Day 13 July 17
Today was a 100% family day. Steve didn’t even start the car.
We all piled into the van around 10am and took off for Hot Springs to see The Mammoth Site. Hot Springs is more than hour away from where began but the day was a blue sky, sunny day and perfect for driving on the winding roads. Before we reached our destination, we stopped by a waterfall for a short walk and pictures.
At the Mammoth Site we took a self-guided tour . This is an active paleontological dig site that is unparalleled in the world. In 1974 the mammoth site was discovered when a bulldozer was excavating the land for a housing development and unearthed gigantic bones and ivory. The site is now a housed in a building and is a museum where you see hundreds of mammoth bones and yet it’s still an active dig. It was fascinating.
Our next stop was driving through the Needles highway. We (the kids and grandkids planned on climbing on the rocks, but unfortunately our sunny , blue sky day turned dark and another thunderstorm rolled through with more rain and hail. This time the storm lasted longer so we didn’t stop there, but did stop at Sylvan Lake. There’s a walking path that we wanted to take, but because of the recent rain, everything was wet and muddy, so we didn’t go far.
After lunch we drove to the Crazy Horse Monument. They have been working on that for years and still they haven’t gotten very far. The first time Steve and I saw Crazy Horse it was mostly rock with the exception of a hole, where Crazy Horse’s arm is pointing. Now he has a face. Another change from the first time we were there is the museum. It’s very impressive with many Native American exhibits. While we were at the museum they had a demonstration of Native American’s dancing war dances. I have to admit that watching the dances reminded me of the cowboy and Indian shows I used to watch as a kid.
We had just enough time to eat dinner in Custer and then head to the Black Hills Playhouse. We saw the play, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”. I had seen this play many years ago and although it was still funny, it certainly had been updated to the now generation.
It’s been great to be able to spend time with our kids. We have a lot of memories from previous trips in the Black Hills and it’s been fun for us to reminisce.
Tonight, is our last night at Ghost Canyon and tomorrow we are all leaving in the morning. The kids will be home tomorrow, but Steve and I will have one more day on the road.
Comments