Wrapping up Rapid City.

As mentioned in my last blog post, we are currently in Montrose Colorado visiting my nephew and his family.

More on our visit but have one last blog while we were in Rapid City.

I have to give Rapid City credit for their creativity and charm.  They have some unique things to see.

To honor all past presidents, the city has commissioned several artist to sculpt life-size figures of all of the past 42 presidents.  Pres. Obama will be added after his term has ended, but they already have a spot assigned.  

They grace the corners of a 2 by 5 block section of the downtown area. The project began in 2000 after businessman Don Perdue relocated his company to Rapid City and noticed the interest around the life-size seated Lincoln outside of the Hotel Alex. The statue was sculpted by Gutzum Borglum, the sculptor who created Mount Rushmore.  He saw how the general public interacted with this statue, often having photos taken while sitting on the bench next to Pres. Lincoln.  Mr. Perdue recognized this as an asset to the city's economy, what if statues stood on every street corner?     


Each sculptor did extensive research on each president to give insight into the unique personalities of each. 


Veteran's have been seen placing flowers and messages on D-Day at Pres. Eisenhower's' statue and on the day Ronald Reagan died there were many who gathered at his statue placing balloons, flags, flowers and jelly beans.  During the cold winter months there are knit scarves wrapped around the necks of some of the presidents.

A historic building houses the Presidents Information Center, where you can get a walking tour pamphlet of the City of Presidents, view the interior design based on the Oval Office and a replica of the Presidential Seal.

Abraham Lincoln with his son Tad.   He is holding a telegram from the front lines which informs him of the great numbers of casualties at the battle of Cold Harbor. 

 Andrew Jackson, depicted here as a man of defiance, a characteristic that dominated his lifestyle.   With military uniform billowing and arms folded sternly, the true attitude of the man.

 George H.W. Bush is portrayed with a global signifying his extensive involvement in the international arena during his term.  This sculpture is standing across the street from President John Adams.  They are the only two presidents to have sons who also served as president.

Lyndon B. Johnson.  This statue depicts Johnson in a pose that became known as "the Johnson treatment".  A man of tall stature, he had a very menacing, strong presence and was know for his tendency to get "in one's face" to make a point.  He is shown here with that forward thrust of his body.  The books on the desk next to him are Machiavelli's The Prince and The Great Society.  Engraved on the back of the desk is a map of Vietnam, a reference to the powder keg upon which he sat during his presidency. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Viewed as one of our most historically important generals.  Many veterans have been seen paying tribute at this statue.  I didn't capture it in my picture, but he is standing with one foot on England, straddling the English Channel and the other foot on Europe, depicting  a time in the history of the free world. 

Harry S. Truman.  This pose is one of the most famous. Shown displaying the morning Chicago Daily Tribune newspaper the day after the presidential election of 1948.  The big smile due to the erroneous headline declaring his opponent as the winner.  

F.D. Roosevelt.  The sculptor, chose to depict President Roosevelt as he stood during a presentation to the nation during a time when he was suffering from the effects of polio.   The statue shows just a hint of the leg braces he wore. It shows him gripping the podium to steady himself and his determination to project the image of the strength  and the will of the man despite his physical restraints.  He is shown delivering his famous "day which will live in infamy" speech.

Richard M. Nixon.  This statue him during delicate negotiations for the opening of China to the western world.  He is posed in a Chinese-design chair, while negotiating with Mao-Tse-tung.  

John F. Kennedy with his son John Jr.  He is handing his son one of John-John's favorite toys, an air fighter plane.

Martin Van Buren.   Seated on a bench, reading his local newspaper, the Kinderhook.  He was also called "Old Kinderhook" from which we get our saying "OK", as he was perceived as usually being correct. 

William H. Taft was the first President to throw out the opening pitch of the major league season, and is shown here in his pitchers stance.  Behind his back he is holding a baseball.  He was drafted to play professional baseball but chose to attend Yale Law School instead.

 Ok enough of the presidents, but if your ever near Rapid City, take a walking tour of The City of Presidents, you won't be disappointed.

The city's  newest area is Main Street Square, a public space that features interactive fountains.  Special events, arts and culture, live concerts and even ice skating in the winter take place in this area. 

Art Alley or Painters Alley, is an outdoor art gallery lining one full city block alley with murals and graffiti of local artist.   The entire block features graffiti murals on trash cans, fire escapes and utility meters, offering reminders of MLK's speeches,  suffering that has happened in our country and our
desires for peace and love.

The last attraction we found interesting in Rapid City was The Berlin Wall memorial.

Free of charge, open to the public, located in Rapid City's Memorial Park features two 12 ft segments of the original Berlin Wall, some WWII tank traps, accompanied by interpretative placards.

That's all for now.  Hope all is well!

Finally got to see some wildlife?

We left Rapid City SD last Sunday and arrived in Montrose Colorado on Tuesday.


Since I'm a few posts behind the following is still a day spent in the Rapid City area.

We visited the Wounded Knee Museum near Wall, SD.   The museum is small but very well done with tons of information about  this horrific event.  We wanted to visit the place where it took place but it was another 90 miles south and we didn't want to make that drive.


Since we were only about 25 miles away and I was so disappointed that I didn't see any wildlife when we where in Custer Park a few weeks ago that I urged Ron to take another drive through.   We drove the "Wildlife Loop" that we weren't able to do during our last visit.    I wasn't too keen about spending $15.00 to enter the park, again,  we lived in a state  that doesn't charge to enter state parks, so this is still foreign to us.    But we were glad we did.     Besides the beautiful scenery we did see some wildlife.

Burros stopping traffic, begging for food. These burros are descendants from the herd that once hauled visitors to the top of Harney Peak. The rides were discontinued years ago and the  burros were released into the park.  

They are so passive that I think it is staged.   This guy looks bored by the whole thing.

Don't worry...since they can reach 6 feet tall and weigh more than 2,000 pounds, we will keep our distance!

We knew we were getting closer to seeing buffalo.

Finally saw one close up.  However, he was more interested in eating then my photo opportunity. 

Taking a leisurely stroll across the road.

A herd of buffalo.  There was once millions of bison, blacking the horizon as they roamed and making a thundering noise as they moved over the prairie.  By 1900 it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 remained on the entire continent.  In 1914 what is now known as Custer State Park, purchased 36 bison to start its herd. By the 1940's the size of the herd had grown to over 2,500.   Each year a roundup takes place to adjust the numbers according to the predicted availability of grassland.  
The spring birthing season rejuvenates the herd  near 1,300.  

Pronghorn.  They are a really pretty animal.

Hope all is well!

Wall Drug Store, Wall SD

On our way back to the RV park from the Badlands we stopped in the little town (pop. 818) of Wall to visit Wall Drug Store.

Apparently this is a famous attraction known to all around the US.  Supposedly there are signs in many other states advertising Wall Drug Store and giving the miles in thousands to their location in Wall, South Dakota.  I must have been living in a cave because I never had heard of them nor ever seen any of their signs.

Wall Drug Store now covers  76,000 square feet of many free attractions.  It has everything from shops, a children's play area, picnic area, travelers chapel, restaurant, ice cream parlor, photo op area, art gallery, donut factory...and I'm sure I missed mentioning a few.  

But what is interesting is the story of their success, when, in 1931  Ted and Dorothy Hustead bought the only drug store in Wall, SD.  Mr. Hustead was a pharmacist and their dream was to own their own drug store, in a small town, with a Catholic Church.   Wall, SD met all three of their wishes.    Several months passed and business was bad.   They gave themselves five years to make a go of the business but as that timeline was approaching,  business hadn't improved much.  They lived in the back of the store and one evening Dorothy couldn't sleep and went to the front to find Ted .  He asked her if she couldn't sleep because it was too hot and she replied "No, it wasn't the heat that kept me awake, it was all the cars going by on Route 16A".

Dorothy then got the idea that all of those travelers driving across the hot prairie would be thirsty and want ice cold water.  They had plenty of ice and plenty of water, so they started putting up signs on the highway telling people to come to their drugstore for free ice water.   Shortly after the signs were erected people came pouring in for free ice water that lead them to buying ice cream cones and other products.  The next summer they had to hire eight girls to help.    The store is now owned and operated by their son and Wall Drug draws up to 20,000 people on a good summer day.

I believe it.   The day we were there it was packed.  

Map of grounds.

Back yard boardwalk.

Inside mall.

Travelers chapel.

Fountain where you can still get free ice cold water.

Ron made me get up on this stupid jack-a-lope.

Just two big kids.

This is really why we stopped.

Hope all is well!

Welcome to the Badlands of South Dakota

Although the Badlands are 88 miles from our RV park we couldn't leave this area without exploring that part of the Black Hills.  The drive towards the Badlands is rolling hills of cattle ranches with more cattle ranches and even more cattle ranches.  So when you do finally approach the Badlands it is an awesome shock to see the geological landscape of buttes, spires and rolling grasslands.  A stark comparison!   But  a pleasant surprise.

 The Badlands are a part of the largest undisturbed mixed prairie range land remaining in the US. Within the park's 244,000 acres is the Badlands Wilderness, 64,000 acres of pristine national wilderness.

The park was established as a national monument in 1939 and re-designated as Badlands National park in 1978 and hosts approximately 1 million visitors each year.   It is considered one of the world's richest mammal fossil bed.   Fifty percent of the park is co-managed with the Oglala Lakota Nation, the 8th largest American Indian Reservation in the United States.

Approaching the Badlands Wall.

Geological formations.

As seen from one of the many trails.  They allow you to walk up to and even climb on the formations.  

No wonder they are eroding so fast!

One of the amazing sights  as you look at the buttes is  how the Badlands were deposited in layers.    Of the 6 layers the oldest formation exposed is the Pierre Shale - the black layer at the bottom, created by sediment filtering through the seawater forming a black mud on the sea floor that has since hardened into shale. 

When the sea drained away it exposed the black ocean mud to air creating the Yellow Mounds.

The greyish  Chadron  Formation was deposited

over 34 million years ago as the river flood plain replaced the sea. 

The Brule Formation deposited over 30 million years ago

 is the tannish brown deposit.  The red layers are fossil soil.

The two top layers are Rocky Ash, a thick layer of volcanic ash deposit and Sharps Formation is the top lighter color deposited by wind and water as the climate continues to dry and cool.

Some  of our  favorite stops during our last 2+ years of traveling have been the Grand  Canyon, Bryce NP, Zion NP and the Arches.  And although the Badlands are on a much smaller scale they are still an awesome sight.  

We saw some wildlife along this drive. 

Cute little prairie dog.

Bison, although from a distance.

  And an "exotic" long horn steer, that was able to escape the fence 

and was eating along the side of the road. 

Hope all is well!

Chapel in The Hills - Rapid City SD

One afternoon we spent a couple of hours at The Chapel of the Hills. The Chapel is situated on 30 acres nestled at the foot of the Black Hills and is a special ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  

The chapel  is an exact reproduction of the famous Borgund Stavkirke of Laerdal, Norway built around 1150.    It was originally built to house the Lutheran Vespers radio ministry.  Completed at this location  in 1969 and constructed from Douglas Fir.

                         

                        

Front entrance to the chapel and one of the side entrances.  

                                       There is a side entrance for men and another for women.

The simplicity of the stave construction is intended to reflect a
deeper understanding and a holistic expression.

 It is a stave church  which is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam 

construction related to timber framing.   

There are 12 hand-carved Apostles' heads circling the interior.

Baptismal font.  Very minimalistic.

Door and small window off the side of the altar.  Used by those with leprosy, so they could still participate. 

Bell tower of the same type of construction.

 Besides the chapel there is a "Stabbur" which is an authentic grass-roofed store house, built in Norway and assembled on site.  It serves as the visitor center and gift shop.  It's hard to see the grass because everything is so dry and burnt out. 

 Also on the grounds is an authentic log cabin museum of a prospectors home who came to the Black Hills during the gold rush.

Wood carvings of Lena and Ole greet you as you enter the museum

Many weddings take place here, and the day we visited was no exception.  There is a residence used for the wedding party to get ready for the ceremony.

There is a Prayer Walk which winds its way back into the hillside behind the Chapel.  Complete with benches and statuary, providing a sanctuary for reflection, prayer and meditation.

View of chapel from Prayer Walk.

   "Lord teach me to Pray" 

One of seven statues, each with it's own prayer topic.

For a complete tour  Chapel of Hills Prayer Walk.

There is no admission fee as the chapel is completely self-supporting, as no synodical or national funds are provided.   All support is through donations, gift shop purchases and wedding fees upwards of $200.00 for a weekend wedding, $50.00 for the pastor, $40.00 for the organist and $5.00 for a soloist.


Services are offered every night of the week and on Sunday and I imagine a collection basket is circulated at each of the services.


Hope all is well!