Our Bed and Breakfast provided an excellent location to visit the various sites around
Custer, SD. Since both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial had evening shows including a light show we decided to reach the memorials in the afternoon and spend time there until the night shows. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for a successful visit to either site.
On our way to Mount Rushmore we drove through Custer State Park along Needles Highway. It was a slow drive with a narrow winding road with great views. The Eye of the Needle was one of two one-way tunnels along the road. We meet a bus along the road and I don’t think I could fit it through the tunnels. It was slow but a lot of places to stop and enjoy the views since I was not getting to look at the views while I was driving. The road also took us past the Black Hills Playhouse. It had closed the day before so there was just people around packing up and moving out.
Before stopping at the memorial we visited the Gutzon Borglum museum. As we arrived at Mount Rushmore we were greeted by a mass of people and rain. We grabbed our umbrellas and headed for a view of the famous memorial to Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. We did get some breaks in the rain and in fact once we started the Ranger Walk below the faces it stopped raining making for a pleasant walk and good pictures. A number of the mounta
ins goats roam the area along with chipmunks and even a tortoise. After the Ranger Walk about the presidents we listened to a talk on how the monument was carved and visited the museum about the construction. We waited around for the night show honoring the presidents and veterans and the big lighting of the presidents faces. We got to enjoy a very nice sunset and as the lights were turned on all the clouds the added to the sunset hid the faces and all we saw was beautifully lit fog.
Like Mt. Rushmore the Crazy Horse Memorial is mostly a photo op of a carved mountain but the plan for Crazy Horse Memorial is so large you wonder if it ever will be completed. The sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski is larger than life person that started a project
that is now continued by seven of his ten children and his wife. Mt. Rushmore would fit on the forehead of Crazy Horse and only the face is done at this time. There is a large display of Native American artifacts and other things to see. You can even ride a van up to the arm right under the face for only $125. No, we didn’t do that. We did not have to put up with rain on this visit be it was much colder than it was the night before a Mr. Rushmore and the wind made watching the excellent laser show a freezing experience. I did sit through the show and got
some pictures but once we got back to the Bed and Breakfast Marilyn ran a tub full of hot water and we both took a turn warming up in the hot water.
Custer, SD. Since both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial had evening shows including a light show we decided to reach the memorials in the afternoon and spend time there until the night shows. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for a successful visit to either site.On our way to Mount Rushmore we drove through Custer State Park along Needles Highway. It was a slow drive with a narrow winding road with great views. The Eye of the Needle was one of two one-way tunnels along the road. We meet a bus along the road and I don’t think I could fit it through the tunnels. It was slow but a lot of places to stop and enjoy the views since I was not getting to look at the views while I was driving. The road also took us past the Black Hills Playhouse. It had closed the day before so there was just people around packing up and moving out.
Before stopping at the memorial we visited the Gutzon Borglum museum. As we arrived at Mount Rushmore we were greeted by a mass of people and rain. We grabbed our umbrellas and headed for a view of the famous memorial to Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. We did get some breaks in the rain and in fact once we started the Ranger Walk below the faces it stopped raining making for a pleasant walk and good pictures. A number of the mounta
ins goats roam the area along with chipmunks and even a tortoise. After the Ranger Walk about the presidents we listened to a talk on how the monument was carved and visited the museum about the construction. We waited around for the night show honoring the presidents and veterans and the big lighting of the presidents faces. We got to enjoy a very nice sunset and as the lights were turned on all the clouds the added to the sunset hid the faces and all we saw was beautifully lit fog.Like Mt. Rushmore the Crazy Horse Memorial is mostly a photo op of a carved mountain but the plan for Crazy Horse Memorial is so large you wonder if it ever will be completed. The sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski is larger than life person that started a project
that is now continued by seven of his ten children and his wife. Mt. Rushmore would fit on the forehead of Crazy Horse and only the face is done at this time. There is a large display of Native American artifacts and other things to see. You can even ride a van up to the arm right under the face for only $125. No, we didn’t do that. We did not have to put up with rain on this visit be it was much colder than it was the night before a Mr. Rushmore and the wind made watching the excellent laser show a freezing experience. I did sit through the show and got
some pictures but once we got back to the Bed and Breakfast Marilyn ran a tub full of hot water and we both took a turn warming up in the hot water.
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