Vacation, part 3

The next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial.

It is hard to fathom from this photo, but this monument is gigantic.  When completed, this monument will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long.  In comparison, all four 60 foot heads on Mount Rushmore would fit inside just Crazy Horse's head.  Just his head.   

In 1948, the first blast removed 10 ton of rock.  

Today's blasts average 700 ton of rock.   

   

The memorial is a private, non-profit undertaking financed only by admission fees and contributions.  The memorial does not accept government funding.  That is the primary reason for the slow progress in completing this memorial monument.  

Crazy Horse face dimensions… his forehead alone is 32 feet! 

Legends in Light is the laser light show that is displayed on the mountain.

It is pitch black outside and the images are continuously moving to music and a narrated story.  It was very neat and one of our family favorites from the whole trip! 

The next morning we were back to Custer State Park.  We drove the long, winding path to Mount Coolidge Lookout Tower.  

This is the highest point in all of Custer State Park.  The historic Fire Tower was one of the last projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.  

From the lookout you can spot Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Needles.  (you can't spot them in this photo, however).  

Beautiful views! 

Another tunnel...

and another view of the faces! 

All wood bridge, still in use today.  

The next stop was Bear Country.  

Then we found a great ice cream shop called Armadillo's.  

Vacation, part 2

Our first destination in South Dakota was Mount Rushmore.  

When we started discussing our destination for family vacation this year Lucas' request was "to see the mountain with faces on it.  Not in a picture, in person."  He has a map in his bedroom that he is always studying.  It has a picture of something representative about the state and guess what South Dakota has? 

This is really an incredible monument.  To think this was created out of rock and the details are precise.  

Reading presidential facts. 

Selfie with Abe.  

DNR display of Native American life.  

More ice cream at the Old Fashion Fudge store in Keystone.  

We left Keystone and took Iron Mountain Road into Custer State Park.  

Check out the details on Iron Mountain Road - miles, curves, switchbacks, tunnels!  

Antelope smack in the middle of the road.  

Did you wonder where this guy was in our ice cream pictures?  He's just strolling along, enjoying the spoonfuls of ice cream he gets.  Happy boy.  

Stockade Lake in Custer State Park. 

After supper we took the kids mini golfing.  New obsession.  The kids loved it!  

Hannah's hole in one!  

This is how we pass the hotel time… that and lots of swimming pool time!  

Hannah's famous saying on this trip was referring to the hotel as "vacation."  For example, "when are we going back to vacation?"  It even took Brent and I some time to figure out what she was saying/asking.  But now we just say "we're staying at a vacation" and her eyes light up.  

We spent a lot of time enjoying Custer State Park.  It is a beautiful park!  

The Wildlife Loop. 

Me and my boys.  

We drove the Needles Highway and the tunnels were crazy!  I'm glad Brent was driving.

Sylvan Lake