Saturday:

Rushmore Shadow Resort/Rapid City South Dakota        
Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial
After we moved to today’s campground, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to Crazy Horse Memorial.  Those of you who have seen this place realize it’s bigger than life and abundant in things to see and do.  For a nominal fee, we took the bus back to the base of the memorial….kind of behind the scenes look,  if you will and again, the tour guide knew his subject matter well. 

The sculptor Koraczak Ziolkowski worked as an assistant to  Borglum, who sculpted Mount Rushmore.   Ziolkowski was asked to consider carving a giant sculpture dedicated to the American Indian “so the white man would know the red man has great heroes, too”.  It is such a mammoth undertaking that even though Ziolkowski is deceased, seven of his ten children are continuing the project and it’s obvious this will take more generations yet to see it to completion!!!   This would make a great study for anyone who likes this sort of thing.  It’s continuing drama, since they say his sons plus their assistants work up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week…. they are on a passionate mission.  It seems unfair that they won’t get the satisfaction of viewing the finished product but still they are staying true to their father’s dream.  This has grown into a huge operation of almost overwhelming proportions.  Ziolkowski’s wife, who is 86, is still at the helm of this undertaking and they say she commands high respect and runs a tight ship.  Also, they are accepting no governmental assistance…it’s an independent operation and they intend to keep it that way.

 We ate at the restaurant on premises and were blessed to be seated at a window with a direct view of the Crazy Horse Memorial.  This was a great windup of a special day.  The Ziolkowski Family’s message to the world was “Dream”…and they are living out what they teach.  I would recommend this as an amazing destination if you get a chance to come this way…. it stimulates the imagination and encourages you to dream big.

Photos on right under Montana/Wyoming/South Dakota