We finally reached the Black Hills of South Dakota and boy were we glad. The winding roads through the hills brought us to the town of Custer. We weren’t far from Mt. Rushmore and our level of excitement was growing. It was starting to get dark and I really wanted to see the evening lighting ceremony which started at 9pm. I wasn’t sure if we would make it when we ended up behind a large RV going up the mountain into the park. I kept expecting to see the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln around every bend. Coming in from Custer you don’t see them until you reach the park gates. We pulled into the gate at 8:45pm. We parked and quickly walked through the lit Avenue of Flags to the viewing terrace. What a splendid sight it was at dusk. The amphitheater was packed but I found a dry spot to sit and wait. The park ranger was quite informative and interesting to listen to. Did you know that Jefferson was originally supposed to be on the other side of Washington? After a short movie about Mt. Rushmore the lights slowly began to come up and illuminate the side of the mountain. Oh, what a beautiful sight to behold. The ranger requested all veterans, past and present, to line the stage. A roaring thunder of appreciation was given to the men and women on the stage who had or were serving our country. We all sang our National Anthem and then Boy Scout Troop 54 of Shawnee, Kansas retired the colors. What a way to celebrate our upcoming Independence Day.
We waited for the park to clear so we could take more pictures and then headed down to the base of the mountain to Keystone to find a bite to eat. At that time of night there’s not much open. We happened upon Teddy’s Deli. We couldn’t decide what to order. We both thought about the buffalo chili but with a drive to Rapid City still ahead of us and who knows how long that will take, we decided against it. The Reuben sounded delicious and the very nice guy behind the counter explained that the pound size sandwich was ![]()
enough for the both of us to share. Decision made. The Reuben was absolutely delicious. I kept the sauerkraut on mine while Dennis removed his. The plentiful coating of Thousand Island dressing made it difficult to eat without getting a little messy but who cares, it was worth every bite. The homemade chips were crisp and firm.
enough for the both of us to share. Decision made. The Reuben was absolutely delicious. I kept the sauerkraut on mine while Dennis removed his. The plentiful coating of Thousand Island dressing made it difficult to eat without getting a little messy but who cares, it was worth every bite. The homemade chips were crisp and firm. We drove to Rapid City for the night. Okay, we should have probably stayed in Keystone but we already had guaranteed reservations. We were exhausted by the time we checked in and it didn’t take long for us to go to sleep. Oops, I forgot to turn off my phone alarm that had been set for 3:30 am. Oops, I didn’t check the room alarm clock and see that it was set for 4:00am. I’m not sure how many times I hit the snooze button before I finally figured out how to turn it off.
After finally getting some sleep, we woke up to head back to Mt. Rushmore. We had seen it at night and now we were ready to see it in the daylight. This time we approached it from Keystone and this time you could see the faces of these four great men when you rounded one of the bends. It had rained and was still a little misty so the granite was wet, almost as if tears were being shed. We walked along the President’s Trail, smelled the sweetness of the Ponderosa Pine, and gazed upward at the base of the mountain. The granite dried as the sun peaked through the clouds and the faces were bathed in sunlight. Breathtaking! Dennis had heard about the Crazy Horse Monument and wanted to see it. We had passed the entrance the day before so we headed in that direction. The Crazy Horse Monument is a carving in progress less than 20 miles from Mt. Rushmore. It has been a work in progress for over 50 ![]()
years and still has quite a bit more before it is finished. I’m not sure it will be finished in our lifetime, but what is complete at this time is Crazy Horse’s face and the beginnings of his horse. The complex is home to a vast collection of examples showcasing Native American history and culture. In the original lobby is a rock box where visitors can take home a piece of the mountain. Dennis reached in to pick up the perfect sample and was cut by the rock. His comment – “Now, I’m Crazy Horse’s blood brother.” We did not hear any blasting while we were there but twice a year they hosts night blasts. We hope to return in the future for a night viewing and to see the progress made. The memorial is not state or federally funded but by admission fees and donations. The fee of $10 a person was well worth it.
years and still has quite a bit more before it is finished. I’m not sure it will be finished in our lifetime, but what is complete at this time is Crazy Horse’s face and the beginnings of his horse. The complex is home to a vast collection of examples showcasing Native American history and culture. In the original lobby is a rock box where visitors can take home a piece of the mountain. Dennis reached in to pick up the perfect sample and was cut by the rock. His comment – “Now, I’m Crazy Horse’s blood brother.” We did not hear any blasting while we were there but twice a year they hosts night blasts. We hope to return in the future for a night viewing and to see the progress made. The memorial is not state or federally funded but by admission fees and donations. The fee of $10 a person was well worth it. We drove south towards Nebraska and passed some more beautiful landscapes. As we entered the Wind Cave National Park area we saw mule deer grazing on the side of the road. We soon arrived into the small town of Hot Springs, SD where the architecture of red sandstone buildings was wonderful to admire. While driving I noticed a really neat stone building and quickly took a picture of it. Dennis noticed that it was actually the
jailhouse and asked if I got pictures of the prisoners. In the corner of the picture you can actually see them in their black and white striped and solid orange jumpsuits. There was also a waterfall right in the midst of the quaint downtown area.
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