Our day was spent learning about Buffalo Bill...One of the most colorful figures of the Old West became the best known spokesman for the New West. He was born William Frederick Cody in Iowa in 1846. At 22, in Kansas, he was rechristened "Buffalo Bill". He had been a trapper, a bullwhacker, a Colorado "Fifty-Niner", Pony Express rider, wagonmaster, stagecoach driver, Civil War soldier, and even hotel manager. He earned his nickname for his skill while supplying Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat. He was about to embark on a career as one of the most illustrious prairie scouts of the Indian Wars.

This town is all about Buffalo Bill and we spent most of the day at his museum, a very informative collection and exhibition about this man who was 'the most famous American in the world during his lifetime.'  After absorbing all we could, we had lunch at the Buffalo Bill's 1902 Irma Hotel.  Shopping and strolling finished our day.

We meandered through the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and turned a bend to discover Shell Creek Falls.  One hundred and fifty feet tall with 3,600 gallons of water flowing a second, we stood gazing at these falls in amazement.  The water's roar complemented the songbirds wonderfully.  A nice introduction to Wyoming!

The day ended in Deadwood... an entire city on the National Historic Register... a historically significant city carefully, accurately restored. While the gold rush of 1876 brought the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, it also provided the wealth to construct a thriving commercial center in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota.

A town known for its lawlessness and famous legends.  A town who outlawed gambling in 1947 just to bring it back in 1989 (for economic reasons) and whose last prostitution house didn't close until 1980.  Wild history.

We dined in a treasure, Diamond Lil's in the Midnight Star Casino, part of an entire building owned by the actor Kevin Costner. The casino is named after the saloon in his breakout film, Silverado, and its restaurant and sports bar are named after characters in the movie.  We dined amongst memorabilia of the movies he has starred in.  Being a fan, this was pretty cool for me.

While our morning was spent learning about an Indian hero, we spent our afternoon admiring four of our American heroes and an incredible sculptor, Guzton Borglum whose vision was no less than "the formal rendering of the philosophy of our government into granite on a mountain peak." 

The first photo shows how the mountain looked before the work began in 1925.  An amazing transformation occurred .  The last photo is a postcard that just made me smile.  Each time I return to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, I am amazed and as thoroughly impressed as my first visit.  I think that is truly the magic of this place.

The scenic route to Mt. Rushmore was through the 71,000 acre Custer State Park where Custer's expedition first discovered gold in 1874.  The drive was breathtaking as well as awe-inspiring.  A surprise to us was the State Game Lodge which served as the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  How wild is that?

We began our day with a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial with a curiousness to see how this monumental undertaking had progressed since we were there 15 years ago.  Funded solely by the interested  public... not the taxpayer, it progresses slowly. 

Conceived by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear, Crazy Horse was officially started on June 3, 1948 (nine years after the completion of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial). The Memorial's mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians.  As you can see by the photos with the model of what it will look like completed, this is a project that will take generations to complete.  Korczak knew "that the project was larger than any one person's lifetime." 

Chief Standing Bear wrote, "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, also."  It is a place of pretty powerful emotions and inspiring convictions.

Today was primarily a driving day but we detoured off I 90 to meander through the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  It is really difficult to describe the 244,000 acres of rugged beauty before us.

The Badlands came to be regarded as a geologic wonder worthy of preservation in 1929.  It became a National Monument in 1939 via a proclamation by President Roosevelt in order to preserve the scenery, to protect the fossils and wildlife, and to conserve the mixed-grass prairie.  Congress elevated the status to National Park in 1978, underscoring the value of the Badlands to present and future generations.

Steve and I were here last September and to see it again, in all its spring splendor was incredible.  A great deal of what we learned at the Visitors' Center added what Kegan had learned last quarter.  It is a breathtaking place that demands deep exploration and true appreciation.

Tonight we are settled in Minnesota... a state we have never visited.  We arrived via the Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway.  "Time passes slowly along this road with change coming nearly imperceptibly to both the natural landscape and the lifestyle of its residents. Impressive limestone bluffs rise over enduring hardwood forests, while the water of the region etches out magnificent caverns beneath the earth. Visitors can lose themselves in timeless sights and activities amidst natural wonders and rural communities." 

The road less traveled is always preferred yet once we returned to the interstate we delighted in a quick tour of The SPAM® Museum... dedicated to the delicious meat first created at the Hormel Foods Corporation plant in 1937. It's a fun and informational destination with interactive and educational elements. Truly one of the more interesting, fun museums we've visited and it was free.  A must-see when in Austin, MN!  YUM.

We are camped in Myre-Big Island State Park...flowers, prairie, songbirds and forests.  It's where we should be for the night.