The Boondockers: South Dakota

Hot Springs

We found a very nice camp in Hot Springs (a township) called Cold Brook Lake U.S. Army Corps of Engineers RV Park. A nearby day drive took us to Custer State Park

Custer State Park is known for its 1500 population of North American Bison

Crazy Horse Memorial

The day trip ended at the Crazy Horse Memorial

This is a model sculpture of the finished monument.

Crazy Horse points and say's "My lands are where my dead lay buried"

The story of the memorial is awesome both in the size and the sculpture and the lifetime dedication of the artist, Korczak Ziolkowski's.

In 1929 , Henry Standing Bear, a Sioux chief, initiated the project to honor Crazy Horse by writing to the Polish-American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski.

The American sculptor had worked on Mount Rushmore in 1924 under Gutzon Borglum. After making models, Ziolkowski started blasting in the Black Hills for the monument in 1948.

Ziolkowski died in 1982. Sixteen years later in 1998, the face of Crazy Horse was completed and dedicated. Ziolkowski's wife Ruth and seven of their ten children work at the memorial.

Korczak Ziolkowski

Korczak Ziolkowski & Henry Standing Bear.

The sculpture is formed by drilling and blasting rock and finished with a jet torch.

To demonstrate the size of this monument I sized and superimposed a picture of Mount Rushmore behind Crazy Horse's head. You can see the chalk line of the horses head bottom right. The monument has no timeline to completion as it continues by private fundings and donations.

A 2005 Elite custom Harley Davidson donated to the memorial.

A model of the finished sculpture and surrounding gardens.

We met two couples at the RV park. They carry these Goldwings Trikes in their "Toy Haulers"

At Hot Springs there is a 26,000 year old prehistoric sink hole that had trapped many mammoths and other animals.

The Mammoth Site has the worlds largest concentration of mammoth skeletons. 61 have been found to date.

The bones are so fragile they have to be removed in plaster moulds.

The Giant Short Faced Bear stands higher than a Polar Bear.

Badlands National park

The route to Sturgis took us through Badlands NP.

Young girl takes in the vista.

Mt Rushmore

We followed a winding road through a rock tunnel to see our first view of Mt Rushmore.

The state flags leading to the viewing area.

Tick one off the bucket list.

Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway

The road continues on through they narrow fissure in the rocks.

Peter Nobeck Scenic Byway, rated in the top 10 best scenic drives in America, offers spectacular vistas of The Needles rock formations through the Black Hills.

This motorhome barely fitted through the tunnel. It bounced off the walls a couple of times. It is amazing where a rental vehicle will go.

Sylvan Lake en-route is a popular swimming and canoeing spot.

Sturgis

Just ask a biker about Sturgis.
It is "Mecca" for dedicated bikers.

In August every year some 400,000 bikers decend on this little town for a week of drinking, partying, riding and other things bikers do.

Bear Butte

We camped on a pretty lake just outside of town near Bear Butte.

Also nearby is Full Throttle Saloon, the worlds largest bikers bar.

We arrived just after the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally had ended however we were just in time for the follow-on Mustang Rally.

To own a Mustang is on my bucket list. They are very affordable in the USA.

All I could do is drool. Many of the cars at the rally were outstanding.

The dyno test.

The burn-out.

Some of the participants were very eager.

Deadwood

Following Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Deadwood hosts a weekend festival called Kool Deadwood Nites.

Basically it is a weekend of great music, partying and classic cars.

Once again I have put together a photographic collection of some of the standout cars.

This lawnmower turned everyones head. Mainly because it sounded like a jet plane driving down the street.

Studebaker Lark

Not sure what this model was.

This magnificent Chevrolet Belair was last years winner.

This unfinished beast was fun to look at -

- but not very practical.

Deadwood is an historic town.

In 1874 gold was discovered in a creek full of dead trees and Deadwood was born.

This lured prospectors, gunslingers, gamblers and outlaws.

It also lured Wild Bill Hickok where in a few short weeks he was gunned down holding a poker hand of aces and eights - forever after know as Dead Mans Hand.