Friday, June 3, 2022

Temperature 65 Degrees, Sun and Clouds

Devils Tower

So the original plan was to leave Custer, SD and stop here on our way to Medora, ND. Their website indicated that there was RV parking in the visitor center lot. A check of Google Earth confirmed that there were several RV sites along the curb. However, my gut was telling me that this was a bad idea. Boy oh boy am I glad I listened to my gut. When we arrived today by car I discovered that just getting through the visitor center parking lot to the RV parking would have been extremely tight. And the RV parking? A total of six spots, none big enough for a rig like ours with a toad in tow. Moreover, if you didn’t get there first thing in the morning you would never get a spot.

So off we went this morning by car. It was about a forty minute ride until we came to

The number of cars in front of us was minimal so we were through in a matter of minutes.

Our first stop as is our usual practice was to stop at the visitor center.

It was a small center but filled with numerous interesting exhibits that explained how Devils Tower came to be and so much more. I, for one, found it absolutely fascinating.

So, the first question I had was How did this tower come to be?

Now that we know how it was formed, the next question I had was How did it get its name?

So what is its name? Devils Tower? Bear Lodge? It all depends on who you are talking to.

Some interesting facts.

And did you know?

I had no idea until my trip here.

Time to get a closer look so hiking I did go. Well, more like a walk on a paved path along which I learned still more about this fascinating place.

But first, what a view from the base.

At the visitor center I learned that many people climb the tower.

On the trail I also learned that

Did you catch that? The youngest up the Tower were a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. I wonder who their parents were and what were they thinking! Then on the opposite end the oldest recorded climber was more than 90 years old!

Then I discovered these two.

One would go up to a certain ledge then rappel back down. Then the one on the bottom would go up and then rappel back down. They did this over and over again as I watched them from the base. Proof positive that people do indeed climb the Tower.

Along the way I also learned

about prayer bundles and later along the trail

I discovered prayer bundles hanging in various trees.

So that is how we spent our morning. Sightseeing and learning new and interesting facts about our countries first national monument. It was a trip well worth making. If you have never been I encourage you to make it a bucket list item.

We made one more stop before coming home and I’ll have that attraction in a future blog.

OK, once back home it was time to do what I haven’t been able to do for months. Elvira finally got a bath! Not the best, she still needs to be detailed. But at least the many layers of dirt from RV parks in the past have been washed away. I feel much better now that she is all spiffy again.

We’re moving right along on The Road of Retirement. We’re enjoying life and our time together. Moreover, we are seeing wonders and attractions that once we could only dream about getting to see. Life is good. And we as we’ve said all along we are two of the most blessed people on the face of the earth.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest.

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

June 2, 2022

Temperature 58 Degrees, Mix of Sun and Cloud

Mountain View RV Park & Campground

Today was a travel day. We didn’t have a long drive ahead of us so we just took it easy this morning and eventually got on the road at 10 am.

Our intent was to make a stop at Jewel Cave National Monument for one of their cave tours. Ms. Barbara checked the web site which indicated that tours were given every twenty minutes. She also made a call and was likewise told that tours are every twenty minutes. That would fit perfectly into our travel plans.

We arrived at the monument at 10:45 am and found a space big enough for our rig and toad. Once parked off I went to take a cave tour. I arrived at the ticket booth and told them I was there for the scenic cave tour which I understood was given every twenty minutes. However, I was informed that there would only be one tour today and that would be at 1 pm. What! Hey guys I really don’t think you have your act together. We doubled checked and were told one thing only to find out that what we were told was definitely not so. So much for our cave tour.

We got back on the road and headed toward our new home. Some thirty miles later

and we entered yet another new state for us.

Today’s trip was not a long one but somewhat frustrating. We were on a two lane road that went up and down and twisted this way and that. Time after time we got stuck behind either a truck or later two motorcycles that never went over 60 mph – and the speed limit was 70 mph. All I wanted to do was maintain an easy 62/63 mph but that was not to be. Oh well, I finally just took a deep breath and sat back and went with the flow.

A short time later we were at our fuel stop which was just minutes from the RV park we had chosen for our new home. We topped off the tank and headed to our new home.

Minutes later we arrived at Mountain View RV Park and Campground. This is a really nice RV park that is immaculate. The customer service is first rate. We were welcomed like we were long lost family. What a nice feeling.

Our new home for the next four nights. We have a pull-thru, gravel base, reasonably level with all utilities easy to access. Unfortunately, the weather for the next four days does not look good. But no matter we’ll be going sightseeing. Tomorrow it will be Devil’s Tower and then Deadwood after that.

It was interesting to note that when we arrived at around 1 pm the row we were in was almost empty. However, by 3 pm the rigs began rolling in. This is the first time we’ve been surrounded by so many rigs!

Looking at our mileage we’re not quite halfway through our trip. RVTripWizard has our total trip mileage around 8800 miles. To date we’ve covered 3300 miles. We’re getting there. State by state, RV park by RV park. We’re loving every minute of it.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest.

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

May 31, 2022

Temperature 49 Degrees, Overcast, No Sun

Mount Rushmore, Part Two

I can’t believe it. Yesterday I spent the whole day doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. Well, not exactly. I did get a blog completed. However in my defense it rained all day and the temperature never rose above 49 degrees. Thus, I took a day off. I say good for me.

Time now to finish up my blog on Mt. Rushmore. We’ve got a mountain. A sculptor. We know what is supposed to be carved on the mountain. So how exactly did it get carved on the mountain?

This is where the dream began to come to life. This is the studio where Borglum took the first steps toward making the Monument a physical reality. We were so bummed out that it was closed on the day we visited. Had we come one day later it would have been open. But back to what took place in the studio.

We now have models, examples of what was going to be carved on the mountain. How do we get from the models to the real life carvings that make up the monument today?

The men that possessed the title of chief pointer during the carving period were Hugo Villa, Lincoln Borglum and Jim LaRue.

Step one, create the models. Step Two, transfer measurements from the studio models to the real life carvings. Step three,

Deep drilling to prepare for blasting away the outside rough rock. Think about it, you are suspended in a simple sling chair, holding a jack hammer, trying to drill holes into solid granite. I saw a video of someone who was assigned this task and he stated that he usually had to chain himself to the mountain so that he could get enough purchase to drill a hole.

Once the figure was blocked to within several inches of the final surface drill holes were shorter and more closely spaced. Removing the honeycomb rock was then done by hand.

What was it like to work on the mountain?

The chair you sat in while you worked.

The winches that raised and lowered you to your work station.

However, not everyone was comfortable with actually working on the mountain face. I know I for one could never have been able to do it!

Getting to the top was either by tram and or by climbing up the 700 stairs that led to the top. It was said that the majority of the workers used the stairs since they did not trust the tram.

As for those who worked on the mountain.

Could I have had a long lost relative – Thomas S. Burns – who worked on the mountain? Maybe, maybe not.

We’ll end our tour of Mt. Rushmore with this.

Mt. Rushmore must be viewed in person in order to truly appreciate it grandeur and its beauty. But it is more than the mountain. It is the trails, the museum, the terrace and so much more. Our time there was definitely the highlight of this trip. If you have never been there I encourage you to make it a must trip sometime in the future. You will not regret it. I guarantee it.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest.

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

May 30, 2022

Temperature 49 Degrees, Rain All Day

Mount Rushmore, Part One

Mount Rushmore was the main reason we made this trip. If we had to turn and head home at this point in time we would not be disappointed nor sad. The cold, the wind none of it mattered once we went here. We had achieved our main goal for this trip.

OK. Let me share with you a bit of what we saw and what we learned. I must say, though, that no photos from this armature photographer can every do this National Monument justice. The grandeur of this National Monument is absolutely spectacular. This is one of those attractions like The Badlands, The Grand Canyon, The Painted Desert that must be viewed in person. You just have to see it for yourself to really appreciate its true beauty. That being said I hope you enjoy.

One approaches the Memorial by walking down the Avenue of Flags. The Avenue of Flags was initially established as part of the celebration of the United States’ Bicentennial in 1976 at the request of a visitor.

We quickly found the flag for Florida.

From The Avenue of Flags we moved onto The Grand View Terrace.

There they were. Our first really good view of all four.

And there she is. Proof, that yes we had been here. And proof, too, that occasionally in these parts you can actually wear a T-shirt. Not often this time of year but on occasion it does happen.

So, how did these four Presidential figures come to be craved here on this mountain? Whose idea was it and why? Who was the man responsible for the cravings? How many worked on this memorial? How long did it take? How much did it cost? How much rock was removed? How was it removed? We had questions aplenty.

The man with the dream.

However, not all agreed with his dream.

Through perseverance and commitment of all involved the monument we see today finally came to be.

The man chosen to make Robinson’s dream a reality.

Now to find a place to bring the dream to life.

In 1925 Borglum selected this granite outcropping known as Mt. Rushmore for the site of the monument. I must admit I stood and stared long and hard at this picture finding it hard to believe that from this could come the Memorial we see today.

It is said that some 450,000 tons of rock were removed before the actual carving of the four figures could begin.

Why did Borglum decide on the four Presidents we see today?

Let’s take a closer look at the four Presidents now. But first a side note. One of the best ways to see all four figures up close is to take a walk along

The trail takes you to the base of the mountain where the views are absolutely breathtaking.

The trail is six tenths of a mile long but also has 422 steps!

Ms. Barbara making the final assault.

Victory! Bad knees and all she made it.

Back to the four Presidents. The first one we’ll talk about is President Jefferson.

Jefferson was originally supposed to be the first figure, to the left of Washington looking at the mountain. However, it was determined that there was insufficient rock for the figure. So, in 1934 the original face was destroyed and relocated. But, the carving of Jefferson in the new location revealed a major crack which resulted in Borglum shifting the position of the head.

Next is President Washington.

Now, President Roosevelt.

The carving of this president proved to be the most difficult. Seventy-five feet of overlaying rock was drilled and blasted away before suitable granite for carving was found.

Finally, President Lincoln.

In this carving Borglum gave special attention to the eyes. Concave depressions were carved so that the deep shadow gave the appearance of depth. The pupils were represented by a shaft of granite, about twenty inches long projecting from the socket with its front surface ground smooth to reflect the light

OK, for now we’re going to take a break. In the second part of this blog about Mt. Rushmore we’ll talk about how it was carved, the workers involved and other odds and ends. Till then.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest.

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before