Day 20 (7/14) - Rapid City, SD (REST DAY!!)

Buffalo herd in Custer State Park, SD
Male Buffalo

Male Buffalo, alone on the side of the road

Defacating buffalo (for all of you middle schoolers or those of you with middle school mentalities)

Laying down right next to the road

Crazy Horse. This is a work in progress that will one day look like the model below. It will be the largest monument in the world. A little taller than Washington Monument. The four faces of Mount Rushmore would fit right behind the head region of this sculpture. It is being built entirely non-profit. They have refused federal funding. It is a monument for the Lakota tribe people of their honored Crazy Horse. They said it had to be carved in their sacred black hills. The original sculptor passed away, but his wife and 7 of his 10 children have dedicated their lives to continuing its progress.

The model with the actual sculpture in the background.

These next several pictures are along Needles Highway in Custer State Park. National Geographic rated it the 9th most scenic driving route in America. It is along route 87. This picture shows a woman rapelling down from this rock face.
The woman is at the top of the rock formation.

Oh, how nice it is to be in a forest again. A forest is definitely home to me. The other biomes are amazing to experience, but nothing feels more comfortable to me than the forest! Not quite deciduous, but still comforting and welcoming. There is just so much more energy and life felt here for me.

This is part of the road that we drove through. One car just fits through this tunnel.

Profile of Washington
Mount Rushmore National Memorial


In Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which I believe is part of Black Hills National Park. We rode our bikes through portions of Black Hills National Park and Custer State Park on the way into Rapid City yesterday. This was a great rest day. I would have really regretted it, if I was so close to these places and didn't take the time to go see them. Today was definitely devoted to sightseeing. I rented a car with two other people - Barry and Dan and we had a great time taking pictures and reading about history. I have mixed feelings about these two monuments. I enjoyed learning about the process of how they were sculpted and the history behind them, but I really prefer natural beauty. The process really is amazing! As art they are very impressive. Many, many tons of rock was removed to form these sculptures though, which is kind of sad, because the natural landscape is so beautiful. It almost seems like this altered landscape ruins some of the area's natural beauty. They are fascinating works of art, but I definitely appreciate the naturally worn rock formations more. It was a very long day and I am not exactly rested, but I don't regret it for a minute. Hopefully my bike can get through tomorrow and the next day without the extra love I usually give it on rest days. I think it can - the Gordon is a tough rig that hasn't let me down yet! I'll clean her chain and give her a bath in a couple days... Tomorrow - another great photo op - Badlands National Park!! After seeing my first live buffalo, I celebrated by feasting on a scrumptious, and healthy (very lean) buffalo burger in Custer, SD. A little backwards, I know. (The bone structure of these animals is overwhelmingly huge, but they are surprisingly lean.)