Rapid City is located in a picturesque part of the country, along the slopes of the Black Hills. We were about to experience some of the marvels that surround it.
Before boarding the tour bus, we had time to wander around the buildings of this cowboy town, and the gift shop. Two buildings from the Fort Hays set were relocated here: the army headquarters and the supply store.
Our driver and guide on the bus tour was the Custer high school principal. He tried to keep us amused with his corny jokes and he seemed to enjoy the witty comebacks from our own comedians. Perhaps he is more used to dealing with school kids!
At Mount Rushmore National Memorial, we had an hour to visit and take photos of this famous mountain sculpture.
The four American Presidents carved into the granite of Mount Rushmore were chosen by the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, to commemorate the founding, growth, preservation, and development of the United States. They symbolize the principles of liberty and freedom on which the nation was founded.
George Washington signifies the struggle for independence and the birth of the Republic; Thomas Jefferson the territorial expansion of the country; Theodore Roosevelt the 20th century role of the United States in world affairs and the rights of common man; and Abraham Lincoln the permanent union of the States and equality for all citizens.
Luigi Bianco, an Italian-American classically trained stone carver who was paid $1.50 an hour, was the chief carver of Mount Rushmore.
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| a glimpse of the presidents through this tunnel |
We continued through Custer State Park to Needles Highway, passing through more scenic tunnels and stopping at breathtaking overlooks. Custer State Park, considered a South Dakota treasure, features towering pines, rolling hills and massive granite spires.
At one stop, we were able to view Washington's Mount Rushmore profile from this vantage point.
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| from this vantage point, the carved profile blends in well with the needles spires |
We continued to wind our way through the park, marveling at the views and the spectacular granite spires.
It was an amazing feeling to observe these seemingly placid animals, several cows with calves, one suckling, and a recently born calf that was still light in color and hairless. The bulls are enormous but seemed preoccupied with their grazing and ignored us. It remains another memorable experience from this trip. Our bus driver promised he would find us a herd and he did.
The next section of the road took us through another series of tunnels, each slightly narrower than the previous one. The final one, Needles Eye Tunnel (8'0 wide x 9'9" tall), was so narrow that it left barely an inch clearance on each side of the bus. These TEMSA buses are made in Turkey and specifically imported by the tour company because they are just narrow enough to make it through these tunnels.
Our driver had a sense of humor and put a placard in the front window saying, "Student Driver." In narrow sections of the road, as we pulled over to let the opposite cars and motor bikes pass, we would get either very quizzical looks or large smiles. As our driver made his way through the final narrowest tunnel slowly and carefully, others waiting on the opposite side to pass through were taking photos and video of us. Several had wide open eyes, some were laughing, and others had their hands to their mouths. He then yelled out the window asking if this was the way to McDonalds. All of us on board were laughing. I wonder what our spectators must have been thinking.
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| just a little further, almost there! |
Sylvan Lake was a beautiful spot for a stop. We had time to stretch our legs, visit the gift shop, and walk along the man-made lake located at the bottom of Black Elk Peak. I found the boulders mesmerizing.
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| first glimpse of Crazy Horse on his steed |
Today, work continues on the Lakota warrior. When completed, the sculpture will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long. No federal or state monies finance the memorial. Admission fees and contributions are the only funding the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation accepts.
Of interest to us was to see how much progress had been made since our last visit. Comparing photos, it appears that the hand and fingers are now visible.
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| what the final sculpture will look like |
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| rendition of Ziolkowski's vision of the Memorial in 1982 |
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| the sculpture in 2002 |
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| the sculpture today in 2023 |
The enormous Cultural Center houses museums, a theater, and a gift shop. There is an extensive collection of native art and artifacts. We visited the sculptor Ziolkowski's home studio museum, then watched a young girl dressed in costume performing a hoop dance before we boarded the bus back to Fort Hays. 
Back at Fort Hays, the dinner bell ushered us all inside the dining area. Our dinner from the Chuckwagon menu was served on tin plates with tin mugs: baked potato, sliced beef or chicken, baked beans, ranch biscuit and honey, chunky applesauce, old-fashioned spice cake, lemonade or coffee. After dinner, the Fort Hays Wranglers took to the stage and entertained us with our era music. 
After the long day yesterday, Day 2 was a kick-back day. I made arrangements to meet Linda Clarke, my sewing room friend from the Arizonian RV Resort who lives in Rapid City. She came to our RV Park to visit for an hour before leading the rest of us quilters in the group to the two quilt shops in town that were open that day. Once again, the photo is proof that we did indeed spend an enjoyable few hours! After selecting fabrics we were all very ready for lunch, and enjoyed delicious salads at Colonial House.
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| yes, that really is my stash! |
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| T, Terry, Linda, Marcella, Catheren, Linda, Rhoda and Willy |
While we gals shopped, Michael, Pat, James & Helen went on a 3-mile hike on the Skyline Wilderness Trail nearby.
Day 3, our final day of the trip, also began early. On the itinerary were two planned tours in Deadwood which was about an hour's drive away from Rapid City.
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| Wild Bill Hickok |
We boarded a windowless school bus in Deadwood. Our driver and tour guide drove us through town, along the main road, narrating the highlights of the history of this town that has a reputation for notoriety thanks to two well-known characters, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. He pointed out the bar where Wild Bill was shot.
Once gold was discovered in the southern Black Hills in 1874, one of the great gold rushes in America was triggered. When miners moved into the northern Black Hills two years later, they came across a gulch full of dead trees and creek full of gold, and Deadwood was born. The small gold camp boomed into a town that played by its own rules and attracted gamblers, gunslingers, and outlaws as well as gold seekers. At its height the city population swelled to 25,000 and at the 2020 census the population was 1,156.
Prospecting and prostitution went hand in hand and in time an entire city block was occupied by brothels. Long after the gold rush ended, brothels continued to operate until they were finally shut down in 1980.
Wild Bill Hickok was one of the fortune hunters but only a few weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights, forever known now as the Dead Man's Hand.
Calamity Jane, Martha Jane Canary, is another colorful, legendary character who liked to dress in men's clothing and swear, and was also a sharpshooter. Apparently, she was also in love with Wild Bill and is buried in a grave next to his.
We continued on to Mount Moriah Cemetery, final resting place for several of Deadwood's interesting past characters. We saw the graves of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, and a few other notable characters. Of note is that the graves are very shallow, only about a foot below the surface, because of the thin layer of topsoil over the granite bedrock below.
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| Wild Bill Hickok, a name remembered in infamy |
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| our windowless tour bus |
High atop the opposite hill is a mine shaft of a gold mine which is no longer in operation. Although there is still plenty of gold, in 2002 when gold dropped in value it became uneconomical to mine and the operation was shut down.
The second guided tour was Tatanka: Story of the Bison at the Native American Interpretive Center. This is a museum founded by Kevin Costner who was inspired by the Lakota people when he was filming the movie "Dances with Wolves".
We attended a docent presentation on the relationship between the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Sioux tribes and the bison. It is all rooted in their creation story and the creation of their brother, the bison, who promised them sustenance. The bison was the source of food as well as other necessary tools and functions. All parts were used, from the hide for clothing, blankets, teepee covers; to scrapers, spoons (scapula or femur bone), bowls (one of the stomachs), container for water (bladder).
After the lecture, we went outside to see the bronze sculptures of a bison hunt commissioned by Kevin Costner and created by artist Peggy Detmers. It is the 3rd largest bronze sculpture in the world, composed of 14 bison being chased by 3 Lakota horsemen over a cliff, known as a bison jump.
The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty established the Great Sioux Reservation including ownership of the Black Hills and obligated the US government to punish white settlers who committed crimes against the tribes. After the discovery of gold in the area just 6 years later, settlers flooded in. The government could not control them, and eventually changed course and abandoned the treaty. What followed is a sad episode in US history where the army set out to subdue the tribes. After the defeat of the US forces at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer's Last Stand, the army focused on the tribes' dependence on the bison. "Hungry people don't fight back" was a phrase that launched an all-out annihilation of the bison herds. Tens of thousands were killed, purposely shot in the abdomen so that the internal organs would poison the meat and render them inedible. Thirty to sixty million bison once roamed the Great Plains. By the end of the nineteenth century fewer than 1,000 remained. Today, bison no longer roam free like they once did. Herds are owned by the Federal Government, the State, the tribes, and farmers.
The terms "bison" and "buffalo" are used interchangeably, but it is not correct. What I learned is that in fact bison and buffalo are two different animals. Bison are native to North America and Europe while buffalo are native to Asia and Africa. Bison have a hump at their shoulders which acts like a plow to sweep drifts of snow in the winter, whereas buffalo do not have a hump. The horns of a bison are shorter and sharper than a buffalo's. Bison also have thick beards while the buffalo are beardless.
The Lakota word for bison is tatanka.
Both tours offered very opposite perspectives about the history of the area: of the original indigenous people whose culture developed because of their relationship with the land and the bison, and the European settlers who poured in to make a fortune after gold was discovered. The sad result is that both an indigenous culture and way of life dependent on bison, as well as the bison themselves, were destroyed.
A heat dome had settled over the west creating higher than normal temperatures so we planned to get an early start during the cooler morning. Our route home would be a similar route in reverse: Hardin, Montana the first night (where we chatted with a South African seasonal worker who came out with his buddies to help with the harvest); Cardwell, Montana the second night; and St Regis, Montana the third night. Our plan to spend a fourth night in Moses Lake, Washington was changed due to the active wildfires burning around Spokane and the closure of part of I-90 rerouting us along narrow, winding, bumpy roads through farm fields. The smoke was dense, visibility was low, and the air quality index was in the 200 range. We decided to press on home instead to get beyond the smoke. We drove 512 miles all the way back to Anacortes a day early.
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| smoke around Spokane |
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| back roads through farm fields |
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| the smoke followed us until we crossed the mountains |
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| crossing the Columbia River, shrouded in smoke |
Our epic Alpine Adventure has come to an end. And, just like in all epic adventures, our "hero" Tom also faced challenges (those spikes in the road) which he overcame admirably. We all endured the pesky black flies, mosquitos, no-see-ums, yellow jackets, and grasshoppers that plagued us along the way in some places. A couple of us had extra challenges with coach and tire issues that thankfully were resolved without interrupting the rest of their trip. We coped with the heat and smoky air at times And we all benefited from the adventures, learned a lot, and saw a lot as we traveled together, by motor home, car, bus, train, plane, and boat.
Our trip stats from Anacortes and back again:
- Nights away: 43
- Total miles traveled in Alpine: 4,680
- Gallons of diesel fuel used: 522
- Number of RV parks: 21
- Additional driving miles in the Jeep: 610
- Plane flight Thompson to Churchill: 250 miles, 50 minutes
- Overnight train back to Thompson: 370 miles, 18 hours!
- Tours & attractions: 33, including the main events in Churchill, kayaking with beluga whales and the tundra bus tour
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| Our 4680-mile epic journey |
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| Alpine, back home again |