Trying not to Rushmore – The Black Hills, SD

Rapid City is BIG!. Well more spread out than big really. Pookaverse saw it with its lights on this evening after returning from a spectacular and at time poignant day in the Black Hills National Park, SD. To be honest, we came home to our Target bag of cheese, ham and spreadables and ate our ‘tea’ at the room table. Have to ‘budget’ on this scale.

Need we say more….than Rushmore

Alison has been keeping Pookaverse one step ahead of sleeping in the car by continually finding good budget hotel deals. The Americinn deal here in Rapid City and back in Sioux Falls has been both wise and fair. $89.oo , including those infernal state, city and conference taxes – breakfast included. £54.83 per night or £25.41 each. Quality varies, but overall (touch wood) it has been a good functional experience.

Washington calling…

We saw Buffalo today. Lot’s of them. Turns out that the Custer State Park ran its nearly 1300 Buffalo into specially devised corals in order that they can be tagged, inoculated and in some cases sold. It only happened today. On the 24th September. Another ‘accidental’ discovery. S’plain me that science bitches – wid yower rockets ‘n shit. You cannot. Hup hup.

We did not see the actual run. Just stumbled upon the aftermath and were treated to the spectacular site of a herd of Buffalo (American Bison) congregated together. There is no way we would have seen a herd of this size within the vast reaches of this state.

“At my death paint my body with red paint and plunge it into fresh water to be restored back to life, otherwise my bones will be turned into stone and my joints into flint in my grave, but my spirit will rise. ” Crazy Horse Memorial, SD

Both hooms were moved – Rohan and Alison alike – and just for once something very old and true – an ancient majesty of this place touched us both deeply.

The remnants of a vast nation…the Buffalo herd of Custer State Park, SD.

Today was also Mount Rushmore (from nearly every conceivable angle) and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Will post separately.

Pookaverse needs its sleep tonight. Tomorrow we visit Deadwood, SD  and hope to see the grave of Wild Bill Hickok – gunned down in a poker game at the age of 39.

Later we drive West to the town of Sherida,  Wyoming. On the way we pass near the town of Gillette, Wyoming proposed as an example of ‘Gillete Syndrome‘ for use in psychoanalytical and social studies.

ThenDevilsTowerWantToGoToBedNowSoItWillBeTomorrowSoonerGoodNightZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ