Well… I have been offline for over a week.
Why you ask? well… the Shoemaker Family has moved from beautiful San Clemente in Southern California, to a beautiful house in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Rapid City) about 10 miles away from Mt Rushmore. The weather will not be the same as San Clemente’s “World’s Best Climate” claim, but it should be beautiful with a true 4 seasons experience.
It took us three days to drive, a few days to setup internet access (long process), and a few days to get my computer unpacked and up and running.
Now, i am back in the saddle. the Views are spectacular, and should make work more pleasant.
Here are a few snapshots I have taken over the last week:
Was there years ago for Sturgis and did all the other site seeing. Anyone else agree that Mt. Rushmore was smaller than you expected it to be? Still really cool but my brain had other ideas of what to expect before I got there.
Really great place though and would love to go back to SD. Congratulations on the move!
Nice @timshuwy ! I love the black hills. We used to take the motorcycle out there every year for about 5 years. We have seriously considered moving out there too.
Yes, Exactly my thoughts! That huge mall they build around it really dwarfs the monument, plus after seeing how impressive crazy horse it, it really turns mt rushmore into a once in a lifetime experience… in that, once you see it once, you don’t really need to go back.
But the rest of the black hills I can never get enough of.
Spent a week in Keystone last year - traffic jams were the cows crossing to the other pasture Although a night of fog and another night of light snow on 16A made waiting for cows easy!
It would be nice if they allowed hiking up close to the faces, to get a better idea of the scale of the monument.
I don’t think I would want to be this guy!..but it would be nice to get up close.
I mean I wouldn’t mind being that guy with all the safety harnesses done up. I can also understand why they don’t let you get closer too. My comment isn’t to say that its not actually still large and impressive just that the idea I had gotten from seeing it in images and shows was not what I expected versus real life especially compared to the distance you do view it at.
The list of things to see in the Black Hills is endless. 20 years ago, we got “stuck” (car problems) for 5 days in the black hills… we were only coming here to see Mt Rushmore, and the fireworks over the tops of the heads (very impressive) for one day. BUT we got to instead visit many other areas:
Custer State Park: This is an amazing one day drive around the Black Forest. You see (and drive around) Bison herds, Donkeys, Big Horn Sheep, Dear, Lakes, trees, amazing rock structures, etc.
Congrats on such a perfect destination!! And those views are to die for - I am very jealous!
I was there almost 45 years ago when the ‘heads’ were just that, plus a parking lot. a lot has changed up there since then, so combined with your list, it looks like I’m headed that way very soon!
Although a night of fog and another night of light snow on 16A made waiting for cows easy!
