deer and the antelope play… thank God Marie joins right in, and the boys were too busy up front negotiating directions!

We finally got to Hot Springs, SD, to stop at the Mammoth Site.  Here is the largest concentration of Columbian and woolly mammoth bones ever discovered in their primary context (where they died) in the world.  In 1974, a developer was taking down a mound (a grassy hill) for houses, when the bulldozer operator found a bone.  All work stopped and the rest is history.  It is a working excavation site and they are only 20 feet down!  They originally bored 67 feet into the earth.  So far 61 mammoths have been uncovered.

 

 

 

On the way to our site at the KOA campground, we saw buffalo – uh oh – I feel a song coming on!!  Suffice it to say that singing America the Beautiful does not do justice to this wonderful country of ours!!

We set up camp, had cocktails and are currently planning our events for tomorrow.  All in all – a great day!  Oh! – I forgot – while we were sitting, sipping our drinks, the entire stable full of horses (a herd of about 50) were taken off site for the night.  The sight of them galloping though the wooded trail was a majestic sight to behold!  The memory will stay with us always!

 

Sunday, June 4^th, 2017

Where do I begin?  We had a fantastic day beginning at 10 am.  First stop, Mount Rushmore.  As we approached, the monumental sculpture could be seen from the car – call me a sap, but tears came to my eyes.  Another check on my Bucket List!

Mt Rushmore is one of the largest sculptures in the world.  We enjoyed Park Ranger talks, the film presentation and the Presidential Hike (all 250 steps UP).  The rangers were so informative – it’s hard to believe that the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum made use of dynamite for the actual carving!

A mountain monument was the brainchild of a historian who wanted to honor western culture and figures who contributed to the settling of the west ie:  Lewis and Clark, Indian chiefs (who I forgot) and a few others.  It was Borglum’s idea to honor the men who he felt made America the great nation it is. 

Bottom-line, it is a shrine to democracy. George Washington, father of our country, representing the struggle for independence, Thomas Jefferson, proponent of a government of the people, by the people, Abraham Lincoln, for unifying the country, and ideas on equality and Teddy Roosevelt for the 20^th century role of the US in world affairs. 

The enormity of the project is mind blowing.  Washington’s head alone, is as tall as the entire Great Sphinx of Egypt (we saw that too – scroll back for a look at my blog in ’10)

Trivia facts:  The monument took 14 years to complete, and cost just under 1 million dollars.  Borglum died 7 months before completion.  His son, Lincoln finished the job.

We then had a picnic lunch under the profile of George, and went onto the Crazy Horse Memorial.

This is the world’s largest mountain carving in progress.  The idea behind it, was born when Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear asked sculptor Ziolkowski  (who worked on Rushmore under Borglum), to build a monument to the American Indian to show that,…”the red man has great heroes, also”.  The building of this monument began in 1948 and is still not done!  It depends solely on private donations and contributions.  It is not state or federally funded.  It will be magnificent when done… Lakota leader, Crazy Horse, riding his horse while pointing in the distance toward the Black Hills.  Supposedly he was asked where his land was.  His response (thus pointing a finger), “My lands are where my dead lie buried.” 

POWERFUL!  We took the time to watch some Lakota tribal dancing (the jingle dance) and strolled the area.  Then it was onto Custer State Park and our Buffalo Safari!

We arrived early for our safari so decided to have a drink at State Game Lodge.  Turns out, this was the summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.  In 1953, Eisenhower stayed there as well.  We sat sipping drinks on the porch, in our rockers, thrilled for this unexpected, but thoroughly pleasant, unplanned stop.

We went onto Creekside Lodge where we met our Safari guide, Don.  This included dinner at the chuck wagon!

 

Custer State Park is one of the few places in the world where you are able to see an abundance of wildlife throughout the park’s 72,000 acres.  Our jeep ride took us through 90% of the park.  We saw buffalo herds, prairie dogs, white tailed deer, antelopes, donkeys, turkeys. 

  

 

 

 

 

We did not see mountain lions (thank God), bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and elk.  It was fantastic!  We were then taken into a Canyon, for our chuck wagon dinner.  We were entertained by a band, Dirty Dirty Rice, and enjoyed the camaraderie of the other safari guests.  We decided not to remain for further festivities, since we wanted to return to Rushmore for the evening light ceremony. 

The lighting ceremony included a video telling the story of Rushmore, a narration about the Constitution as an ongoing quilt, patriotic music, then reaching a crescendo with the lights going on the face of the monument.  Additionally, present military and vets were honored, the national anthem was sung by all, then 9 military volunteered for the taking down of the flag.  I was so moved – you could have heard a pin drop in that huge amphitheater.

We were exhausted, having been out for 12 hours, but what an event filled day!