Finally, after 5 states in 5 days, we finally have internet service. Honestly, I’ve had better luck with wireless in the Amazon then we’ve had in the center of our country, but on the other hand, that’s really ok. It’s been nice to not be tied to technology- the cell phones get periodic service at best, and all we’ve had is our books, hiking, biking, and sleeping to occupy us.
Right now, we are settled down in an antique hotel in Rapid City, SD. The thunderstorms and wind of last night, combined with no shower, and a scare with a rattle snake, convinced us to spring for the hotel tonight. Tomorrow, we’re heading to the Badlands, and then we are probably going north to Milwaukie, WI. After Milwaukie, it’s to Chicago, and after that, who knows? We may stay in the Great Lakes region, but we’ve also talked about going to DC. We’ll have to see where the spirit moves us.
Above you can see the first 5 days of our trip in photos.
#1: Yellowstone. We arrived in Yellowstone, and this region, right in the middle of the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally week. We have been surrounded by literally 10s of thousands of bikers. Yellowstone, unfortunately, was no exception. We arrived Saturday, which was obviously the same idea most of Sturgis had. The bikers themselves are respectful- most of them are in their 60′s, quite overweight, and riding $40k bikes. But the bikes cause problems- noise, for one, and parking and speeding problems. Although we knew Yellowstone would be crowded, the congestion and noise turned us both off a bit. But, the geysers themselves were pretty incredible.
#2: Devils Tower. This is definitely the highlight of the trip so far. In the far eastern corner of Wyoming, Devils Tower is the nation’s first National Monument. By the time we arrived here Monday, the bulk of the bikers had left, leaving us a quiet and nearly deserted camp ground, with the tower looming above us. Aside from the rattlesnake that almost bit me (ok, maybe it didn’t almost bite me, but it shook it’s rattle hard and loud), this was a fantastic trip.
#3: Mount Rushmore. The amount of money the federal government puts into this place, especially when compared to the other national parks and monuments is pretty astounding. Every night, they hold an elaborate lighting ceremony with the national anthem and a movie called, “America: how great it is.” Essentially, it’s big load of propaganda, and frankly, especially when compared with the Crazy Horse monument (see below), the carvings were something of a disappointment. In all the pictures you see of this (including this one), the statues look huge- as if they dominate the whole mountain. In reality, they look a bit like little pinheads sitting on top of the mountain.
#4: Crazy Horse Mountain: This place is amazing. About 20 miles from Mount Rushmore is this monument, dedicated to all Native American tribes of North America. The monument was started in the 30′s, and, 50 years later, the head was unveiled. The monument gets by on no federal funding at all, and at this rate, probably won’t be finished for another 150 years. It’s a mammoth undertaking- far more massive and impressive than Mount Rushmore. The end plans call for an entire community to be developed at the base of the finished monument, including a medical school for Native Americans and a Native American university.
I hope to post more later tonight- I have a few more stories and poems to share!
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