We have been held up at many construction projects in our travels. When we are first in line we always call the flagger over for a conversation. They are more than eager to visit with you. They have said they appreciate it because it breaks up their monotonous day. Some of these stops have been for as long as twenty minutes. We get to know our flaggers pretty well in that time.
On young woman we talked with today said she and her husband have a cattle ranch. She said it takes all the hay you see to feed the stock during the long winter. She works this flagging job in the summer to help make ends meet. Raising stock is not that profitable for the small rancher. It is the life they love and grew up with and will continue to do it.
We got to the Mount Rushmore area around noon. The place is a huge tourist trap. Miles before we got to the monument, there were all kinds of attractions. The parking lots were packed. There are water parks, gold mines, zoos, restaurants and shops of all kinds. The little village of Keystone was packed to the walls. You could hardly drive through town. This is not our kind of place, as I have said many times. However, for those who like this kind of thing for a vacation, you should put this on your list of places to go.
My first look at Mount Rushmore was moderately disappointing. The heads looked much smaller than I imagined from photos I have seen. Once in the park, you could clearly see what an endeavor this had been. They have movies and displays that explain how the project was designed and sculpted. One of the original drillers was on hand signing a book he had written about his days working on the project.
The park was packed with visitors. Mothers with kids clinging to their shorts, Dad's carrying screaming little ones, Grandmas and Grandpas, foreigners and natives, all shapes and sizes made up the crowd. If each photo removed a little portion of the rock, there would be nothing left to photograph today. How many photos can you take of the same thing? I would have to go to Darlie for that answer.
Once we made the rounds we were on our way. The crowd and traffic doesn't suit us.
We drove along Rt 44 east out of Rapid City, SD. Green hills and valleys, covered with freshly baled hay, seemed to go on into infinity. Then quite abruptly we entered the bad lands of South Dakota. The land is indeed very bad but we found it to be very beautiful at the same time. The sandy soil has eroded away leaving odd shaped hills and formations. Had there been no green plant life, you would assume you were on the moon.
There was very little traffic on Rt 44. At times we were over a half hour without seeing another car or a human being. This is very remote country. We saw no houses, buildings or farms for miles. The land was monotonous and rolling. We went through little hamlets that had few people left in them. The stores were closed, buildings boarded up. Boom towns of another age, I presume.
We crossed the state line into Nebraska on RT 83. We found a quaint little campground just north of Valentine. Soon after our arrival some very severe weather set in. The blackened sky fell to the ground. Rain flew, hail hammered, wind rocked us around like we were in a washing machine. The air smells so fresh now that it has had a good scrubbing from the rain.
We saw this thing miles from anywhere. Why it was built is a mystery.
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