GREAT FACES, GREAT PLACES

Fri, 7/2/10. Leave rainbow-over-Hardin KOA campground. In town...wash the RV, shop and visit the bakery. Continue east 15 miles to Little Bighorn Battlefield where Lt. Col. George Custer and 262 soldiers met their death as well as many Indian warriors. The National Monument memorializes the major battle fought on 6/25/1876.

"The Spirit Warriors will eternally race across the plains," is part of the Indian Memorial. The battlefield walk and historic interpretation of the events leading up to the battle was interesting.

It's late and there's a sign "CAMPING," as we pass through the city of Belle Fourche, SD. A site is available...we'll stay. PB&J sandwiches and goodnight.

Sat, 7/3/10. Sunny in the a.m...we both run 2 miles around the Riverwalk. Historically described as the Center of Cowboy Country, the city hosts many rodeo events. Tim tries to fit in as a local. It works until he says "howdy" and starts talking.

With a 3-night reservation at Lazy J RV Park and Campground, take I90S to Rapid City and register. Not wanting to miss Independence Day events scheduled today, we rush down Hwy16 to Mt. Rushmore. Around the corner, and there they are! -- four great faces...amazing!

Question: What are the names of these four leaders who brought the nation from colonial times into the 1900's? (Answer at end of post).

Briefly, the history states: In 1923, Doane Robinson of the SD State Historical Society had a vision of a massive mountain memorial carved from stone. US Senator Peter Norbeck carried the torch. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum spent the last 14 years of his life working on Mt. Rushmore.

The memorial is truly a masterpiece! The heads--about 60 ft. tall (6-story bldg.) , the noses--20-21 ft high, the eyes--11 ft wide, and the mouths--18 ft wide. The story from beginning to end is astonishing.

7/3/10 events include recognition for veteran Ola Mildred Rexroat, an Oglala Sioux who served in WWII and also served as a WASP.

B1-B Lancer Bomber fly-over and concert by the Black Hills Symphony.

No fireworks this year!... high fire danger resulting from an epidemic of Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and high # of standing dead trees.

Tim thanks Abe for his participation. Back to Hwy16 and 28 miles to the campground outside of Rapid City. Happy with our site and hook up. It's 9:30 p.m., still hungry, grill some beef ribs. Yum! Looking forward to the 4th!

Sun, 7/4/10. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! It's raining here. Nothing special going on this a.m., so the RV bins get cleaned out for basic inventory..and Zack gets a shampoo.

By early afternoon, it becomes sunny and 70+ degrees. Lovely, so we check out urban Rapid City and discover Independence Day celebrations at Memorial Park.

A 1st Annual Freedom / Family Roots 4-mile Fun Run at 4 p.m? OK.. be right back in 30 min. in our running gear. Hooray! Won a sweatshirt and free beer. Winning odds pretty good with only 10 runners!

Shower, change of clothes, and return to the park for food!, (for example...sausage pizza, kettle korn and watermelon), craft booths, music by Phat City Funk (yeah!), and cultural entertainment.

Return to campground and view city fireworks from our site! Just beautiful!

Mon, 7/5/10. Good time to clean up the RV some more, reorganize, do laundry and bills. It's 75 degrees here, no humidity. It's 98+ degrees and highly humid on the east coast? No thank you, we like it where we are. Have to see and hear about Crazy Horse Memorial, Hwy44W to 385S.

That's some big face up there! A colossal Memorial (world's largest mountain carving in progress) and huge, really huge visitor complex. Brief history-- Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to the Black Hills to carve Crazy Horse, or...his likeness as a spirit to his people. Work started in 1948. It is not yet completed . Expenses are funded by the interested public and not the taxpayer.

There is a 1/34th scale model from which visitors can watch drilling and blasting on the mountain.

8:00 p.m. and back again to our site in Rapid City. Turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and fresh cherries hit the spot for dinner. Work on our second month travel statistics!

Answer to question above: George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.