First thing on the docket this morning was to change rooms. It was so small we had to take turns sleeping! And I had to go out into the hallway to tie my shoes! Our new room is twice the size now.
After coffee, we headed for the National Park. Approaching the main gate, I reached into my pocket for my Codger Card that has allowed us free entrance to every National Park we've been to. The lady Ranger said this $11 fee was for "parking". Ouch! It figures.
The famous mountain busts of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln were an amazing sight to behold! Fourteen years of work by more than 400 workers at a cost of nearly one million dollars, is now an amazing treasure for all of us. This mountain is solid granite, among the hardest this earth has given us. It should last forever... or not. The busts are 6 stories high. Washington's smile is 18' long!! Now THAT'S a big grin!
We took a drive around to the back side to see what was there.
We headed for Custer State Park to check out the Park's big herd of Bison, or The American Buffalo. There are more than 1500 Bison residents year round here. Each year there is an annual round up of the increased herd. They will be checked; get their annual physical, given shots and branded. About 1500 will remain in the Park. Others will be guests at the annual auction and will go to other places, including grocery stores. We saw more than 200 Bison today, including a dozen baby Bison. According to the Ranger lady, there are quite a number of babies being born this year. Must have been a hard winter and the Bison had to stay inside a lot.
We took a drive out to the area where a family is building a gigantic statue of the Indian, Chief Crazy Horse riding his non-crazy horse; carving it right out of a solid granite mountain about 14 miles from Rushmore. But no big rush. They've been blasting away on it since 1948. The bust itself is more than 9 stories tall. This will be much much bigger than Mount Rushmore.
We had lunch in their cafe. I settled for the delicious Bison Stew! Debby had the Indian Taco.
The Prong Horn Antelope were a beautiful sight! We must have seen a dozen or more. Also, Deer were very plentiful inside the Park; even more outside the Park! We spotted 4 right here in town across the street upon our return today!
This is a beautiful area. Maybe we should get us a home where the Buffalo roam, and the Deer and the Antelope play.
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