Rapid City and Sturgis, South Dakota

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The Berlin Wall Exhibit is America's largest Berlin Wall Exhibit. The peoples of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have sought freedom and national independence since the beginning of "Iron Curtain" isolation at the end of World War II. After the Berlin Wall divided the beleaguered city in 1961, it came to symbolize all communist oppression. It is a great irony that man's response to the Wall - escape- became one of the most meaningful and important actions to freedom-loving people throughout the world.

The exhibit features the story of its construction and its destruction and features two 12 foot segments of the actual Berlin Wall accompanied by actual photographs, interpretive placards and original tank obstacles.

Patti was there in June of 1990 when the wall was being taken down. People were actually sitting on the top of the wall as they would ride a saddle. They were drinking, yelling, and crying, climbing down on the "Free" side and hugging each other and sobbing. It was an amazing sight. Just months before, going through Checkpoint Charlie, they removed the film from her camera and threw it in the trash. That week, we walked freely through the Brandenburg Gate and negotiated with a military man from the Russian Army for his hat. Patti traded her wings for the hat and both were happy with the trade. Checkpoint Charlie's little white building with the red roof came down in June as well.


The Journey Museum contains 2.5 Billion years of Black Hills history. This is one of the best museums we have visited. It is complete in its displays and is well marked and diagramed. The museum brings together four major prehistoric and historic collections to tell the complete story of the Western Great Plains - from the perspective of the lakota people and the pioneers who shaped its past, to the scientists who now study it. It is a complete history of the area, a very impressive accomplishment. The curator of this museum knows what he is doing and has done a fabulous job so far. On your journey through South Dakota, do yourself a favor and don't miss it. Sorry, no pictures were allowed.

The National Motorcycle Museum was in Sturgis. Of course, even though we are not lovers of the beast, we just had to go and check it out. Every summer for one week, thousands of cyclists come from all over the world to Sturgis for the National Motorcycle Rally. In 2007 there were 647,000 cyclists and their bikes present. Whew! That's a lot more than I would have thought ! They block off the streets downtown and it is full of motorcycles and their owners.

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Photos

The Berlin Wall
These are actually two 12 foot sections of the Berlin Wall which began coming down in January, 1990. The actual destruction of the wall occurred during the summer of 1990 and ended in October, 1990.

President Reagan
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall !

Another shot of the wall
Notice the Steel tank obstacles put behind the wall just in case a tank came through the wall, the steel obstacles would stop it. These people were desperate!

The Motorcycle Museum
And here they are folks! Some of the finest old cycles you would ever want to see! Not Bill, just the bikes ! Ha. ha.