Day 10: Crazy Horse

Today started off as a down day. We went on a bison photo safari. Custer has bison like Winchester has apples. Companies can purchase them and decorate them to attract people like me. I think it is a charity thing too. While we were hunting bison, we met a coo guy and his dog, Dave and Buddy. They were driving across the country too. Instead of collecting smashed pennies and stuff, they were collecting pictures of people with Buddy. It was fun. We actually took one with a super awesome motorcycle in the background. Guess what his yearbook was? His car! He had writing all over it where people signed it. He has even had the police stop and ask him why there was writing all over it. We got to sign it and Bek drew a picture in permanent marker.

After a long rest time, Mom took us to see the Crazy Horse monument. It was awesome! They said that all of Mount Rushmore could fit just inside the face of Crazy Horse. It is huge! They are doing it without government help so it is taking a really long time. It took 14 years and 400 people to carve out the faces of Rushmore. Crazy Horse was started by one single man hired by Sitting Bull. He eventually got married and had ten kids, seven of them are still working on it. He left them a letter that they saw only after his death that said they could work on the memorial or go off and do something else. If they worked on the Memorial, do it with all their heart and they would probably do it forever. There was also the Native American Museum that had two teepees, one caged off and one you could touch, the Warrior motorcycle with Native American warriors painted on it, and all sorts of examples of American arts and crafts. In the sculpture studio there were all sorts of things Korziak had sculpted including a 1/34th model of what the memorial would look ultimately look like. Even 1-34th it was still huge!!! It was probably more than three times taller than Daddy. When you stood in the right place, you could see it lined up with the mountain and see how accurate it was. They measure using an ancient scultpung tool called the pointing system. You take a bar and put it on top of the model and then measure it. You go to the mountain and measure the same exact spot only it is a foot on the mountain for each inch on the model. It sounds crazy but it really works. They are supposed to have a incredible light show but we couldn’t stay for it. Mom had to find a pay phone to check in with Dad so he wouldn’t worry. Most of these places don’t have pay phones! It is supposed to have a great laser light show that tells the story of the Indian tribes and chiefs and Crazy Horse. Mom promised Moose we would stay next time we were in the area.

See Crazy Horse Pictures