Living Our Dream

So many things to see, we opted for Mount Rushmore for our first day of exploration. Based on the recommendation from the host at the visitor's information center in Mitchell, we chose the scenic approach up Iron Mountain Road because we would pass through tunnels that would frame the faces.
It looked good in person, but it was hard to get a picture between all the traffic coming and going.

As a whole, experiencing Mount Rushmore was, unfortunately, less than satisfactory. Each face is approximately 60 feet from chin to top of the head (about six stories). However, we could never get close enough to grasp the magnitude of the sculpture. What we saw in person looked like what you saw in a picture. I guess I needed a real person next to a face to get a handle on its size.

Interesting Fact: Mount Rushmore was named after a New York lawyer, Charles E. Rushmore, who was in the Black Hills in 1885 researching mining claims for area mining companies. When he asked his guide the name of the singular feature, he reportedly got the answer that immortalized his name on the landscape. "Never had none. But hereafter we'll call'er Rushmore, by Jingo!" Just goes to show ya....never be afraid to ask a question...you could go down in history!

The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, chose the mountain because it faced southeast toward the morning sun, and the natural lighting throughout the day makes for a fascinating view of these four presidents who represent 150 years of American history including the birth, growth, preservation, and development of this country.

Interesting Fact: Ninety percent of Rushmore was "carved" using dynamite.

A walk along The Presidential Trail is the closest you can get to the sculptures. By scooter, I was only able to go so far but here is an interesting picture Paul captured from the Trail.

A "surprise" we discovered as we left Mount Rushmore, was the ability to see the sculpture from the backside.

If you would like to read more about Mount Rushmore, here is a link to the official parks website:
National Park Service: Mount Rushmore.

Sightseeing via the motor home is the best. Molly is enjoying spending the day in her "den" (the bedroom) where the air conditioning and closed blinds keep her comfortable and oblivious to what's going on outside...of course, her deafness works in our favor now, too. :)

Ordering the motor home with a combined washer/dryer was something Paul thought would be valuable. I was indifferent...but not any more! We do about a load of wash every other day and we are easily able to keep up with that chore.

Running your life "from the road" has some hurdles which must be overcome, but one of us thinks that adds to the spice of life. The other? Well, let's just say it took him a year to adapt to our new environment/routine when we first moved to the North Hills. :) We were locked out of our checking account and it will be a week before our mail catches up with us with a new password. Learning the "rules" while trying to get a prescription filled with a new insurance company has been interesting, too. However, it's fun to strategize the problem solving (for one of us, anyway) and certainly doesn't make for any dull days. :)

It's been two weeks since we left Pittsburgh, and by God's grace, we have just about gotten everything accomplished to finalize our move to full-timing.

Our first stop in Oklahoma to have the satellite internet installed on top of the motor home went well...though our installer, Scott, worked in 100 degree weather to accomplish the task. I'm glad we weren't his first customers...drilling holes in a $100,000+ motorhome in 100 degree weather. :) He's very experienced and the install went without a hitch. What a joy to be able to access the internet for research or e-mail whenever and wherever we want...as long as there are no trees blocking the line of sight to satellite #89. :)

A couple of days in Sioux Falls and we were registered to vote and had SD drivers' licenses. One set of license plates have come in and the other should be at the mail forwarding service now. It felt strange to see our "pusses" on South Dakota licenses and to realize that we had relinquished our PA licenses. This is just one example of the many subtle changes that sneak up on us and briefly bring us up short ...but they're quickly overshadowed by all the new experiences we are having. :)

As we traveled across South Dakota earlier this week, we were dumbstruck by the difference in terrain between the east and west side of the Missouri River. The east side is rolling, fertile farmland....good for raising crops including 12 different kinds of corn used to re-decorate the Corn Palace in Mitchell each year.

Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD ...

As we approached the Missouri River, we were taken aback by the stark change in terrain from low hills and farmland to rolling plains and deep canyons. We began to better understand why there is farming in the eastern part of the state and ranching in the western.

Approaching the western side of the Missouri River...

After traveling another 3 hours, we approached the "Black Hills," a name that comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa, which means "hills that are black." From a distance, that is the appearance of the Ponderosa pines that grow on the hills that rise several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. The Lakotas are part ofthe Great Sioux Nation along with the Nakota and Dakota tribes.

Our residence for the week is a campground located in the foothills of the Black Hills and several miles from Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. A thunderstorm went through tonight, and we had a front-row seat on a beautiful lightning show. However, with the serious drought here, the Black Hills are at serious risk of forest fires.

We've made several observations which seem particular to this area of the country....
First, distances are very deceiving. We surmise that because the atmosphere is so clear it's very difficult to judge how far away anything is.

Secondly, there are very few if any "housing plans." Most of what we have seen are apartments or trailer parks. Individual houses are isolated and far from stores.

Finally, houses are utilitarian rather than stylistic. Very few are made from brick and their yards are not grass as we know it but rather prairie grasses.

Whenever we would hear anyone talk about the west, it was usually about Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, or the Southwest, certainly rarely about South Dakota. However, it is a beautiful state with an interesting history. If you are interested in seeing additional pictures, click on "South Dakota Discoveries" in the right sidebar. :)

Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, wildlife and the Badlands are on the agenda. We look forward to sharing our journey with you. Every once in a while we realize that we are no longer "weekend warriors" and don't have to plan around weekends anymore...except our plan to hang around the campground Sundays and watch everyone else leave! :) (One of those overshadowing experiences.)

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