Driving Through Badlands, Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore

We arrived after dark at our reserved spot at Yogi Bear Resort. It is dark in South Dakota when the sun goes down. We drove right past the campground, because the directions said to turn left. It was on the right. We promptly turned around and checked into our spot. I must say, I really like "glamping". We don't have to drag our suitcases into the hotel. Or pitch a tent. Everything's right here. As I write, the riblets are in the pressure cooker and I've put together the cole slaw to go with them.

Our drive through South Dakota was unbelievable. I've never been in this part of the state and it is BEAUTIFUL!! 

The Badlands aren't "bad" at all, but beautiful, and sharp and almost beyond description. Jim thought it looked like something out of Star Wars. 

Badlands

Badlands

I could add so many more photos, but suffice it to say, the Badlands are a place to visit. Give yourself a day to stop at every view point. Explore the walking trails. We didn't have time, because we didn't allow it (we will next time).

We also visited Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse today. 

What I didn't realize is that Crazy Horse is privately owned. It was developed by two people, a white man and an Indian. An Indian, Henry Standing Bear, asked Korczak Ziolkowski, a sculptor who worked on Mt. Rushmore, if he would build a Native American memorial for one of their heroes. In 1948 Ziolkowski started the project and was dedicated to the completion of it. He started with $138.00 in his pocket and determined he would never receive any funds from any government. Though he was unable to complete it, his family (he had ten children) plan to do so by 2050. Thus, the birth of Crazy Horse Memorial which will be bigger than Mt Rushmore and even taller than the Washington Monument as well as pyramids.

A smaller scale of the monument

There's the head of Crazy Horse. It will be some time before it is completed.

There they are: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln

Buffalo burger!

We looked at this while eating our burgers

My mind is so full of what we saw today, my comments and photos are scant. God's creation is so marvelous and beyond words.

My mother's family homesteaded in South Dakota. My grandmother Sara even homesteaded a place by herself in South Dakota. Here's a real cabin that homesteaders lived in. We are so spoiled with what we have!

One of my regrets is not being able to stop and see the museum at the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder--Little House on the Prairie--in DeSmet, SD. Well, maybe next time....

See ya tomorrow! We'll travel through Minnesota and camp in Wisconsin. A shorter day with less stopping and just driving. Maybe we'll sleep in tomorrow!