Dakota Days - Way out west

Day Eight.  Monday 26 July 2004

"Today was fun.  After a trip to the Hot Springs Mammoth Site, we were driven up into the Black Hills of Dakota.  We saw the slowly-advancing Crazy Horse memorial (target finish date - decades from now), and we went through Wind Cave national park, where Adrien received a tip-off about the location of a herd of bison.  They were a magnificent sight, big but docile, you could just imagine them running in their thousands.  

Bison in Wind Cave National Park

The scenery was also stunning, as we moved into Custer State park, where we stopped at the 'city' (population 2860) of Custer, another cute Western town with a post office, sheriff's office, and probably the world's most expensive sweet shop!  Tomorrow is the trip to Mouth Rushmore, and bad weather is forecast - I hope not, because I left my raincoat back in Mitchell - doh!

The city of Custer

We're staying in Hot Springs for these few days, at the Mammoth Site - a public palaeontology site that has some impressive old tusks and bones.  It's sort of like our dig in Mitchell, but bigger, and better.  Tonight we've been out and had a Dairy Queen and a wander around the town.  A man with a self-playing piano just tried to flog us a wooden birdhouse he claimed to be 100 years old!  You could say it's a bit random here, but to me it feels like the very end of the world, and I quite like that."

Day Nine.  Tuesday 27 July 2004

"Had a better night's sleep on the sleeping bags last night and was feeling good.  Adrien took us to a reptile centre in the Black Hills, cute tortoises, snakes, beautiful birds, and chickens that play unbeatable games of noughts and crosses (only in America?)  Then it was on to Mount Rushmore.  It was great to see one of my idols up there in the rock - Abraham Lincoln has inspired me since my History A-Level coursework.  However, the inspiration was also supplied by the stunning beauty of the Black Hills, which were amazing.  I think Adrien tried to negotiate a discount entry to the site, but they were having none of it, so we were left admiring the four Presidents from the roadside.  Still, it's a world-famous landmark, not something you run into every day.

The Black Hills of Dakota

Mount Rushmore

The drive back to Mitchell, via Rapid City, was hot, long and tedious.  The girls were singing in the back of the minibus, and arguing with Dale about which music should be played on the seven-hour drive.  How Adrien kept his cool in the driver's seat I don't know, if I was him, I'd have put my foot through the radio (but then, I think Adrien only takes his anger out on the guides at the Indian Village.)  It was a relief to get to the Missouri River, for a short break and some fresh air.

Back in Mitchell, and we went for a stroll to the garage earlier and I bought some postcards to write.  I can't believe it has already been a week since we arrived here!  Anyway, really tired tonight so it'll be a fairly early night - back to archaeology tomorrow!"