Gnome to Alaska (Part 4)

It seems that our entry into South Dakota has been one delay after another, due to weather of rain, snow or high winds.  At times a combination of all that I mentioned or even some not mentioned.  Still its one of the most beautiful states I have ever been in.  I could sit and look at the rolling hills all day.  It's a little house on the prairie moment, moment after moment :)  The eastern part of the state is a lot of flat ground, with some rolling hills as you get more westward.  In the summer time it is fields after fields of tall sun flowers as far as you can see, all facing east towards the rising sun.  While traveling I-90 we saw vast lands of cattle herds stretching as far as the eye can see as well as beautiful horse ranches.  It's just a scene out of the movie, "The Way West" that plays over and over in your mind.  I think if I were a young man again I would have considered making this my home, having visited and feeling the way I do.  The western part of the state is even more beautiful.  The rolling terrain that seems to have no end as it stretches as far as you can see.  Badlands with it's multi array of colors and different shades as the shadows and sun gives you a different view with the time of day.  The Black Hills that look dark even when the sun shines on them, the tall Ponderosa Pines that reach up to the sun.  The rock cliffs and boulder formations that make the tree's seem so small.  The vast herds of wild animals that roam at will.  The panoramic views that are just endless, regardless of where your eyes captures the breathtaking and spellbinding visions of all you see.  The camera shutter can never duplicate the picture that is captured by the lens of the human eye.  If only it could and capture the dimensions and the depths, the beauty as seen in the real moment.  I recall many years ago while taking courses at Alaska Methodist College in Anchorage, my professor (Pro. Brink) described art as the sex of imagination.  Over the many years since then I have often thought, how true, as art is the only thing that comes close to describing what we see and feel in that real moment.  Even knowing all that, I am helpless to have you see it the way I do.  My words are only an attempt to share with you all that I have seen and even that seems to fail at the task.  I can only hope that I have shared with you a little of the terrific sights I have witnessed while visiting this beautiful state.

The many towns that dot this vast wide open state also has interest of their own.  Take Rapid City for an example.  Did you know it is called the City of Presidents?  Not because of Mt. Rushmore but because of all the Bronze statues of past presidents that stand on the downtown street corners.  Starting on main and 4th, running to 5th, then four blocks over to St Joseph, running back to 4th.  Here is a picture of the map that best shows the example I'm trying to describe.

I tried to snap a picture of all 42 that they have so far.  They so far only have past Presidents from George Washington to George H. Bush.  Plans are to continue adding until present and then add as history records our past ones.  I won't post all that they have to date, but will include a few, can you guess who they are?

 

One of the most interesting stores we ventured into was Prairie Edge, located at the corner of 5th and Main.  It has a large statue of an Indian mother and child outside.

I especially liked the Indian Museum and Gallery.  My spirit is always drawn to anything Indian.  Must be my Cherokee blood and my link to Native Pride.

Something I found fascinating were these displays of paper.  Believe it or not this is all made from paper.  It's beautiful and the artist has a knack for capturing even the most simplest of details.  You may not be able to see the veins in the hands or the muscular outlines of the buffalo.

 

This sculpture of paper is valued at 55K.  I was told that this is the 5th for this artist this year.  He is making a lot of money.  It is unbelievable all the life like details that is captured in his art.  There were more from this artist but I didn't ask the price as I'm sure I'd not be able or willing to pay even the lowest of an asking price :)

 

 

 

 

 

We spent hours just walking and looking at all that was housed in several rooms.  The art, artifacts and rare items.

 

 The above is Black Elk's Great Grandson

 

 

One of the rooms were filled with millions of beads.  Native Americans used colorful beads in their jewelry, clothing and rugs.  I'm sure that it was labor intensive and took many hours upon hours to complete a single project.

 

 

I could have spent days inside just looking at all that was there.  It would take me too long to tell you of all that we saw and if I tried to upload all the pictures, you'd only get bored and lose interest.  I hope what I have shared hasn't been too much or something you have no interest in.  We tried to get in as much as our time would allow.  There is much to see but some of it is spread miles apart.  Soon we'd be moving our camp again and more adventures awaited us at our next location.

 

On May the 15th we left the Heartland RV Park in Hermosa for Belle Fourche.  We had decided to alter our camping selections for several reasons.  Regardless of where we were staying we had access to all the places we wanted to visit.  The day started very early with the sunrise at 5:44 AM.

 

 

We were up early and preparing to move our operation to Belle Fourche, northeast of Spearfish.  It was a trip of about 50 miles and getting there wouldn't take us long.  There was no real hurry but we wanted to get to Devils Tower by early afternoon.

 

We arrived at Wyatt's Hideaway Campground and set up camp.  What a beautiful little campground it is.  Our site was nice and long, grass and gravel.  It was almost perfect as to level and it took us no tine to get it all setup.

 

 

The campground had just opened for the season.  Mr. Wyatt was busy cleaning up after the long winter, he took time to greet us and answer any questions we had.  He is a very friendly young man and was more than willing to make our say enjoyable and comfortable. 

After a quick lunch we were headed for Wyoming and the Devils Tower.  We were only about 15 miles from the state line and the trip to the Tower shouldn't take that long.  We did manage to waste a lot of time getting there by making a lot of stops for picture taking, haha.

 

 

The weather was very pleasant and we were pleased after all the cold and wind we had endured for the last several days.  It got up to the mid 60's and boy were we enjoying it.  The scenery along the way was beautiful and different from what we had been seeing.  It was more hilly and more pines.

 

 

It wasn't long before we saw the Tower rising above the landscape.  In a little while longer we were entering the park.  The Devils Tower rises some 1200 feet above it's base and is climbed by over 5,000 climbers a year.  It is Montana's first National Monument.  Before the state took it over it was used by the local ranchers as a gathering place.  They would meet there and have dinners as a way to get together a few times a year.  Ranchers came from everywhere and it was a big social event lasting days.  While we were there we walked the base trail around the Tower and did witness some climbers about 600 feet up on the Tower face.  It is said that the top of Tower is not flat as it looks but more of a dome shape about 100 yards across.

 

 

If you think the Devils Tower looks familiar, it most likely is because it was the backdrop for the 1977 movie "Close Encounters of The Third Kind."  It is a very sacred place to the Lakota Indian's and they make many trips and offer prayer bundles to the Great Spirit of the mountain.

 

 

The Park Officials ask everyone to stay on the trails, not get off into the surrounding area's and not to disturb the many prayer bundles.

 

Kathie has a fascination with all the Prairie Dogs that live in the fields on the way to the Monument. 

 

 

Kathie thinks they may be related to the squirrel, the rat, a groundhog, or maybe even a chipmunk.  I think they are just fat conundrum.  Careful they could put your eye out, haha.

 

Another one of the more noted places due to the HBO series by the same name is Deadwood.  However unlike the series on TV it's nothing like the days of old.  There are no more shoot outs at the Gym Bar, deceased being feed to the hogs at the Chinese laundry, no claims jumping and no betrayals between friends and business partners.  No cat house or bordellos where you could get a drink and your poke of gold stolen by some sweet and innocent gal of the night.  All that was replaced with casino's in every bar, restaurant, hotel, outhouse, dog house and every other house you may find along the way.  Below are pictures of Deadwood over the many years.

 

 

 

Not only did it grow in size but it has also changed.  Not sure that anyone living in 1876 would know the place if they were still living today.  One thing that hasn't changed is all the dead or dying tree's on the hillsides and mountains that surround Deadwood. 

 

 

Perhaps that was how and why the name of Deadwood was chosen?  While we visited the town it was quiet and very few walking the streets or shopping the stores.  I have been here in August for Sturgis bike week and these hills are alive with the roar of thunder and the hundreds of thousands of bikers who ride their iron steeds up and down the town streets all over the Black Hills.  On this visit, I recalled some of the places of my rowdy beer induced biker days.  One of my favorite places was the Stockade Bar, across the street from Saloon # 10. 

 

  

Back in those days I listened to Yancey de Veer sing his songs from his album "Cowboy Ride".  His songs tell tales of Indians and the people who lived in those desperate times of the west.  One of my favorites was "Navajo Rug," a song about Katie and that double woven Navajo Rug.  I wonder what did become of Katie?        

Here is a link to a site that has some interesting facts about Deadwood,   www.cityofdeadwood.com  facts that will answer a lot of your questions.  I can tell you that Wild Bill Hickok and his beloved Calamity Jane are buried in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery along with Potato Creek Johnny!   On this trip Kathie and I ate at the #10 Saloon also known as the Deadwood Social Club.  I think the spirit of Jack McCall was doing the cooking, we both suffered the ill effects of the not so good food.  I have eaten there before on several different biker visits, but this time it wasn't good, isn't that the way it always goes?  The #10 has a lot of old pictures on the walls, Wild Bill, Calamity, Potato Creek Johnny and even the only picture of Jack McCall.  The chair Wild Bill was sitting in when he was shot hangs above the front door, just inside as well as a gun belt on the back of the chair.

Potato Creek Johnny

 

There are lots of pictures of Wild Bill over the years hanging on the walls as well as pictures of Deadwood during the dark days.  In the interest of time and to conserve space I have decided not to include those many photo's.

  
 The bars and casino's were void of drinkers and gamblers.  We decided not to gamble our funds away.  Most were empty of those who were willing to take a chance.

 

 

 

We stayed late and it was after dark but a full moon lit the way back to our campground.  Twice we were almost taken out by deer.  If possible it's best not to drive these hills after dark.  The animals are all over the roads and the odds are against them.

Our next stop was in Sturgis, a town of 6200.  That number grows in August, starting with the first Sunday and then it is hundreds of thousands.  It's Sturgis Bike Week, bikers come from all over to gather here for two weeks of fun and some of the best roads to ride.  The town of Sturgis comes alive, standing room only.  Campgrounds are full everywhere for hundreds of miles in all directions.  Yards become squats for those who are willing to pay for a place to sleep with limited facilities.  The police force recruit officers from the surrounding states to help control the crowd.  It's an adult party on a grand scale.  You can see it all here and yet as wild as it gets it's a great place to be.  Respect and honor is given between these wild riders, it's a lot calmer than you'd think.  Like anything else you can find trouble if that's what your looking for, mostly it's an event that people bring their children to.  On our visit this time of year the streets were deserted, few bars or businesses opened.  Still I showed Kathie around and told her of how it is during bike week.  The Full Throttle Saloon, Buffalo Chip CG and the Loud American just to mention a few of the bars in Sturgis.  This time of year most are locked up tight and you'd never know that in just about 80 days and they will be full of life.

 

As campers leave the front gate of the Buffalo Chip CG and head for the highway, this is what they see.

 

We have been in South Dakota for the last twelve days.  It has been an exciting time.  The places we have visited and the many sites we have seen will forever be a big part of our memories.  As the moon rises over the Ponderosa Pines for our last night in S.D.,  we will sleep in peace well satisfied with our visit.

 

Something I failed to mention is the people of South Dakota and all those we have met along the way.  All have been friendly and more than willing to go out of their way to assure our comfort and pleasures. 

 

Tomorrow we will be leaving South Dakota, Wyoming, and entering Montana for a couple of days.  Our plans are to stop at the Little Big Horn Battle Field near Billings and then on to Sweet Grass and the Canadian border on Monday.  Due to international rates for cell service we will be out of touch for a week or so.  Don't pay the ransom, we're still on the move.

 

Until then, why go dutch. 

Http://whygodutch.blogspot.com

 

Dutch and Kathie :)