Random Thoughts 15: Crystal Clear 2021 Edition
- Thread starter SCyclone
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I agree with several things already posted about the Black Hills. I would add Wind Cave. It is a forgotten National Park right next to the south edge of Custer. Taking the tour through the cave is really cool - figuratively and literally. It is a good activity if there is a really hot day during your time in the BHs.
They continue to make progress - glacially, but progress none-the-less. Until they actually stop working and/or you see zero progress from decade to decade, I will continue to believe they plan to have it complete somewhere around 2175.
Somewhere around the 300th anniversary of the battle at Little Big Horn?
If you have kids, how old are they?
Most of the good stuff has been mentioned already but I thought the Mammoth Site was interesting. For short tours, Bear Country was pretty fun and, if your kids are the right age, Cosmos Mystery Area is cheesy but fun.
If you have time, Devil's Tower is worth the trip.
To save you some time, the best part of Needles Highway to see is the part just east of Sylvan Lake. Also, I would recommend seeing Mount Rushmore both during the day and at night.
Jane's Pizza in Keystone was pretty good. However, when we visited, we didn't spend much time caring about restaurants.
Things not to do: Don't go to the Corn Palace no matter how tempting it is and don't pan for gold.
Seriously, though, Crazy Horse is roughly 1.5X the scale of Rushmore. It is only 2 figures rather than 4, but it is waist up rather than just heads (except for Washington's lapels). 450,000 tons of rock was removed from Rushmore but there have already been millions of tons removed from Crazy Horse with a long way to go still.
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They claim the work over the last decade has been prep work in order to start doing detail work. The face is incredible which makes me more anxious to actually see the completed sculpture.
I am in my 50s and I have zero hope that I will see it completed in my life time no matter how long I live.
Days like this with lines of storms I enjoy looking at airline routing.
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Update on our project: The two concrete pads (for the storage shed and the hot tub) and the walkway behind the garage have been poured. The extension of the retaining wall to keep the hill from sliding into the shed is halfway done. They poured all of the pillars (concrete deck supports) at the same time. The concrete brick foundation for the room has been built. They are starting to lay the floor joists today.
It finally feels like we have progress; the area actually looks like something is being built, instead of a bare soil/mud mess with holes dug all over it.
It finally feels like we have progress; the area actually looks like something is being built, instead of a bare soil/mud mess with holes dug all over it.
Here's an interesting photo from 2019. It shows the basic shape of the knuckles and his index finger (pointing) as I guess the arm and hand are the next step. Something you wouldn't see from the road. Only if you actually went up there.
We did a different set of caves I thought. I would hit one of them up no matter what though.
I haven't been there for probably 20 years. I can't even remember what stage they were on when we were there. I remember the Black Hills loop off the interstate and Needles highway more than I do Crazy Horse, sad to say.
Thanks for all the replies. We plan at going to a different area each day. We are staying just outside of custer and will branch out from there.
What we have planned to see/do for sure
There are some cool hikes that I would like to do but don't know if my kids will do(they are 10 and 8), Harney peak being one. Something like the devils bathtub would be fun too.
There are 3 certainties for this trip, my wife will hate being in the van, my kids will complain about too much hiking, especially if I drag them to Harney peak, and we may have to rent a uhaul to bring all of the rocks home that my daughter is going to pick up.
What we have planned to see/do for sure
- Custer state park
- Wind cave and hot springs area
- Rapid city (air and space museum and maybe museum of geology, my daughter loves rocks) and hit Rushmore late afternoon into evening
- Horseback riding near crazy horse
- Renting a utv near spearfish
- Jewel cave and sylvan lake at some point
- Badlands on the way out
There are some cool hikes that I would like to do but don't know if my kids will do(they are 10 and 8), Harney peak being one. Something like the devils bathtub would be fun too.
There are 3 certainties for this trip, my wife will hate being in the van, my kids will complain about too much hiking, especially if I drag them to Harney peak, and we may have to rent a uhaul to bring all of the rocks home that my daughter is going to pick up.
If you go to The Badlands you need to stop at the world's biggest tourist trap "Wall Drug"
Are there any signs to let me know where that's at?
There might be one. If you aren't careful you'll miss it.Are there any signs to let me know where that's at?
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