Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods

This is the last of posts to "Destination Family" and we are traveling home through Colorado Springs, the home of Pike's Peak.

Jim climbed Pikes Peak three times when he lived in Colorado Springs
 - ascending from 6000 feet to 14,000 feet. Pretty awesome!

Just minutes from our camp site, we visited The Garden of the Gods, our last stop of this trip. 

This once privately owned land was dedicated to the city of Colorado Springs to ensure it's preservation.

Balancing Rock with view of Ship Rock
to the left.

Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore

Just when you think you have seen some amazing sites, it gets even better when we arrive at Crazy Horse Mountain. The story behind this mountain sculture is as amazing as this carving. Work began on this project in 1948, after self-taught sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, was invited by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear to come to the Black Hills and carve a mountain "so the white men would know that the red man has great heroes, also". Realizing this project would span generations, Korczak and his wife, Ruth, set in place various forms of guidance for the future such as the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, three books of comprehensive plans and scale models of the sculpture. Since Korczak's and Ruth's passing, six of their ten children and some grandchildren carry on the family legacy of Korczak and Ruth at Crazy Horse.



Traditional dance performed by the Lakota Indians.

 

The next day we are no less impressed to visit the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Although considerably smaller than Crazy Horse, (four Mount Rushmores would fit into the head of Crazy Horse), sculptor, Gutzon Borglum's vision of four United States presidents is breathtaking. 

Antelope

Just a sampling of the wildlife and sites to be seen along Custer State Park's scenic drives.

Mama and baby bison.

Not native to the Black Hills, these burros are descendants of a herd that once hauled  visitors 7,242 feet to the top of Harney Peak, the highest peak in South Dakota.



Sylvan Lake



Needle's Eye

Custer State Park is home to as
many as 1,450
head of North American Bison.

Not nearly as impressive as the real thing, the City of Custer proudly displays statues of buffalo throughout town. 

 

There is so much more to see and enjoy in South Dakota, and we hope to return again someday and do just that.