Afterthought:
Phil and I took a whirlwind, genealogy type vacation back in 1990. We had 17 days to go east as far as Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota, then return to WA. Besides visiting family we found and copied pertinent historical documents in various courthouses along the way and scoured cemeteries including the National Cemetery in Leavenworth, KS where we found the grave of Phil’s Great Grandfather, a Civil War Veteran. Often we were thrilled by the generosity of family willing to share odds and ends of memorabilia as well as photos. We made a quick stop to see Mt. Rushmore and did a “drive-by” at Crazy Horse Monument. As you can see in the pictures below, the monument is easily viewed as you travel west on highway 89/16 but do yourself a favor and go in. In 1990, when we last saw it, there was just a mountain with only a picture on a brochure depicting the vision of the artist, Korczak Ziolkowski and we were amazed and impressed with the progress to date. The face of Crazy Horse was officially unveiled in 1998, 16 years after the self-taught sculptors death and his family (that he trained from the time they could walk) continues the work daily without any government funding whatsoever. The entrance fees and gift shop sales finance the expenses but the weather and total revenue determine the pace of the venture. The film depicting the project from inception to the present, the incredible museum, the expansive gift shop and the comfortable viewing area have evolved and grown over time and there is much to see while waiting for the Laser Light Show (which debuted in May of 2005) to commence at dark. Well worth the wait! The music and the “high-tech storytelling” brought tears of shame as well as tears of joy to these “white eyes.” This is a “do not miss” stop if you travel across South Dakota.
Phil and I took a whirlwind, genealogy type vacation back in 1990. We had 17 days to go east as far as Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota, then return to WA. Besides visiting family we found and copied pertinent historical documents in various courthouses along the way and scoured cemeteries including the National Cemetery in Leavenworth, KS where we found the grave of Phil’s Great Grandfather, a Civil War Veteran. Often we were thrilled by the generosity of family willing to share odds and ends of memorabilia as well as photos. We made a quick stop to see Mt. Rushmore and did a “drive-by” at Crazy Horse Monument. As you can see in the pictures below, the monument is easily viewed as you travel west on highway 89/16 but do yourself a favor and go in. In 1990, when we last saw it, there was just a mountain with only a picture on a brochure depicting the vision of the artist, Korczak Ziolkowski and we were amazed and impressed with the progress to date. The face of Crazy Horse was officially unveiled in 1998, 16 years after the self-taught sculptors death and his family (that he trained from the time they could walk) continues the work daily without any government funding whatsoever. The entrance fees and gift shop sales finance the expenses but the weather and total revenue determine the pace of the venture. The film depicting the project from inception to the present, the incredible museum, the expansive gift shop and the comfortable viewing area have evolved and grown over time and there is much to see while waiting for the Laser Light Show (which debuted in May of 2005) to commence at dark. Well worth the wait! The music and the “high-tech storytelling” brought tears of shame as well as tears of joy to these “white eyes.” This is a “do not miss” stop if you travel across South Dakota.
No comments:
Post a Comment