The Wildlife Loop, depending on how often you stop, takes a couple of hours and is worth every minute. To say this land is stunningly beautiful, in the spring when the grass is green, is a gross understatement. Although we didn't have time Kinsey says this has to be the best place to photograph buffalo. She says she's never seen so many and they seemed to be spread out in many pockets so one gets a variety of beautiful backgrounds. Maybe we'll come back and give it a go one day.
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| Custer State Park |
We also saw lots of pronghorn antelope and some wild burros. The burros had some of the cutest little babies you ever did see. I just wanted to dive right out that window and get me one. But, that wasn't going to happen. I do have an awful lot of pent up energy due to not being able to get out and run off some steam. Traveling is fun but this being on a leash all the time is tough on a little gal like me. Driving, driving, driving. It seems like it's all we do. Every time we think we are going to get a hike it rains! Darn, darn, darn!
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| Baby Wild Burro |
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| Pronghorn Antelope |
We approached Mt. Rushmore via 16A. Kinsey likened it to driving a car down a garden path. It's narrow and windy and has these tiny, one lane tunnels chipped out of solid rock. It's a great drive. But, in the high season it must be pretty slow going. The first view of Mt. Rushmore is at the Norbert Overlook.
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| Tunnel to Rushmore |
When we got to Rushmore and Kinsey saw it cost $11.00 to park she said, "Not bloody likely". Kinsey has a bur under her blanket about Rushmore. She finds it in incredibly poor taste. Imagine someone coming into your church and putting up images of their leaders. Lucky for us no one else felt that way so we just stopped in the street and snapped off a few photos so I could have something for this blog.
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| Mt. Rushmore |
And, away we went to the Crazy Horse Memorial. They also were asking for $11.00 and Kinsey happily forked it over. A beautiful visitors center has been built. The memorial has been under construction since 1948 and at the rate their going it's going to be a long time before it's finished. Apparently, many Sioux feel about this sculpture the same way Kinsey does about Rushmore but, like Kinsey, they are in the minority.
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| Crazy Horse Memorial |
At the visitor center/museum they have some beautiful artifacts to look at. While in there, little miss bashful struck up a conversation with author Ed McGAA, Eagle Man. He was there autographing and selling his various books. Well, I guess you already know how that went. I sat in the car whilst she palavered. Apparently, the two hit it off and agreed to try and get together when we come back in the fall. Hopefully, we will be coming back to meet our little Choctaw baby at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. Meanwhile, they exchanged information and plan on keeping in touch. I'm sure Kinsey will have more to say about this chance meeting on her blog The Liberated Photographer. She purchased two of his books and is looking forward to reading them. Crazy Horse and Chief Red Cloud and Mother Earth Spirituality.
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| Crazy Horse Memorial |
By the time Kinsey was done with her jaw boning it was time to head home. On the way the clouds darkened and the sky opened. It rained so hard you couldn't see a thing. The mountains spoke in a thunderous voice. It was pretty cool, if you weren't the driver.
Back at camp it was dry and Kinsey BBQ'd a rib eye steak the size of Texas. Lucky me she shared and we ate the whole thing! Now, if I could just get some exercise.
Ciao for now.
#MollyMontana
©Kinsey Barnard
1 comment:
I've read Ed McGaa. Interested to hear what you think!
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