Visiting Devil’s Tower National Monument and The Crazy Horse Memorial
When you're planning a vacation to South Dakota or Wyoming, you'll want to be prepared to drive long distances across these vast, open, and rural states. While there are many outdoor and tourist activities to be had, the most essential aspect you'll need to remember is to consistently map out where you will go in a location where you have decent wi-fi.
Wyoming is a big state, with very few accommodations in between cities, as there are many farms and thousands of acres of open space. This is where you'll need to plan ahead for your activities, mainly because the drive-in between them can be lengthy. In addition, Wyoming doesn't have very many places that are gluten-free friendly, which adds to the amount of planning you'll need to do in advance of your trip.
Wyoming and South Dakota both have stunning landscapes with a wide array of land features. Amazing! The flip side of this is that you can go miles and miles without coming across even a small town, let alone a city - which means you aren’t guaranteed reliable wifi. So plan your trip carefully!
Devil’s Tower National Monument
Suppose you are a fan of the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In that case, you'll definitely want to take a trip out and experience Devil's Tower National Monument. What I love about this monument, besides the fact that I became completely enamored with this geologic feature when I first saw the movie at the age of five in 1977, is that you can easily see the entire park on the weekend!
Check out the visitor center from the park entrance, which offers views of the monument's different sides. The Tower Trail and other hikes offer changing views of the Tower. When you drive from the highway, you can see one side of the Tower with the amazing and beautiful landscape surrounding this geologic feature. Definitely pull over and get a picture of the Tower a few miles before you enter the park. Once inside the park, you'll be able to hike around the entire Tower with the ability to see many perspectives of the geologic formation. To truly see the Tower, one must observe it from all perspectives.
Before white settlers came into the area and gave this geological feature its American name, our Native American peoples celebrated and lived around the Tower for thousands of years; their modern descendants still maintain a connection with this place on a physical and a spiritual level. "Oral histories passed down by various American Indian tribes, as well as their present-day ceremonies, offer us important perspectives of the Tower."
Crazy Horse Memorial is definitely a must-see if you are in South Dakota or Wyoming, so make sure to put this monument on your list. It's definitely an all-day experience that you won't want to miss!
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial is the largest carved monument to date. If you placed it on top of Mount Rushmore, it would easily consume the entirety of this monument. Over one million people visit this unique and beautiful work of art, which was started in 1939 when Chief Henry Standing Bear met Korczak Ziolkowski in 1939 at the World's Fair. Chief Henry hired Korczak to build and construct this massive undertaking. Along with his wife, Ruth Ross, and their ten children, Korczak worked daily on their new life project.
You can easily see the mission of Crazy Horse Monument in practice today, "The mission of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and living heritage of all North American Indians. With their mission leading the way, the original sculpture has expanded into a visitor complex of over a dozen buildings, including an educational and cultural center for Native Americans, a history and cultural museum, and several carving rooms.
Other Fun Activities in Wyoming
Since you're already in Wyoming, you may want to stop at other locations besides Devil's Tower and Crazy Horse. One of the other activities I took part in while on my vacation in Wyoming was the Badlands Helicopter Tour we took to see Mount Rushmore National Monument. This was a great choice to view the monument as you avoided all the traffic on the way up. However, you'll have a hard time getting good pictures of the memorial from a helicopter, but the ride-up is definitely fantastic!
I didn't get to see a few places of interest. However, these looked like a great option and are on my list for my next visit to the area! The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota, the Reptile Gardens, 1880 Train, Prairie Berry Winery, is the region's most awarded winery. I'd also recommend a hot air balloon ride, which always gives you a fantastic bird's eye view of the landscape and geology. Fly the Black Hills offers the opportunity for you to soar in a hot air balloon. Also, check out Tatanka, the Story of the Bison, and find out how the bison almost went extinct.
Be sure to remember that anytime you're visiting the wild west, make sure to fuel up at each gas station, as they are few and far between! Also, make sure to plan extra time to get to your activities as locations are spaced very far apart in the rural west. You'll have a wonderful time at both of these locations, especially if you like historical culture and United States history.
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