The cold water was up to Cole’s knees, but it was worth it to throw sticks down the waterfall of the dam

We wanted to visit Sylvan Lake, because we saw it in a movie (see below), and it was so beautiful. We inadvertently hiked the Lake trail, around Sylvan Lake, and it was beautiful from all angles. The kids especially loved crossing the water to the dam to throw sticks down the waterfall. The water was cold, and up to Cole’s knees, but he didn’t care at all!

Beautiful Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, South Dakota

Sylvan Lake, known as the “crown jewel” of Custer State Park, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Created in 1881 when Theodore Reder built a dam across Sunday Gulch, it offers picnic areas, small rental boats, swimming, and hiking trails. It is also popular as a starting point for excursions to Harney Peak and The Needles.

Beautiful Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, South Dakota

The natural beauty of the lake and surrounding area was featured in the Nicolas Cage film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The film made the lake appear to be located directly behind Mount Rushmore when in fact it is five miles southwest of the monument. Various members of the cast and crew spent time crawling, climbing and filming on the granite outcroppings surrounding the man-made lake, as well as exploring the trails behind the lake.

Crazy Horse Memorial view from the parking lot.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the form of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance.

The memorial consists of the mountain carving (monument), the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural center, the sculptor’s log home studio and workshop, indoor and outdoor galleries, museum gift shop, restaurant and snack bar areas and expansive viewing veranda. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by some Native Americans, roughly 17 miles away from Mount Rushmore.

Crazy Horse Memorial Dimensions – White statue is the model of the finished project

The sculpture’s final dimensions will be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mt. Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high.

A picture history from the first blast in 1948 of the carving until present

The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is still far from completion. If finished, it will be the world’s largest sculpture.

The mountain carving was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who had worked on Mt. Rushmore under Gutzon Borglum. In 1939, Ziolkowski had received a letter from Chief Henry Standing Bear, which stated in part “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too.”

As a non-profit undertaking, the memorial receives no federal or state funding. Ziolkowski was offered $10 million from the federal government on two occasions, but he turned the offers down. Ziolkowski felt the project was more than just a mountain carving, and he feared that his plans for the broader educational as well as cultural goals for the memorial would be left behind with federal involvement.

Ziolkowski died in 1982. The entire complex is owned by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. Ziolkowski’s wife Ruth and several children remain closely involved with the work, which has no fixed completion date. The face of Crazy Horse was completed and dedicated in 1998.

Night Time Blast at Crazy Horse Memorial

They only do 2 night time blasts a year. June 26th, the anniversary of the Little Bighorn Battle as well as Mrs. Ziolkowski’s birthday, and September 6th, Crazy Horse’s death in 1878 and Korczak’s birth date in 1908.

The future of the Crazy Horse Memorial

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s vision of the future of the Crazy Horse humanitarian project includes a vast educational and cultural complex to benefit the North American Indian beased on Korczak’s master plans.

Amazing detail on the face, when you take the bus tour to Crazy Horse

We spent 3 hours at Crazy Horse, and to me it didn’t even feel like it! There is o much to see there! Brittany and I took the bus tour to base of Memorial, and we got to see amazing views of the face! Instead of just the profile view, we got to see the face straight on. The detail is amazing!

Crazy Horse at night during the"Legends of Light" laser show.

Kids got to do some swimming at the hotel and a little the night beforet too, before we headed out for the laser show at Crazy Horse. We swung by to see Mount Rushmore lit up too, and what a beautiful sight!

Cole showed off a new water trick! He ran and jumped into the pool (he had a floatie jacket on)! He didn’t even hold his nose! He just ran and jumped, and went under, and came up smiling! He was so proud of himself!!!

To see pictures of beautiful Sylvan Lake, click here!!

To see picture of the Crazy Horse Memorial, click here!!

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We spent the day in the Mount Rushmore / Black Hills area. I can honestly say I love this area, and we haven’t even done a 1/4 of the things to do here! Of course one of the main attractions was Mt. Rushmore itself.

Avenue of flags at Mt. Rushmore

Walking up to see Mount Rushmore is amazing. The Avenue of Flags is really neat to see where all 56 states and territories line each side of the walkway. The avenue provides direct and easy access to the Grandview Terrace and Presidential Trail. We decided that we also wanted to do the Presidential Trail.

Mount Rushmore from the Museum

Walking the Presidential Trail is a great way to get a closer view of Mount Rushmore.The trail makes a loop from the Washington (south) side of the Grand View Terrace to the base of Mount Rushmore and back to the Lincoln (north) side of the Grand View Terrace. From the base of the mountain, stairs take you down to the Sculptor’s Studio. From the viewing terrace at the base of the mountain you can go down the stairs to the the Sculptor’s Studio. From the studio you walk back up the historic stairway that was built by crews, to reach the Grand View Terrace. The trail is just less than one mile in total length, but there are lots and lots of steps (250 according to the sign)!!! The views of the Presidents are amazing, many times you’re standing right under their noses!.

We went back to see the Presidents lit up at night, and barely got one drive by before they lights were turned off. What an amazing site to see it lit up!

Iron Mountain Road – 3 tunnels frame Mount Rushmore in the distance

We took a scenic drive along Iron Mountain Road, about 17 miles in length. This winding road extends between Mount Rushmore and the junctions of Highway 16A and SD 36. Along the highway are pigtail bridges, hairpin turns and three tunnels which frame Mt. Rushmore in the distance.

Washington looks like he’s crying after it rained. Profile view of Washington

We ran into a tornado watch, and big drops of rain, and some hail while on this windy, curvy road, but it soon cleared, and we were having fun again! Mount Rushmore looks really different when it’s been rained on! We also got to see some donkeys along side the road, and some buffalo just walking down the middle of the road like they owned it!

To see our pictures of Mount Rushmore, CLICK HERE!!!

Interesting notes about Mount Rushmore:

Mt. Rushmore stands as a shrine of democracy, a monument and memorial to this country’s birth, growth and ideals. Mount Rushmore symbolizes the greatness of this nation through the greatness of it leaders. The epic sculpture of Mount Rushmore depicts the faces of four exalted American presidents that symbolize this nations rich history, rugged determination and lasting achievements.

The mountain itself was originally named after Charles E. Rushmore, a New York lawyer investigating mining claims in the Black Hills in 1885. Between 1927 and 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the 60-foot busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history.

Washington from the Presidential Trail

Washington was selected for Mount Rushmore because he was the father of our country and represents our struggle for independence, our constitution and our liberty.

Jefferson from the Presidential Trail

Jefferson was to be honored on Mt. Rushmore as the author of the Declaration of Independence, representative government by the people and for the expansion of our country through the Louisiana Purchase.

Roosevelt from the Presidential Trail

Teddy Roosevelt, the third bust on Mount Rushmore was selected because he saw through the completion of the Panama Canal linking the oceans and opening the connecting waters of the East and the West. Teddy was also selected for the 20th century role of the United States in world affairs.

Lincoln from the Presidential Trail

Lincoln was chosen for preserving the Union through one of America’s darkest hours and for the ideals of freedom and equality for all.

Mount Rushmore Facts:

• Creation of the Shrine of Democracy took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million.
• Rushmore’s granite faces tower 5,500 feet above sea level.
• The carvings on Mount Rushmore are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall.
• Each head on Mt. Rushmore is as tall as a six-story building.
• More that 800 million pounds of stone were removed from Mount Rushmore while carving the presidents.
• Each president’s face is as tall as the entire Great Sphinx of Egypt, measuring 60 feet from the chin to the top of the head.
• The president’s noses are 20 feet long, each mouth 18 feet wide and the eyes are 11 feet across.

To see our pictures of Mount Rushmore, CLICK HERE!!!

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Alright, I know I’m a baaaaaad blogger! Here it is 2 months after our vacation, and I’m still trying to get up posts from our vacation! Time has gone too quickly!!

This day, the only planned stop was to be Devils Tower, but after looking at the map, we saw that we’d drive right past the Little Big Horn Battlefield, and thought we’d stop to visit.

I thought the Little Big Horn Battlefield was going to be maybe a 1/2 hour stop, just a big field, here’s where it happened, snap a few pictures and move on. Boy, was I wrong! It was much bigger than I had thought!

Marker showing where Custer fell

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is the site of the June 25, 1876 battle between the U.S. Army’s 7th cavalry and several bands of Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. This area memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their way of life. Here in 1876, 263 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer, met death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. The battle of the Little Bighorn is also well known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”

Marker showing where a Cheyenne warrior fell

Markers honoring the Indians who fought at Little Big Horn, including Crazy Horse, have been added to those of the U.S. troops. The warriors’ red speckled granite memorial markers dot the ravines and hillsides just as do the white marble markers representing where soldiers fell.

Tribute to Indians involved in battle of Little Big Horn

The bill signed by George H.W. Bush in 1991changed the name of the national monument from Custer Battleground N.M to Little Bighorn Battlefield N.M also called for an “Indian Memorial” to be built near Last Stand Hill. It is fairly common at national battle sites in the United States for combatants on both sides of the conflict to be honored.

Gorgeous picture of Devils Tower

From Little Bighorn Battlefield, we traveled to Devils Tower. Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Devils Tower is 867 feet from its base to the summit. Once hidden, erosion has revealed Devils Tower. This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen.

Prayer Ribbons left by Native Americans at Devils Tower

Also known as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site for many American Indians. We saw many prayer ribbons tied to trees along the trail.

President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower the first national monument in 1906.

Tammy and the kids at Devils Tower

We decided to hike the 1.25 mile Tower Trail which circles the Tower. It was absolutely beautiful, and very scenic! We saw lots of vultures flying above Devils Tower. We were surprised to find out that the top of Devils Tower is approximately the same size as a football field! We even saw a deer resting just a little ways off the trail. When you walk the Tower Trail, it was amazing to see the different sides of Devils Tower, it almost seems to take on a different shape at each angle.

I was really glad to finally see this monument in person. Devils Tower gained gained international fame when Close Encounters of the Third Kind debuted. I remember watching this 1977 movie (gosh, I’m dating myself here!), and we watched as Richard Dreyfus molded the tower out of his mashed potatoes and built a scale model of it in his living room. It’s much more impressive in person!

To see pictures from the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, CLICK HERE!!

To see pictures from the Devils Tower National Monument, CLICK HERE!!

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