Sunday, May 28, 2006

5-27-06 Dances with Wolves

We took a bus down to the base of Crazy Horse Mountain and the driver took this picture.


Here's a bike for Paul Faias. This special edition bike built for Crazy Horse was donated for a fund raiser. After going to Disney Hospitality Training the Chamber of Commerce invited us to attend their season grand openning. This was the first night of lasers and was closed to the public. Good food for all.









After the speeches Native Americans danced. We all danced together with them. Coral was in heaven.












Off to Kevin Cosner's Tatanka. After making Dances with Wolves Kevin commissioned a local artest to make brass sculptures of a buffalo hunt. It took seven years to complete. Kevin built a interperative center near Deadwood, South Dakota to display these sculptures and teach everyone the real Lakota ways.

Coral with a Lakota Indian that put on a demonstration. He sang and played the flute. Of coarse Coral loved this.

The sculpture depicts the Lakota casing the Bison over a cliff. This was a common method used as the buffalo can weigh over a ton and are difficult to kill with a bow and arrow.


A Lakota woman gave us a tour of the grounds and answered our questions.


Off to downtown Deadwood. Sorry but I was too busy gambling to take pictures. We enjoyed the gunfights the occurred on the hour. Each fight was a reenactment of an actual fight that happened here. This is where Doc Holiday, Calamidy Jane, and the likes hung out in the old west.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

5-25-06 Mammoths, Rushmore & Reptiles!


Off we go to Hot Springs South Dakota and The Mammoth Site!






Ok, The Mammoth Site. About 35 miles south of Custer Mammoth bones were discovered! Well, bone are not that interesting but this place is cool.

It seam that these mammoths went into this sink hole for a drink and ended up stuck. They estimate that there are over a hundred of these slow learners in the site. They have dug up about 20 so far.

Ralph checking the plumbing....AGAIN?




Here is one studly cave man. I bet that he could kick some Mammoth butt!

Looks like there is some inbreeding going on around here?

At a museum in Hot Springs we found some old dental tools. Look a little painful!

Here's Coral having her hair curled...Old style!

Off we go to Mt. Rushmore. Wasn't it nice of them to carve me into the mountain too!


Ralph and Coral at the rail. This was carved in 14 years. There is a crept behind the images....Kind of spooky huh?



In front of Mt Rushmore is a hallway with all the state flags. The museum is underground.


Off to the Reptile Gardens. This is the largest collection of reptiles in the US.

Ralph found a hot rod...Nice pose until the car alarm went off.


Coral and her cheesy smile inside the dome at the Reptile Gardens.


If it were a snake....It would have bit ya! Ralph sleeping under the snake?

Now off to Alligator Handling 101.

Always work from the end without teeth.

Never look away while working with gators!

Never put fingers into the gators mouth!

This is the right way to hold a gator.

This is the wrong way. Boy, those gators have bad breath!


Here I am, talking to the prairie dogs.

Just a little turtle love!

Coral pets a lizard...And so ends our day at Reptile World.