Day 2 - Thursday
Thursday was the main attractions of our trip! Lucky for us all of the hotels we booked had breakfast and the night before we would stop at a Wal-mart and grab hoagies and chips for our lunches. We left the hotel at 9 a.m. and drove the first leg of our day 3 hours and 39 min to Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota.
We tried to only stop every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours to take potty breaks and grab snacks. This particular day we stopped in Lusk, Wyoming to take our potty break and to eat our lunch. As we were sitting at a table outside of the gas station, a very crowded gas station I might add, we notice a lady pulling in and honking at a guy walking across the street! Then she pulls up close to us and starts honking! Again, we were on the sidewalk the kids sitting at the table and Heather, Zach and I standing on the sidewalk right next to the table. That lady had no idea she honked at the wrong two Momma Bears, not to mention the Biker that was at the pump on the other side of her. Then she pulls forward 10 more feet and starts obnoxiously honking at cars parked at the pumps!!! Needless to say that lady had the whole Gas station mad at her!!!
We tried to only stop every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours to take potty breaks and grab snacks. This particular day we stopped in Lusk, Wyoming to take our potty break and to eat our lunch. As we were sitting at a table outside of the gas station, a very crowded gas station I might add, we notice a lady pulling in and honking at a guy walking across the street! Then she pulls up close to us and starts honking! Again, we were on the sidewalk the kids sitting at the table and Heather, Zach and I standing on the sidewalk right next to the table. That lady had no idea she honked at the wrong two Momma Bears, not to mention the Biker that was at the pump on the other side of her. Then she pulls forward 10 more feet and starts obnoxiously honking at cars parked at the pumps!!! Needless to say that lady had the whole Gas station mad at her!!!
Crazy Horse Memorial
We were a bit disheartened when we first pulled up to Crazy Horse because it was raining and foggy...thus leaving us with this view of the mountain.
After the Museum we checked out the Open Patio where we tried out the big tepee, the small version of Crazy Horse and we watched a Native American perform the Grass Dance, the Prairie Hen Dance and the Snake Dance.
After the Open Patio we checked out the second Museum, the Sculptors work shop and Korczak Ziolkowski small home he built and lived in while working on the Memorial.
So we decided to check out all of the buildings, first was the Gift Shop and Museum, where it had an amazing video all about the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and how him, his wife and 7 children all have dedicated their lives to this Memorial.
After the Museum we checked out the Open Patio where we tried out the big tepee, the small version of Crazy Horse and we watched a Native American perform the Grass Dance, the Prairie Hen Dance and the Snake Dance.
The Prairie Hen Dance
He told us that the Snake dance represents how a snake has to move every muscle in it's body at once and together to move, it also represents a friendship and working together. He asked for volunteers and too our surprise Keagan got up and ran to the front! She had the biggest grin on her face and kept saying "I dancing, I dancing". Hanna also jumped up with no persuasion, Kabree after a minute of persuasion and Shay saying she would do it with her went up too.
This was in the Sculptors house, his house was so small but beautiful, the wood work and his sculpturess were amazing.
After we checked out all the buildings the fog had lifted and we finally got to see the mountain! Still so much to do but again this Memorial is funded only by donations, parking and gift shop sales.
Kabree and Keagan were fascinated by these things
Everyone was happy to jump in for the short 24 minute drive to Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Zach has always wanted to go to Mount Rushmore and was looking forward to this stop on the trip the most. He was not at all disappointed. It was so much more magnificent in person, the detail is insane!!!
I LOVED the avenue of flags, it felt so patriotic to be walking down it towards
Mount Rushmore a week before Independence Day!
So to me the Mountain was actually smaller than I had imagined but the detail in the faces was incredible. Pictures do not do the details justice, I was so impressed with their eyes and Theodore Roosevelts glasses. I told the kids it almost made me want to cry for Gutzon Borglum to see that one side of Roosevelt's glasses has sloughed off and part of Lincolns face.
Shay, Chase and Libby
We decided to hike the Presidential trail to get better views of each president.
The first attempt at Thomas Jefferson that was blasted off
when they discovered a crack and decided to move him to the other side of Washington
Seriously look at Roosevelt's glasses and their facial hair
This is what Borglum wanted Mount Rushmore to look like
but because of lack of funds their faces is where they had to stop.
The masks were some of the workers' most important tools. Borglum told the workers, "if you feel the mask...close your eyes or put it behind you, just feel the mask..your fingers will tell you much more about what you are supposed to be doing than your eyes will."
Seriously Mount Rushmore was so amazing in person! It was worth the trip just being able to see it in real life!
After Mount Rushmore we drove the 34 miles to Rapid City, South Dakota for the night. We ran to Wal-Mart and grabbed T.V. dinners. We even got back to the hotel in time for the girls to take a quick swim. Keagan was in heaven! She LOVES swimming and that is what she was most excited about for the whole trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment