Adventures in South Dakota

So, going back a few weeks...

After we finished our interview in Grand Junction, we headed off to South Dakota. We stopped one night in Frisco, Colorado, and got some serious snow on the Jeep (photos in previous post). We headed on through Colorado, stopping to get housing arranged for our stay now, and spent the next night in Douglas, Wyoming.

Douglas was cold. When we went to bed that night it was already -9F. I think it got down even further than that, but I wasn't personally staying up to check it out. We got up the next morning at went to take our photo with the giant Jackalope (also seen in previous post). We even picked up two Jackalope hunting tags - good between sunrise and sunset on June 31. Maybe one day we'll make it back to Douglas to use it. ;)

From Douglas we went on to Rapid City, South Dakota. On the way there, you drive through Custer, past Mount Rushmore and through Keystone.

Since I'd never been to Rushmore, that was the reason for the side trip over to South Dakota in the first place. It was a mix of reactions. On the first sight (from the car on the way up), I was a little amazed how small it appeared. I thought it'd be HUGE. But after parking and getting on in the Memorial (you don't pay to get in the Memorial, you pay to park), and making our way up the walkway, it really did seem larger than life. Seeing it first-hand is not like any photo or postcard.

With it being the early part of December, there were not any big crowds, but there were some seriously cold winds and a dusting of snow on the hill. To help stay warm, we went in the museum and watch a video (narrated by a YOUNG Tom Brokaw) and walked through several of the displays on preserving the Memorial and Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor. For those too lazy to click on the link above to find out more, The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres and is 5,725 feet above sea level.

Here are some of the pics...