In the Black Hills of Dakota

Just returned from a marvelous trip to South Dakota. Like Doris Day, “I lost my heart in the Black Hills.”

What did I like best? Despite all the political controversy, I loved Mt. Rushmore. Lincoln seemed to speak to us while we were there. Gutzon Borglum not only captured Lincoln’s likeness; he captured his soul. (It is no surprise that Borglum named his son Lincoln.)

Second favorite? The partly finished monument of Crazy Horse. We could actually see the men working on it—way up top! The displays and buildings surrounding Crazy Horse are excellent. In one place, you can see a model of the monument next to the real one in the distance. So much more to be done! Perhaps it will be finished by 2030. The displays all emphasize the monument’s purpose: to show us that the Native Americans have heroes too. Crazy Horse is just one of many.

My third favorite is also a monument, but not in the Black Hills. It’s located in a rest area on I-90: the Dignity statue. This huge and relatively new statue of a Native American woman stands high over the Missouri River bluffs. The statue, donated by a wealthy family, cost approximately $1 million.

It honors both native women and South Dakota’s 125th anniversary as a state. If you travel to South Dakota, it is a “must-see.”

Of course, like all trips, the other travelers and the people we meet make the trip enjoyable. Perhaps the most fun event was being stopped in traffic for at least a half hour. Why fun? Because we had to wait for a herd of buffalo to exit the road in front of us! A Kodak moment!