May (2 – 9) – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Rapid City, SD –
I always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore. I have always been intrigued to see something that took years to complete, 17 years from a thought to fruition. So with this adventure I made my way west to stop and spend some time in a state that was the home of not only Mt. Rushmore but a tribute to some resilient peoples of this land, the Crazy Horse memorial. When I stop in a state I still work on Eastern time zone so that I am able to take some time to explore and enjoy some of the non-tourist areas of the city as well as scheduling some history based tour of the area. I am always looking for opportunities to engage the locals and to just see how people in the different states are living their lives. The surprise of this location was the life, legacy and story behind the Crazy Horse Memorial. It was impressive to see people from different backgrounds coming together in honor and respect of one another and building a legacy that may take many generations to complete. Truly a representation of what the human experience was meant to be. Pictured below is what the finished product is going to look like.
The Black Hills was such a site to behold as I made my way across I-90 through Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. The drive to Rapid City was one of the least interesting drives I can say I had other than driving I-70 across Kansas. But the site of the Black Hills took my breath away. There was something about it. I tend to take my time and will stop at a rest stop to take in a view when available. Life is about stopping to notice the beauty of all that is around and even though there was little of interest to me on the drive to the Black Hills I am still appreciative of the expansive and somewhat untouched spaces that still exist across the US. Also, being able to unleash Angeline at 80mph through South Dakota was a treat as I do tend to stick to the speed limits as I drive.
Driving 80mph has its drawbacks. If something hits your windshield at that speed you are sure to have some type of mishap and that is just what happened. As Angeline and I drew close to Rapid City I noticed something on her windshield. After arriving at our final destination in Rapid City, The Rushmore Hotel & Suites for 7 days finding a crack creeping across my windshield that will definitely need some attention. I usually try to arrive at my locations and stay from Sunday – Sunday which gives me a day to settle in and make sure I am prepared for work on Monday. So I got online and scheduled to have the windshield replaced later in the week. Monday after work I did as I usually do, take time to explore the area and locate the place I was going to get the windshield replacement done. The great thing about most places of service is they have Wifi and I am able to work from those locations if I choose. I arrived at my appointment to get my windshield replaces and once again I was fortunate to have some engaging conversations with people who lived in the area and the fact that Angeline has USAF veteran plates strikes up a lot of conversations and gratitudes from those thanking me for my service.
Once again there is so much to see in the US. Be curious start out with a hours drive in a direction of your choice. Google “parks near me”, and check it out. There is so much to see and enjoy and I will share bits and pieces, however, pictures don’t even come close to the beauty and majesty of nature and history of the land.
Album of some of the sites, includes views from rest areas along the way.
Miles traveled 1,263 driven – total year to date 4660 driven
Leave a Reply