MOUNT RUSHMORE

 Deep in the Black Hills of South Dakota, near Custer State Park is located a mountain, known to the Lakota Sioux as "Six Grandfathers". In 1885, it  was renamed by and for a mining company lawyer, Charles E. Rushmore. In a unique twist of fate, it became the location of one of the most iconic vistas of Americana. 

In the early 1920's, an absurdly insensitive proposal to promote tourism to the Black Hills, South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson sought to sculpt the Cathedral Spires into historic figures of the old west.  Notwithstanding that these mountains are considered sacred by the Sioux, the desecration of the natural beauty of these unique geological formations would have been criminal!

When the originally desired sculptor proved unavailable, Robinson sought out Danish born Gutzon Borglum who had a different concept for the statue which fortunately dictated a different location as well.

"I want to create a monument so inspiring that people from all over American will be drawn to come and look and go home better citizens" - Gutzon Borglum

"The preservation of the sacred fire of Liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are considered as deeply, perhaps as finely staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." - George Washington

"We act not for ourselves but for the whole human race.  The event of our experiment is to show whether man can be trusted with self government."- Thomas Jefferson 

" We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received and each must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune." - Theodore Roosevelt 

"I leave you hoping that the Lamp of Liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall be no longer any doubt that all men are created free and equal."- Abraham Lincoln

"Freedom is not America's gift to the world, freedom is Almighty's gift to every person who lives in this world"- George W. Bush

So why is a monument built on the sacred land of native Lakota Sioux honoring four white men, two of whom were slave owners, important to Americans?  Simply, the American ideal however imperfectly implemented has produced the most free, the most prosperous, the most technologically proficient civilization the world has ever known.  Americans need not apologize for our history for we are an imperfect people striving for a self perfecting ideal, that all people are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights as human beings.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in our bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on to them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was like in the United States when men were free." -  Ronald Reagan

THE BADLANDS

 

In the high plains of South Dakota there is a desolate place known as "The Badlands". It is a 244,000 acre National Park and contains some of the most unique landscapes. On a cool and windy day, the Fat Bald White Guy and his family visited Badlands National Park.  

Seventy-Five Million years ago, much of this area was covered by a sea.  As the water receded, the landscape of the sea bottom remained.  Today a paved South Dakota Highway snakes through the sand castles and a top the edge of moonscape valleys. 

Within the desolate landscape are layers of color formed by layers of sediments swept there by the movement of sea currents.  The colors are stunning in both color and consistency.  We believe that the caramel colored lines reminded us of both caramel kiss candies and fudge ripple ice cream.

Once the sea receded, ancient rivers snaked through this area, carving sand castles with spires and spectacular mountain ridges.

Amazing contrast to the sand colored valleys and peaks are found bright green grasslands that are the homeplace of a variety of wildlife. 

Big horned sheep dot the valley ledges.  Prairie dogs and buffalo occupy the adjacent grasslands. I followed one big horn sheep and got several nice shots of this uniquely beautiful creature.

For the photographer, at every turn there is a new spectacular view.  The unique colors and structures of peaks and valleys made me think that God was building sand castles for us to enjoy.

One ridge was adorned with an emerald green grass collar near its precipice.  This color provided another colored stripe on the face of the ridge contrasted with the grey blue clouds above it.

Mostly the Badlands remind you of some other world seen in science fiction movies.  Several classic moonscape valleys dotted the roadside vistas.  You would expect a moon rover to appear over the horizon at any moment.

The movie Starship Troopers used the Badlands as a backdrop of a scene of an interstellar world.  And Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves also filmed scenes in the park.

The Badlands are located about 45 minutes from Rapid City South Dakota.  You may combine a visit with a trip to the famous Wall Drug and also visit a nearby Minuteman Nuclear Missile museum as well.

We could have spent an entire day there but settled for a trip through the park on Badlands Loop road. There are many places to pull over and take pictures. A visit late in the day provides many sunset vistas as backdrops to the park's natural beauty.

We visited the Badlands the afternoon that we landed in Rapid City.  Our destination was Custer South Dakota to visit Mt. Rushmore. It proved a good decision as the Badlands is a good distance from Rushmore.  

The Fat Bald White Guy is out of his hiking element while in South Dakota but a visit to the Badlands should be a part of any trip to South Dakota.