Stone Presidents

Did you ever wonder why it’s called Mount Rushmore?

          I did.

          Why is a colossal monument to four of our esteemed Presidents named after someone we don’t know?

          The answer is easy my friends, it was named Mount Rushmore way before Gutzon Borglum and his elite team of sculptor-bots started their transformations back in 1927.

          More on that later.

          After our three-day stay at Camp Winnebago, where we had stuff fixed that-we-hadn’t-planned-on-but-were-glad-it-broke-on-our-way-there, (like our water heater), we drove northward for a few hours.

           This leg of our Great Eastern Migration of 2021 was commenced last Friday at 3:30 PM when Matt, our Winnebago Project Manager, declared the Patient fit and able to leave Winnebago General with no reservations. That was good news because as of Friday morning, Matt was only about 50/50 on whether or not the repairs would be done on time, with the possible return to the hospital on Monday hanging in the balance.

          With our first destination of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota set into Miss GPS, we ventured north to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. Vadnais Heights is the home of one of Paula’s’ best friends from High School. Claire, and her husband Craig, met us warmly in front of their home and had a very nice dinner waiting for us. Grilled Brats, an awesome homemade warm potato dish, the likes I’ve never had before, and an incredibly fresh fruit salad were the perfect meal for us.

          Claire and Paula  share the same hobby-craft of quilting.

          Claire is one of those ladies that take it to the extreme and produce award -winning quilts that will become rare collectors’ pieces in the future, so tour of Claire’s Quilt Room Extraordinaire was certainly on the must do list.

          It did not disappoint.

          After a few hours we needed to return to Walmart of Vadnais Heights. Even though Claire and Craig wanted us to stay, we were uncomfortable with leaving the motorhome unattended  all night long and there was no way it was going to fit in their driveway, so off we went to prepare for the next days Westward Push into unknown territory.

          Our first stop was in Murdo, South Dakota, the home of the Pioneer Auto Museum, founded in the Great Year of 1954! (Paula and I were both founded in that year also!)

          The Pioneer Auto Museum was to be our home for the next two days as we explored the eastern part of the Black Hills region of South Dakota. The museum is a member of the Harvest Hosts group, the mostly farms and wineries that make a few spots available for overnight RV travelers on their property. As you can see, it is not exclusively for farms, et al.

          The Museum was as about an eclectic assemblage of Americana collectibles as I’ve ever encountered. As the name implies, cars are the number one attraction, and it does not disappoint on that count. In fact, it doesn’t disappoint on any count except they may want to go around with a dust mop every now and then, but then, maybe that’s part of the earthy vibes this place oozes. It’s got that hokey-hometown- local-attraction that seems available only in a far-flung western town like Murdo.

           It was a pleasure to be there and support this still-in-the-family-business!

          While we were there, we drove the Lifeboat sixty miles to the west and entered Badlands National Park. Of course, we left our Get Into Any National Park Forever Card in the motorhome, so we had to pay again to gain entrance, but it was worth it!

          This place is unworldly with all of its geologic formations, colors, and terrain. It was Sunday and we practically had the place to ourselves. Getting there early certainly helped as we could see more folks arriving as the day progressed. The day was nice enough, better than rain, but we wished for a tad more sun, mainly for photos sake.        But were sallied on, making the best of it!

          Again, wondering how this place got its name, we found out that not just one, but two former residents of these here parts, in their own languages, named it Badlands!

          The Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land bad” and the French-Canadian fur trappers that made their way through the area called it “les mauvaises terres pour traverser” or “bad lands to travel through”.

          So, who are we to argue with such a cool name!

          As usual, every turn you make provides a scene prettier than the one before it and after a while you enter sensory-overload and yield to the overdose with pleasure.

          I promise you that the following photos do not do it justice!

          When we were finished in Badlands, we drove into the town of Wall, home of the absolutely World-Famous Wall Drug Store. This place needs to be experienced to be believed, but since we were there and you were not, I will endeavor to do it justice.

          The backstory,

          In 1931, a young lad named Ted Hulstead, wanted to find drug store in a little town to buy and run for his business. He located Wall, population 231, and bought the drugstore. Business was a little slow so his wife Mary decided that they should offer free ice water to the parched travelers going to and from Mount Rushmore.

          As they say, the rest is history!

          And…. You can still get free Ice water today!

          You can also get Coffee for a nickel, high quality Western Boots, beautiful Native American jewelry, original Western artwork, classic books based on local legends, stories, and history, Incredible homemade donuts, full menu lunch and dinner, an 80 foot brontosaurus, and all of the tchotchke’s that you would expect at a tourist destination.

          Oh, and by the way, you can still get your Rx filled because the current owner and grandson of Ted is also a Registered Pharmacist as was his father and of course, grandfather.

          To say the place was jammed when we were there would be an understatement.

          We left Wall and went back to Murdo, spent the night and the next morning retraced our steps from the previous day, this time with Biggie (with Lifeboat attached) and travelled westward on Interstate 90 towards Rapid City, South Dakota, and the heart of the Black Hills Region.

          Lots to see in this area, so we made our home at another Harvest Hosts venue, the Sick ‘n Twisted Brewery, which is also the home of Naughti Wineries, makers of Naked Wines.

          No. I am not making this up, and since this is a ‘Family Post Site’, I will spare you some of the play-on-words names of the aforementioned wines.

          (But you can look them up! 😊 )

          Our first venture was to Mount Rushmore National Monument, which was alluded to in the beginning of this post.

          I’ve always looked at photos of Mt. Rushmore, which arguably is the most famous and recognized  work of art of this type in the world, and thought, “It’s ok, no big deal”.

          You go, look up, say to yourself, “Been there, done that, let’s go.”

          Yikes! Was I ever wrong!

          This place almost defies description in its grandeur and sense of permanence.

          Which I believe is exactly what Mr. Borglum had in mind when he was approached to get his opinion of a project that was proposed for a different part of the area. A South Dakota historian, Doane Robinson, had an idea to carve the likenesses of famous western personalities (including Crazy Horse, the Sioux Chief) onto rock spires, called The Needles. He convinced Senator Peter Norbeck to sponsor it and there it got its footing. When they approached Mr. Borglum, they were informed that the Needles were not appropriate for carving out what they had in mind. Way too soft and crumbly for any permanence. Mr. Borglum suggested the nearby granite mountain, Mt. Rushmore and pitched his idea for the Presidents. It’s obvious by now how this panned out and the nation took to it by storm, with the unveiling of each President (as it was finished) being a media event.

          The idea was conceived in 1925, started in 1927, and finished in 1941.

          As with anything of these proportions, both in size and meaning, the process was rife with it’s share of controversy. The Lakota Sioux were not happy because this area is considered sacred and to add insult to injury, it was originally given to the Lakota in a treaty but was then taken back by the Government. (As an aside, there is a nearby mountain being transformed into the likeness of Crazy Horse astride his galloping horse currently under construction.) Funding was also an issue, the original carvings were to be completed showing the figures from the waist up, but as you can see, that never materialized.

          The presentation to the public of this Monument is left to the care and interpretation of the National Park Service and they do a fine job on all levels explaining this whole process from the beginning to present day. While we were there, construction on a new entrance and Grand Gallery that showcases the Monument was just being finished. All granite (nicely tying it all together), each State and Territory is represented along the facades of the walkway, until you reach the expansive viewing overlook that is almost as impressive as the view before it.

          The visit was well worth it, and it comes highly recommended by the P and D Wandering Touring Company of which we are the Founding Members 😊

          After leaving Mount Rushmore, we headed for Custer State Park and it sixty-mile nature/scenic drive through the heart of the Black Hills. As with the Badlands, the weather could have been a little sunnier, but so far we haven’t been able to control that! In fact, we had a fair number of flurries that afternoon, which succeeded in both freezing Paula and making the photos of far-off mountains appear fuzzy.

          Oh well….

          In any event, the trip was a very enjoyable trek through the Black Hills. The road meandered in and around the peaks and valleys of the region, showcasing the best. The spires of the Needles were dramatic, and one could see why they were the first choice of Mr. Robinson for his sculpture idea. The wildlife here is abundant, with a herd of Bison (not really Buffalo, but that’s a conversation for another day) and Pronghorn, a kind of, but not really, ‘antelope’ (we can have that discussion at the same time as the Buffalo one).

          I can feel a Western Taxonomy post forming in my brain, I will warn you if it ever breaks out.

          We were going to spend an extra day in the region which would have been totally worth it had the weather been a little more cooperative. There were many more scenic drives available but viewing these wonders in questionable conditions led us to cut our stay short by a day, and head back to Texas.

          Yup, plans changed in the short time from when we planned this Western Excursion until now. Paula has a chance to visit with some relatives that she hasn’t seen in over twenty years and guess where they are travelling to?

          Right again! Texas!

           Just a short hop from our Home Base.

          So, off we went.

           But on the way down we decided to take as many back roads as possible. We first headed to the Lakota Tribe Reservation, in southern South Dakota, also known as Pine Ridge. Our ultimate destination was Wounded Knee, the site of the 1890 massacre. The story is as bad as the word alludes to and I am not going to go into the details here. Suffice it to say that it epitomizes the way the Native Americans were thought of and sometimes treated at that time in our history. I do recommend that you just look it up and/or read/watch “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” a 1970 book and a 2007 HBO Award-Winning adaptation of said.

          Taking the back roads through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma exemplifies how vast our nation’s heartland is. If you are looking for an exciting, look all around you, sort of journey, Do Not take the back roads!

          If you are looking for a quiet, no stress, same rural farmland scenery for endless days kind of trip, then the back roads are exactly what you are looking for! There was a stretch in Nebraska, as we headed south, that there was no one in front of me or behind me (as far as I could see, which was approximately 2 to 3 miles each way) where we drove for 76 miles with no one there !

          I know because I kept track!

          The states out here have an interesting way of dealing with winter weather on the major roads.

          They just close them.

          There are gates on the Interstates, and signs, that just shut it down! Can you imagine just shutting Route 80 in North Jersey down for any length of time? Anarchy would ensue and effigies of Trenton officials would be duly dealt with!

          Fortunately, we did not need to deal with those scenarios!

          We are almost back in Texas as I write this. We will be able to use our new “pad” that we had poured at Danny and Kaitie’s house for the Motorhome to sit on. Much better all around for everything from stability to helping keep it all clean. We had it poured just before we left and did not expect to see it again until September, but here we are!

          We will be finishing the Western Leg (Colorado, etc.) after the brief hiatus back in Texas.

          Stay Tuned!