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After going to bed way too late last night, we slept like the dead. After breakfast, we unhooked from out utilities and were on the road by 8:10am. The Cedar Hammock group was leaving at the same time, and had a lot of ground to cover. We fueled up (40 gallons) and calculated we got just over 7 MPG yesterday.
The drive thru South Dakota is quite boring. The scenery along the way consists of miles and miles of farm land and cattle. On this trip, we decided to check out Wall's Drug Store, just north of the badlands. They must have spent half a million dollars on billboards telling us the place was world famous. Well, how do you describe it? It was a small, western looking town full of gift shops and trinkets. Definitely a tourist attraction. Wouldn't recommend it.
After leaving Walls, we started to see the Rockies in the far distance. The topography began to change and there were rolling hills and more cattle. We passed by the Badlands and took a very hilly and winding highway to the Crazy Horse Monument. There is little known about the personal life of Tasunka Witco, or Crazy
Horse. Many say he was born around 1840 in the Black Hills area. He was a revered warrior and strategist, and was instrumental in the battle of Little Big Horn. He was killed by a soldier in 1877 at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. In 1939, the Lakota chief asked sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowske to come to the black hills and carve a sculpture to pay tribute to the man of legend. Work began in 1948, and continues to this day by his surviving family. The face of the sculpture is 87 feet high. The entire carving is planned to be 563 feet high and 641 feet long. Needless to say, we thought the monument was spectacular.
Leaving Custer, we headed northwest, entering Wyoming, arriving at our destination of Gillette. We check in at the "Green Tree's Crazy Woman Campground, hooked up and began our cocktail hour.
After a scrumptious dinner, we completed today's blog and are now hitting the sack.
Miles today - 365
Miles to date - 711
Animal Sightings - Lots of cattle, dozens of Deer, 1 turkey, and 1 goat.
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Joan M Santos
non-member comment
Happy Mothers Day Sandy
It's great to be on this trip again with you and Ray. You both look awesome and so deserve this wonderful journey. I am looking forward to all the history and especially pictures of all these sites that Make America Great!