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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Mt Rushmore / Crazy Horse

Second day in Sturgis we traveled to Mt. Rushmore and stopped by Crazy Horse.
When we headed out, we all decided to put on our rain gear.
Boy was it a good thing.
See traveling in the South Dakota, 
It would look, like you were headed right into a rain cloud, but then you go around a corner and you would be traveling away from it.
So you never really knew.
We got rained on pretty good for a bit.
That ole 883 was throwing up a rooster tail of rain water like you would not believe.
When we stopped here at this little rest stop,
that 883 was sent to the back of the pack...:))
This little unit stopped in too.
She was in her happy place. She loved this side car.
Said they got this up around Seattle and for the basic model
they start out at about $5,500.00...
I know if hubby had this on his bike,
I would of never drove the car!
Behind the place we stop was this huge rocking chair!
 Our ride to Mt. Rushmore.




 Did not see many policeman,
but this little guy was quite visible.

Rock formations are pretty awesome.
At the ticket center it looked like a big cluster,
but, we got through it all ok.
First view of the entrance.
Yep it is a mountain!
 And everyone had to have their picture
taken in front of it.




On the way up to the great mountain
I wanted hubby to just drop me off here for the rest of the day!





Yep I would of been content here!

Once we left Mr. Rushmore, we had to go back down the hill to
this intersection:
Note the truck and trailer.
THIS ONE was not the one I am going to talk about
but it was very similar.

We were the first ones down the mountain. Due to all the traffic we got seperated.
So we go just to the right of this curve at the bottom and
wait for our group.
It felt like it took forever.
Now right be hind us is a lot of signs stating you have to stop just around the corner.

Rick and I are sitting on our bike, waiting and watching.
My neck gets a kink in it, and I turn and look away for just a second,
when

SCREEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were twenty bikes (2 by 2) lined up at the stop light.
One lone bike on the end.

I turned around just time to see
A pickup and 5th wheel trailer
sliding into the backs of the motorcycles.
The last bike in line, turned around to see it too,
and I saw him look ahead and brace for the impact!

Miraculously, I just know, GOD took over the wheel,
because as much as the trailer was fishtailing and the pickup was sliding,
he cranked it hard to the right,
took the off ramp,
and missed the guard rail and the bikes!
As he came by us he narrowly missed us too!
I know because he was looking in his mirror trying to figure out how many bikes he took out.
He eased to the side of the road just in front of Rick and I.
Sat there until all the bikes left the stop light.
Probably cleaning his shorts at the same time.

Shortly after, our group showed up and we headed back to Hill City to fuel up
before heading off to Crazy Horse.

CRAZY HORSE:
Hubby said I would enjoy this
and I did.
When you first get there you are encourage to watch an introductory video.
This explains a lot about the monument and Memorial

This is as close to the video I have found and is only in part.



 This is the road to the monument.
 First sight.
 Mark and Tom.


 They were raffling this bike off.
It was beautiful!
 The Indian and his squaw!
 Beautiful bead display.











We were going to take a trip along the Needles Highway,
but it was getting late in the day, and we were all tired.
So decided to head back to camp.

On the way back, driving through Hill City,
A maroon SUV was on our right, sitting waiting to pull out from a driveway.
Rick saw her.
"I" even saw her.
He looked from wheels to driver.
From Driver to wheels.
The tires started to roll.....
Just as we got to her!
Rick hit the brakes,
I grabbed Rick.
And we darted to the backside of her vehicle as she
pulled out right in front of us!
She NEVER EVEN SEEN US!
If I had of stuck my left foot out,
I would of kicked her bumper!

Rick said he had thought of laying on the horn, but if she would of stopped,
we would of hit her. So he thought, best he just not draw attention, and she
kept right on going and we were able to avoid an accident.

Our group behind us thought we bit the dust though!
Once again,
Our guardian Angel was with us!

Day Three in Sturgis.........

2 comments:

Lois Evensen said...

What a fun trip through such gorgeous country! Thank you so much for taking us along! We plan a road trip out West one of these years. It will be in an SUV, though, not on a bike. ;)

wilsonc said...

We took this trip a few years back by car with our grandsons. Enjoy seeing it through the eyes of a biker because there sure were a lot of them when we went. It was during Sturgis too. Did you happen to get stopped by buffalo in the road? We did and it was awesome, but I did feel some concern for the bikers. They were told to turn off their bikes because the engine sound stirred up the buffalo and they just had to sit there very quietly on their bikes while the buffalo milled around them.