Happy Anniversary to Us
Today marks our 21st anniversary. It doesn't seem possible that we've been together that long...until we think about all the places we've been and all the things we've done.
We got up relatively early to get an early start for the Black Hills. We wanted to beat the wind. The last two days, it's gotten worse as the day went on. By 9:30, we had packed up, fueled up, and were driving east on Interstate 25. We crossed rolling hills and followed the North Platte River Valley. After an hour, we turned northeast on state highways and began the climb to the Black Hills. Grass-filled valleys gave way to rolling hills and ridges of ponderosa pine. We cruised through Custer and made the final turn toward Camp Fort Welikit, our home for the next four days.
We checked in, got everything set up, and immediately left for Crazy Horse Memorial. The weather forecast called for deteriorating weather starting on Friday. Our top priorities were Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore, so we wanted to get them both done before Friday.
Crazy Horse Memorial was only about 10 miles from our campground, so we decided to do it first. The carving of Crazy Horse started in 1948 and has continued for 69 years. Only the head has any degree of completion. The rest of the work has been mostly preparation for the larger sculpting ahead. They are currently working on the horse's mane and Crazy Horse's hand. I'm not sure the entire project will ever be completed.
On our way back to camp, we hit the Dairy Queen for dinner and dessert. We're getting back to our travel traditions: KFC in Casper and Dairy Queen in Custer.
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