Oh, give me a home – where the American Bison roam
Friday - 6/27
Early start today. Got the kids rousted and we headed out to Mount Rushmore. A lot to cover today.
We got there just in time to take the Ranger guided tour. They explained how Mount Rushmore came to be and the reason for each of the Presidents that were chosen. Very informative. I have been here twice before, and did not have a full understanding of why it was created and how the artist did his work.
After walking to the base with the Ranger, we continued the loop to the Artist Studio to hear a talk about how the work was done. Many workers, many years – no lives lost. In the end, Gutzon Borglum (of Stone Mountain, GA fame) would survey the mountain from the base and would take the tram up, repel down and paint on the rock where he wanted the workers to blast and chip away.
We then had to move quickly to head back to the campsite, pack a quick lunch and grab the backpack and binoculars. It is now off to Custer State Park (second largest state park in the country) for a Jeep ride to find buffalo. Of course we just learned at Mount Rushmore that there are NO buffalo in the United States (except in zoos). Buffalo (or Water Buffalo) are found in Africa. The big creatures here are American Bison.
The Jeep ride took us through the eastern part of the park. Our guide, Bob, told us that he had started in the mid ‘50’s working for the Mob in Vegas as a dealer and had worked his way up to managing the Stardust. When he retired, he was asked by a friend to manage a McDonald’s, which he did for 10 years until he really retired. O.K. – he is still driving Jeep tours, so I guess he still hasn’t really retired.
He spent a lot of time explaining the wildlife in the area as well as some of the history. All the time pulling off along muddy rutted roads looking for bison.
I was beginning to feel that we were going to be out of luck, as each road that he tried ended up with no bison. Even with no bison in sight, this was a great chance for me to really sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery with someone else at the wheel. We saw many antelope, white-tail deer and various birds that he would point out.
We were at the farthest reach of the trip, when he pulled down one last dirt road. We passed an old stage coach stop, and you could really sense the history in the surroundings.
Around a bend, and there they were. About a hundred cows with their young. We pulled right into the middle of the herd, and spent the next 10-15 minutes taking in the sights. They were literally within reach, not that you would want to reach out and chance getting one of these large creatures upset.
We headed back to the starting point, and about a quarter mile out, there was a bull standing by the side of the road. The trip was complete and Bob had accomplished his mission.
Back at the campsite, Wendy did a week’s worth of laundry while I headed into town to hit a cash machine and get a couple groceries. Once back, we closed up the RV and pulled in the sides as we were planning on a very early start the next day.
Early start today. Got the kids rousted and we headed out to Mount Rushmore. A lot to cover today.
We got there just in time to take the Ranger guided tour. They explained how Mount Rushmore came to be and the reason for each of the Presidents that were chosen. Very informative. I have been here twice before, and did not have a full understanding of why it was created and how the artist did his work.
After walking to the base with the Ranger, we continued the loop to the Artist Studio to hear a talk about how the work was done. Many workers, many years – no lives lost. In the end, Gutzon Borglum (of Stone Mountain, GA fame) would survey the mountain from the base and would take the tram up, repel down and paint on the rock where he wanted the workers to blast and chip away.
We then had to move quickly to head back to the campsite, pack a quick lunch and grab the backpack and binoculars. It is now off to Custer State Park (second largest state park in the country) for a Jeep ride to find buffalo. Of course we just learned at Mount Rushmore that there are NO buffalo in the United States (except in zoos). Buffalo (or Water Buffalo) are found in Africa. The big creatures here are American Bison.
The Jeep ride took us through the eastern part of the park. Our guide, Bob, told us that he had started in the mid ‘50’s working for the Mob in Vegas as a dealer and had worked his way up to managing the Stardust. When he retired, he was asked by a friend to manage a McDonald’s, which he did for 10 years until he really retired. O.K. – he is still driving Jeep tours, so I guess he still hasn’t really retired.
He spent a lot of time explaining the wildlife in the area as well as some of the history. All the time pulling off along muddy rutted roads looking for bison.
I was beginning to feel that we were going to be out of luck, as each road that he tried ended up with no bison. Even with no bison in sight, this was a great chance for me to really sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery with someone else at the wheel. We saw many antelope, white-tail deer and various birds that he would point out.
We were at the farthest reach of the trip, when he pulled down one last dirt road. We passed an old stage coach stop, and you could really sense the history in the surroundings.
Around a bend, and there they were. About a hundred cows with their young. We pulled right into the middle of the herd, and spent the next 10-15 minutes taking in the sights. They were literally within reach, not that you would want to reach out and chance getting one of these large creatures upset.
We headed back to the starting point, and about a quarter mile out, there was a bull standing by the side of the road. The trip was complete and Bob had accomplished his mission.
Back at the campsite, Wendy did a week’s worth of laundry while I headed into town to hit a cash machine and get a couple groceries. Once back, we closed up the RV and pulled in the sides as we were planning on a very early start the next day.