Crazy Horse Monument, South Dakota

Today, we headed to Crazy Horse Monument for the 63rd anniversary of sculptor Korezak Ziolkowski moving to the Black Hills in 1947 to accept the invitation from Lakota leaders to carve the monument.

As you enter the gates, the carving can be seen in the distance.

Admission was waived today with a donation of canned goods.
Watch this video to see this year's anniversary blast.

The first blast ever at Crazy Horse occurred on July 3, 1948. That blast removed 10 tons of rock; today's blast removed more than 700 tons of rock.

All four of the 60-foot high heads of Mount Rushmore would fit inside of Crazy Horse's head.

Plus our heads too.

Crazy Horse's eventual dimensions...

The monument hosts over one million visitors each year.

Here is a replica of what it will look like when it is finished.
On October 20, 1982, Korezak died at 74. His wife and ten children carried on his dream. Seven of the children still work on the project.

We took a tour closer to the monument. Here is a picture of the back side.

Outside the visitor center stands The Black Hills Nature Gates featuring hundreds of animals and plants of the Black Hills.

This is the cabin the family lived in as the monument took shape. Mrs. Ziolkowski still lives here today and you can tour it while on your visit.

Mr. Ziolkowski's studio can also been seen while on your visit.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

Old Governor's Mansion, Rapid City, South Dakota

Returning to Rapid City from Badlands National Park on Route 44, we noticed this sign and decided to investigate.

The Old Governor's Mansion was originally located in the state capital of Pierre. Built by the WPA in the 1930's, it served as the Governor's Mansion for over 60 years.

When a new mansion for the governor began construction in 2004, the former mansion was relocated and abandoned...that is, until found and purchased for a song (how about $1!) by Dr. Leon Brodie.

The problem was the house had to be moved. Relocating the house to a location on the outskirts of Rapid City was surely quite an expense. They even requested and got permission to transport the house through Badlands National Park!

In its new location, The Old Governor's Mansion operates as an event center holding family reunions, weddings and a regular Sunday brunch.

We happened across the Mansion about 5pm, a few hours after brunch had ended. Dr. Brodie's niece, Tammy Brody-Gusmano, manages the facility and prepares all the food herself. She surprised us by giving us a personal tour.

Thoughout the Mansion, memorabilia from its history is displayed.

Photos indicate that many of the furnishings and decor of the Mansion are as they were when the building was a functioning residence.

The Mansion can also be rented out as a bed and breakfast complete with four suites, including a Honeymoon Suite.

A 1985 poster shows the Mansion in its original location.

The spectacle of moving the building is quite a story in and of itself.

The location and surroundings of the building provide excellent photo opportunities for special occasions.

It's great to see the Old Governor's Mansion living on for all to enjoy.

For more information about South Dakota's Old Governor's Mansion, visit their website here .

For more of our pictures, click here pictures 124-147.

As we left the Old Governor's Mansion, we saw this.

As we drove down the drive to Hart Ranch, we spotted a huge family of deer.

To be continued...

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Today we visited Badlands National Park.

Don't take your newly washed car here.

The Badlands consist of 244,000 acres of geologic formations and mixed-grass prairie ecosystems.

X's mark the spots where tragedy has occurred. Don't be a statistic.

One of the finished roads in the park.

The geologic formations are layers of sand, silt and clay that have joined together to form sedimentary rocks.

They are many millions of years old.

Fossils from the Eocene and Oligocene epochs have been located here in the Badlands.

Some fossils can be viewed here daily.

As far as one can see, the formations are breathtaking.

The Badlands was established as a National Monument in 1939 and then became a National Park in 1978.

Several large prairie dog communities can be found in the park.

Some more views of the Badlands follow...

An alert eye and the help of other visitors will allow you to see more animals.

Have car will travel...

Have legs will walk...

Have butt will sit...

Follow the brown dirt road...follow the brown dirt road...

For more pictures, click here pictures 1-123.

To be continued...