South Dakota or Bust

I've gotten started on sorting through the thousands (literally) of photos from this summer. I'm still planning on getting photos up from the wedding, Belize, our road trip, rock climbing, etc, etc.... but with such a monumental task, I had to get my feet wet with something a little less daunting.

And so, on this month-a-versary of my last post (and a full three months since one before that....), I give you...

SOUTH DAKOTA
The Mount Rushmore State

Yup, that's the official state nickname. They're really psyched about Mount Rushmore up there.

My wife and I wanted to take advantage of Labor Day, the last official school holiday before Thanksgiving, to get out of Boulder for the weekend. The "Mount Rushmore zone" of South Dakota, about six hours away, seemed like a fun weekend trip destination.

Presidential!

Of course, there's only so much time you can spend looking at a mountain-sized statue. And learning how it was made... and about the guy who made it... and how they picked the mountain... etc etc. A few hours, maybe, half a day tops, then we moved on...

...To another mountain-sized statue. This one, though, is still a work in progress. They've been working on it for over 60 years, and all they've got done is his face. Good work, fellas, keep it up.


We did get to see some blasting. Explosions are always good.

We also hit up a nearby Celtic Festival... missed the Highland games, but thankfully we were in time for the Scottish Knee Competition. Whitest, boniest knees win.



And what trip to South Dakota could be complete without a visit to historic DEADWOOD, town of colorful characters like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy? (Who?)


What other town has "women of the night" in the windows?


Cowboy traffic cops?




Semi-cheesy re-enactments of the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok?


The site of the capture of the assassin Jack McCall who shot Wild Bill Hickok Aug 2, 1876??!?!


An actual angry mob eager for the lynching of said assassin?


Cheesy re-enactment of said trial????

Moving on... nearby Jewel Cave was fun:






DON'T TOUCH!!!


Just your typical bottomless chasm
(Actually, I believe I took this picture looking up...)



We also checked out a motorcycle museum in Sturgis.... the guy on the left is a 1911 model. Designed to be a racing bike, it had no brakes. Brakes are for wimps. And for people who are more concerned with intact limbs and a fully functioning brain than they are with winning.


There was also a bike that's only ever been ridden by President Bush. He also signed it, although it looks like Gw3e if you ask me. Mrs. Bush has better penmanship.



A restaurant we ate at had the actual house used in the Kevin Costner film Dances with Wolves...




...not to mention musical entertainment. Yeee-HAW!!!