On our way to our next stop, also in Sioux Falls, we stopped at a gas station for gas and sodas and my Mom saw a display of Busch beer with cans labelled Busch Latte. She came out and told us about the cans and Meg looked it up. At first we thought it was a coffee flavored beer like Pabst Blue Ribbon has... then we learned it was way better. Apparently in the Dakotas and Montana the morning drink of choice for hunters is Busch Lite. The company heard that it was jokingly called Busch Latte and made a Folger style commercial and labelled the beers to match for a good laugh check out the commercial. Also we picked up some of the Busch Latte cans to add to our growler/crowler collection.
Our next stop was the USS South Dakota... well the outline of the USS South Dakota BB-57. Serving in WWII the battleship was in many major battles, including the Battle of Guadalcanal, and was well decorated. Since moving the entire ship was not feasible there is a concrete outline of it with the original ship, bell, anchor, and propeller and some other pieces to provide a stunning memorial and museum. We walked around the 680 foot outline reading informational markers near the different features of the battleship. As we walked around we saw a line of wood boards surrounded by brick. A sign above explained that they were some of the original boards from the battleship salvaged and sunk in to the ground at the memorial the sign encouraged visitors to imagine the courage and sorrow of the men who had once walked these boards. A door sits mounted in a concrete block salvaged from the ship it was a part of the conning tower and would have been 35 feet above the deck. It also included the story of how some of the pieces were transported to South Dakota, like the story of a collection taken at a Veteran's reunion that allowed for the installation of the 16 foot guns. It was definitely well worth the stop and walk around. There is a small museum which was closed I assume due to Covid restrictions but again with the dogs we weren't really looking to go inside anyway.
We hopped on to I-90 and began driving west across South Dakota to our next stop. It was several years ago on CBS Sunday Morning when I learned of the Dignity Statue in South Dakota.
Dignity of Earth and Sky was a gift from Norm and Eunabel McKie to the state of South Dakota in honor of the 125th anniversary of statehood. The McKie family has a deep connection to the state. In an interview Norm told how his Grandfather had come to South Dakota in a covered wagon in 1891, two years after it had become a state, and his family had been there since then. Sculptor Dale C Lamphere, South Dakota's Artist Laurette, was an obvious choice to bring the project in to existence. Also involved in the creation of the statue was Albertson Engineering who designed the tripod base that would support the stainless steel statue weight and keep it secure in its place when winds pulled and pushed at the quilt atop a bluff looking at the Missouri River. Work began in 2015 and on September 17, 2016 the statue was dedicated. The plaque on the bottom has a quote from Dale Lamphere:
"Standing at a crossroads, Dignity echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous peoples and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intent is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place."
Having a connection to the Native populations was very important to Lamphere. He wanted to use the star quilt on the statue since it is an honored symbol in the Lakota tradition and he wanted to show that "that sense of honoring the native culture here in South Dakota is on the rise." There are over 128 blue and sapphire diamonds in the quilt to that interact with the sun and wind.
The face of Dignity is made up of more than 100 pieces of stainless steel. Dale started with a composite sketch of three native women and then created a clay mold. From there he began working on the size and shape of the steel pieces that would be fashioned together to show her courage and determination. Lamphere explained the expression would come from the eyes and mouth and he worked to create "a real life and presence in this figure."
Seeing this statue was a long time coming. There had been other times where I had looked up the distance and time needed to travel to Chamberlain, SD but it was never the right time. So when I decided on traveling to all 48 contiguous states this year this was a must have stop. We saw her from the highway. I parked and began walking around the statue. She has an amazing gaze of pride and strength that never falters. Every angle of this sculpture is filled with the silent strength her name implies. I think the attention to detail in her face, hands, and quilt shows the dedication the artists and all involved had not only for the project but what they hoped to convey through it. She stands looking out toward eastern sky to me she is welcoming the day and what it may bring. Her quilt is her culture and tradition protecting and strengthening her. She is truly beautiful and her face expresses so much to the viewer. I stopped and just stood and looked at her for a long time enjoying the detail in her and her quilt.
The rest area also has a display about Lewis and Clark and their journey of exploration. Some day when I have time to do it right I want to trace the Lewis and Clark trail as it is we kept crossing paths with it and finding different places they had explored but I think actually following the path would be well worth it.
Our next stop on the trip down I-90 was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The Minuteman Missile development began in the 1950s when research showed that a solid fueled rocket could be fueled and left for long periods of time unlike liquid fueled rockets which needed to be immediately fueled before launch. The name Minuteman was given as a reference to the colonial militia members who fought for independence in the early years of the United States, the Minuteman. The Missiles were seen as a way to assure the country was ready if there were any attack on American soil during the Cold War. Missiles could be loaded with fuel and left ready at various locations and military bases in the midwest. The museum, once a launch control facility contained info and lots of memorabilia about the national defense program.
From there we took an unplanned detour to Badlands National Park a 242,656 acre park with some of the most amazing terrain I have ever seen. The name Badlands can be traced back to the Lakota people for any number of reasons like the rugged terrain, low water, and varied temperatures. While it may not be the ideal place to set up a home it is definitely an amazing place to visit and today is one of the best locations for archeology and recovering fossils. The Lakota found fossilized turtles and seashells which lead them to conclude the area was at some point under water. Currently the White River runs through the park. On March 4th 1929 President Calvin Coolidge authorized the creation of the Badlands National Monument and the completion of a 30 mile highway through the park, which is probably the same or an early version of the route we drove.
By the way if you think my Mom has a slight look of concern on her face it is because there is nothing behind us, we were totally safe but I am surprised she came that close to the edge.
We took the drive through the park where we saw some amazing color variation in the rock caused by the different minerals and conditions the rocks were comprised of and exposed to. Also there is a large herd of Buffalo that graze throughout the park and absolutely adorable little prairie dogs all over the place.
Once we left the Badlands we continued to Wall Drugs which when I asked people where should I stop in South Dakota Wall Drug was always on the list. In truth even if it hadn't originally been on the list it would have been added because we had been seeing signs along the highway for over a day counting down the miles to Wall Drug. Wall Drug Store is series of gift shops, hotel, a wild west style building, 5 cent coffee, fresh made donuts, craft and novelty stores, a chapel, one of the largest collections of Western oil paintings, a T-rex, a giant Jackalope, and free water. The story of this roadside attraction that welcomes people from all over the world starts in 1931 when Ted and Dorothy Hustead opened up their drug store in the tiny town of Wall, SD population 231. Business started slow and seemed to be in trouble and then Dorothy had an idea... free water. Not only that but she had written a little jingle that they could place on highway signs to help advertise
"Get a soda ... Get a root beer... Turn next corner.... just as near...To Highway 16 and 14.... Free ice water... Wall Drug."
I made a jackalope painted rock and left it near the big jackalope. This was one of my favorites and I was sad to leave it but hopefully it has a new home by now.
We left Wall and drove to Rapid City, SD to continue our tour through South Dakota so that we could walk around the town and see their "Presidential Walk." My Mom's neighbor had told her about the series of statues that are spread out around the downtown area. We parked in front of a small bookstore and began walking around trying to find the Presidents. We did not find all 43 statues but did find most.
As we walked along we also found this beautiful sculpture of an Lakota Indian that I later learned was also the work of Dale Lamphere, for more of his work and info
click here. The sculptures name is Mitakuye Oyasin, a phrase that encompasses the interrelatedness of all life.
This was probably one of our longest days on any of the road trips. We pulled up to our final stop of the day the Alpine Inn in Hill City, SD at about 9pm. This restaurant was another recommendation that my Mom had gotten from a neighbor because of the delicious desserts.
The building was originally known as the Harney Peak Hotel and was purchased by a German immigrant named Waldraut Matush in 1974. Over the next ten years several businesses operated there until in 1984 Wally opened the Alpine Inn. The website talks about a welcoming spirit that Wally envisioned for the Inn and she certainly did it. From the moment we walked up to the steps we felt welcomed. I was a little concerned because we were arriving so close to closing time I thought this would be rushed dinner. It wasn't. We ordered the bacon wrapped filet minion with a baked potato, wedge salad and homemade ranch dressing, and Texas toast. Our waitress was great, I am sad I can't remember her name. She told us about her kids and hunting and all the meats she was in the process of preserving. Then came time for the desserts I ordered the Tiramisu, Meg ordered the Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie, and my Mom ordered the Berry Tart. First every single one was amazing and the reason we ordered three desserts was because from the descriptions we couldn't decide on one. Second they were huge servings and we really should have ordered one to split.
So not thinking anything of it we asked for boxes to bring the dessert back to the hotel thinking that after the drive back to the hotel we might finish the desserts or they could become breakfast- don't judge its a road trip and there are no rules during road trips. Which leads us to one of those rare road trip moments you will only have if you can laugh at getting irrationally angry and spend a lot of hours in the car. This may not be as funny to those reading this who weren't there but trust me it was funny. Anyway I was driving and my Mom was in the front passenger seat holding the packed desserts. So we were on the road and it was dark so as I was driving I was watching for wildlife on the side of the road. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere what I could only describe as a tribble from Star Trek...
So naturally not wanting to run over the Tribble I swerved. Wellllllll...... when I swerved everything swerved including the desserts which had ice cream with them.... and the ice cream was melting. So we went from laughing and being confused as to what exactly the Tribble was (note I did not hit it the swerve was successful) to my Mom all of a sudden yelling to pull over and find napkins because the ice cream was now melting and spilling all over her. I started trying to find someplace to pull over with a trash can so we could throw out the ice cream and it took a bit but we found a building with a dumpster next to it. So my Mom gets out to throw out the bag and then we saw a large dog or wolf... it really looked like a wolf circling around the building. So while Meg tried to keep the dogs from barking I kept watching the wolf dog until my Mom got back in the car.
Then we drove in silence for awhile.
And then we started laughing about the Tribble again, decided ice cream should never be brought home again, and began exaggerating the story and size of the wolf dog.
Also in case you are wondering the Tribble was most likely a porcupine.
The next morning we got up early even though we hadn't gotten to the hotel until midnight but we were excited to see one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States.
Mount Rushmore located in the Black Hills of South Dakota features the faces of four American Presidents chosen to represent the birth, growth, development, and preservation of the United States. Doane Robinson, a South Dakota historian came up with the idea of carving the faces of historic figures into the Black Hills to increase tourism. At first it wasn't Presidents that he was going to put but rather historical figures like Lewis and Clark. Gutzon Borglum thought the monument should have wider appeal. My Mom will tell you in true Italian American fashion that an Italian made Mount Rushmore and she is correct Luigi Del Bianco was the chief sculptor/carver of the monument which began in 1927 and ended in 1941. In total over 400 sculptors worked on the project.
Before it was Mount Rushmore it was called the Six Grandfathers by the Lakota people and was a sacred place. In the Treaty of 1868 or Fort Laramie Treaty established an area for the Sioux that included the Black Hills. However the Treaty is short lived and when gold was discovered in the Black Hills the government forced the Sioux off the land and claimed ownership. As much as I loved seeing Mount Rushmore and the faces of four of our Presidents representing the best of America I don't want to ignore the history of the monument. The fact is that land was promised to the Lakota because it was thought to be of no value by the government but then when they decided it was valuable they took it back. A short distance away in the Black Hills is another sculpture being built in honor of Lakota Leader Crazy Horse. The sculpture will have Crazy Horse on horseback charging out the side of the mountain. For more info about the Memorial including information about upcoming events, future plans, role in education, and how to donate
click here. The Foundation is completely funded by visitors and donors and has taken no federal or state funding. The memorial is the largest mountain carving of its kind and has over one million visitors every year. The goal is to "protect and preserve the cultural, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians."
After leaving Crazy Horse we began driving north to North Dakota. Now this is one pattern that we discovered throughout the west and mid-west there are a lot of really great highways going across the country from east to west but there was a serious lack of dedication to north and south. Most of our drive north was on small roads and at one point dirt road.
It took a bit but eventually we reached the Enchanted Highway: a series of large scrap metal sculptures created by a single man Gary Greff who we also got to meet when we stopped in his store. Technically we drove the highway backwards which was a little sad because when he asked which was our favorite we couldn't answer yet. At that point the only one I knew of was the Geese in Flight which is the current World Record Holder for largest scrap metal sculpture. Mr. Greff first began work on the project in 1989 to help revive Regent and bring in tourism traffic. At each of the sculptures there is a parking lot, picnic area, and sign listing the names of donors and information about the sculpture. Meg donated to his next work of art so when it is finished we will definitely return.
We very much enjoyed the 30 mile drive up the Enchanted Highway. It was filled with beautiful sculptures taken from the prairie life and definitely worth the drive.
From North Dakota we traveled west to Montana and our first stop was the Battle of Little Bighorn which would have been one of the planned outings if my Uncle's Berlin Brigade reunion had not been cancelled. Back in our senior year of high school we had an amazing American History teacher who gave out awesome projects. One project was to write a fictional story. Meg and I wrote it together. I believe we called it Till The Day I Die..... And After. Anyway the main characters name might have been Zeke. he was a young man who had been in Custer's Army but had been sent away to try and get help from one of the other Generals. And so was not present at the battle... looking back right now we really skipped on the American History part. Zeke was traveling to see the wife and children of a man maybe Gavin (it has been a long time) he had been friends with to notify the family that he was dead and to tell them how much he meant to him having become a father figure to Zeke who had no family. Anyway the whole way there Zeke is just remembering stories Gavin had told him about basically being a better human being and being kind to others even those who are different from yourself. And the story continues from there... I know we have it printed out somewhere I saw it recently....
We also visited Pompey's Pillar where General William Clark carved his name and the date July 25th, 1806 on the 150 foot tall sandstone butte he named for Sacagawea's son. Clark's signature is the only physical evidence that remains from the famous expedition. Also inscribed on the rock are Native American Petroglyphs and the initials of other early travelers on their way west. The visitor center was closed due to Covid 19 but the staff was available for questions and they had moved some displays outside. Unfortunately the pillar was also closed due to structural repairs being made, so we could not walk up to see the actual signature.
There is evidence of over 11,000 years of human life around the pillar probably due to its position along the Yellowstone River and the fact that at 150 feet tall the butte was visible and easy to be used as a way finding point.
From there it was only 25 miles to Billings MT where our first stop was a shoe store, Al's Bootery. Yup it may seem like a long way to go to visit a shoe store but this one housed the show of the World's Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow. Robert was born in Alton, Illinois to Harold and Addie May Wadlow on Feb 22, 1918. At birth he was 20 inches long and weight 8.5 lbs. Due to an issue with his pituitary gland his body produced large amounts of human growth hormone which caused him to grow at an accelerated rate. At five when he started school he was already over five feet tall. By nine he was over six feet tall and 180 lbs. Robert graduated from high school at 8 foot 3 inches and 380 lbs in 1935. In 1936 he went on tour with Ringling Brothers Circus and in 1938 he also went on a promotional tour for the International Shoe Company, who provided him with shoes. Robert's long term goal was to go to college and study law. Unfortunately he developed an infection in his leg from one of his leg braces. He passed away on July 15th 1940 at only 22 years of age. Robert was 8 foot 11 inches and is officially listed as The World's Tallest Man in the Guinness Book of World Records. There is a statue of him at the Alton Museum of History and Art. This shoe is a size 32.
We left the Bootery and booked ourselves a hotel room in Billings then we returned down town to get something to eat and drink and look around. We stopped at Thirsty Street Brewing which did have an outdoor patio but dogs were also allowed inside so we sat inside. The brewery has two locations. We were at the Garage which is their main brewing location and also a music/comedy venue. We really liked the interior especially the light fixtures which were repurposed kegs. I want to say our bartender names was Matt- he was awesome. Great personality and knowledgeable about the place and Montana in general- he was super patient with our random questions about things we had seen from the highway. He also introduced us to the Montana Brewery Passport which had we known about that this trip could have been very different. Meg immediately wanted to get to as many breweries as possible and although we did reach a few we did not make a dent. So I guess we will have to come back some time :-)
I enjoy listening to a weekly Podcast called
Drinking alone, with Friends! The podcast features three friends who grew up together in CT but have now spread out around the country. As a way to celebrate their friendship and love of beer/spirits they put together the podcast where from their homes they all get together discuss what they are drinking and whatever else may come up. If you are interested in craft beer, travel, alcohol, podcasts, friendship or almost anything.... I recommend their podcast. One of them moved out to Montana so I asked for a recommendation while we were in Billings. He gave a few suggestions and the one that fit best with our schedule was Uberbrew. Unfortunately they are not dog friendly so we knew we couldn't sit and hang out but I wanted to try their beer so I popped in real quick and explained I was on a series of road trips driving around to all 48 contiguous states and asked if I could only try one beer that they made which would they recommend. My plan was to get a growler and bring it back to the hotel. I like to start out with as little detail about my beer preference as possible so I can allow the bartender to make his/her own suggestion because there are different paths they can take. One way of answering that question is to offer their personal favorite beer which makes perfect sense they are suggesting a beer that the brand backs and supports or else it wouldn't be brewing it and they are giving me an insight into what they like, sharing a bit of themselves. A second route could be to offer me the most popular beer they have "Top Seller." Also a good path because it is obviously a tested favorite. Close to this but slightly different would be giving me the beer that they have entered into competitions and won the most awards with. I like these paths. The risk here being it could be a style I don't like. However I am open to tasting many different styles of beer and while I realize there are styles that are not my favorites I can also recognize a good beer in those style. That's just me on the beer app Untapped my ratings are pretty high because even when I have beers I don't like if I don't like it because it isn't my style I won't grade it down I try and judge it as that style. The last option is for the bartender to ask me some questions and aim a specific beer at my taste. Now I am not generally that helpful because I explain that I like most styles and enjoy trying different beers. The only hint I give is that while I am not a huge fan of IPAs I really like Double IPAs- something about the one two punch with the different bitters. Anyway they recommended a wheat beer called White Noise which they describe as
"Steadfast among radical trends of craft brewing, White Noise is our staple wheat beer. A timeless classic, it's been around the block and back- and even won a few awards along the way."
So Uberbrew slogan is "superlative beer" and while I was only able to try one the slogan is true! All three of us enjoyed the beer.
The next morning we started out early and we were basically driving in a circle around Billings because the things I had looked up in Montana circled around Billings since I thought we would be there for a few days while my Uncle was at the reunion.
Our first stop was in Lewiston, MT and it was a Veterans Memorial Park. Inside the Park was a Howitzer and Statue of Liberty replica. What I had come to the park to see was a LGM-30A Minuteman I.
We left Lewiston and drove to Great Springs State Park to see one of the shortest rivers in the world flow into one of the longest rivers. There the Roe river runs 201 feet at it's longest and has been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest river in the world. It runs into the Missouri River which is 2,540 miles long. The river is part of a small park that includes a fish hatchery and was a real nice spot to hang out and relax for awhile. The water was beautiful and so clear, really very peaceful to sit and watch. I left a painted rock there of a silhouette of a fly fisherman standing in a river.
We stopped for lunch and while we were stopped we talked about the rest of the day. See I had some other planned stops like a giant boombox on the side of the highway but to reach each of the stops would make it a very long day. I proposed we return to Billings for the night and make it a regular day. We all liked Montana and agreed we would come back to visit, my Mom even wants to buy a summer home there- she wants no part in the winters that is for sure. I proposed we leave the stops for another time. So we got back in the car and began driving back to Billings.
Unfortunately as we were on the road going back a deer ran out of some brush onto the small two lane road and right in to the front driver side of the car. Once the car was safely on the side of the road I walked back to get the pieces of the bumper that were in the road, I don't know where the deer went. A truck that had been behind us and saw the accident pulled over and asked my Mom and Meg if everyone was ok. We were and he continued on his way. As I got back to the car with the bumper in hand we were trying to call the non emergency police number because we weren't sure what we needed to do but we were also experiencing bad cell coverage when a sheriff pulled up behind us. Now if it weren't so serious I would have laughed because when he pulled up my Mom looked up at the sky raised her hands up then brought them back together locking her fingers together as if in prayer as if she were thanking God for the sheriffs existence. He also asked if we were all ok, which again thankfully we were. We told him what happened and got our ids, insurance, and registration and all that good stuff while he began filling out the report and taking pictures of the damage. Then he leaned over the car to take a better look. Being a hybrid there were all these wires and electrical components and a hub that looked very important but was loose. I got a bungee cord and strapped it in place so that it wouldn't move. He had me try and turn on the car and luckily it started. I put the pieces I had taken from the road on to the cargo carrier we had attached to the back of the car. He followed up for a little bit as we drove down the road before he turned around, I assume to look for the deer who had to have been badly injured or possibly already deceased.
At a gas station I stopped just to check on the hub that I had bungeed and make sure it was ok. Things looked ok and we again started back to Billings. We were feeling a little better about things since the car was driving well. My Mom commented that we were lucky the sherif pulled up and Meg and I agreed. She said he was very nice, we agreed. And I said well he couldn't be mean after you thanked God for his existence. My Mom said what do you mean And I said aloud her reaction that I typed up above. I am almost positive he went home and told his wife about the woman "who literally turned her eyes to God and thanked Him" when he pulled up. And then we were all laughing.
Luckily at this point in the trip we were going to be heading home anyway. But we were 1,900 miles away from home with a vehicle that could only be driven during the day.
We thought about going straight home and cutting out any other stops. But they did not add more than 2 hours time total and were spaced out pretty well to where we would have needed to stop anyway. Still we left it a game time decision to see how the car was doing and honestly how we were feeling because as time went on we did start to feel some aches and pains from the collision.
The next morning we came out to the car to discover that overnight a crack had started in the windshield. I don't remember seeing a crack after hitting the deer but it must have started and then just grown with the temperature cooling off. We began driving home with our first stop in Kaycee, Wyoming. There we stopped to see "Good Ride Cowboy" a statue in honor of Chris LeDoux. It shows him riding Stormy Weather in the 1976 World Bareback Championship in Oklahoma City where he won the gold buckle in the final round. Chris LeDoux was born October 2, 1948. His father was in the airforce and they moved a lot when Chris was young. In his teenage years he began bareback riding and competing in rodeos. He won the Wyoming State Bareback Championship twice while still in high school. In 1970 he became a professional rodeo rider and began composing and recording songs to help make extra money and cover rodeo expenses. His songs were about his life and he recorded over 20 albums under his own record label, American Cowboy Songs and would sell them at rodeo events. In January of 1972 he married Peggy Rhodes and they raised five children together. In 1976 he won the bareback championship and in 1980 he retired from the rodeo. Chris and his family moved to Kaycee and he continued self recording albums and playing to audiences. Then in 1989 Garth Brooks released a song called "Much to young (to feel this damn old)." In the song he references a "worn out tape of Chris Ledoux". Well the song was a top ten hit for Garth Brooks and the first of many singles. I remember hearing Garth Brooks talk about seeing Chris LeDoux in concert and Garth was blown away by the style and energy of the show. Garth Brooks wanted to take that same style and energy into his career and he did. In an interview Garth Brooks said of Chris LeDoux "Chris was exactly what our heroes are supposed to be." Well from the first time she heard that song Meghan became a Chris LeDoux fan and she wasn't alone. She knew about his rodeo career and his music career. When we bought our first car, a 99 Ford Taurus with a cassette player in it, we went to a music store and found a Chris LeDoux tape. On March 9th, 2005 Chris LeDoux passed away from cancer. He was a championship rider, sculptor, and award winning musician. On top of all that and most important to Chris LeDoux he was a good man, husband, and father. I have seen him quoted in several places, including the plaque at the statue saying
"What I want to be known for, on top of everything else, is that I was a good husband and family man."
Everything I have ever seen from people who knew Chris LeDoux from personal friends, articles, business acquaintances, Garth Brooks, and his family that sums him up perfectly. People talk about his energy and positivity as well as hard work and dedication. There has been several times when we were down town at the Honky Tonks on Broadway and Meg will request her favorite Chris LeDoux song "This Cowboys Hat." but there is nothing better than hearing the song sung by Chris LeDoux and the passion in his voice.
You were a good car Ice.
Writing this post has taken me for a long time and part of it was because while I was researching the history of the areas that we were in and the events that had happened I realized that I was very uncomfortable or hesitant about writing about Native American history. I didn't trust the sources to not just gloss over or exaggerate various details. So I am checking out some different sources so I can better understand history: too late for this post but not for me.
