Dad Look
I’ve been on a short hiatus from WiP while the summer doles out its remaining freedom in the lives of The Spawn…who happen to have a new school year on the horizon, if you can believe that. For my part, I’ll never fully accept the idea of any school anywhere starting before September 1st. Call me old school.
We loaded up the Beloved SUV and set our sites a mere six hours north to collect Alpha Male and take in a landmark, I’m ashamed to admit, we’d never before seen.
Making us jackasses like this one here.
Or wild burrows, to be more accurate. Which we happened to see off the side of the road and, naturally, felt compelled to put it in park and make our way up close and personal. Which the kids initially thought (big shock coming here) the Zenith of Boring. That is until they spied certain extra-curricular activities on the part of the beasts…
…garnering no shortage of hilarity and a chorus of, “Dad look! Take a picture of them doing that!”
No.
Getting back in the car, we continued our circuit around Custer State Park (a must see), at a pace as leisurely and bereft of phone signals as Radio-Free America could provide. Or not provide, as was the welcome case. And just when I thought our pace was as leisurely as could be, this fellow injected himself onto the road and afforded the driver of every vehicle a lesson in Oh You Want A Leisurely Pace, Huh?
The original photo begged, I thought, a certain set of Photoshop techniques to render something a bit more Way Out West. I love how that looks.
And that landmark we’d never visited before? There you have it.
Or, rather, there you have it and them. Them being Cute Redhead, Beta Male, and Charlie Girl. I’m not sure where Alpha Male was a this point.
I am sure, however, that Cecille B. DeMil had it right when, describing the Shrine of Democracy, remarked, “You don’t just look at them. They look at you.”
What an amazing place. The drive there and back all by themselves was worth the price of gasoline. And, to tell the truth, I didn’t expect any more than the large sculptures. Boy, was I in for it. Museums, tours, history, books, films and (Beta Male went crazy over this one) the opportunity to speak with the only living survivor of the team who wrested from the stone the faces memorialized.
If you haven’t been, go.
If you have been, I’d love to hear about it!
We went there 2 years ago, loved it! I knew where you were as soon as I saw the pictures of the donkeys…I think I have the same picture. Did you go to Jewel Cave?
Todd,
Excited that you went with your family at an age they are sure to remember the greatness of such a marvel!
I personally been twice experienced Custer S.P., Wall Drug, Rushmore, Badlands etc-Loved it will be visiting again next year as our ladies will soon by winging out on their own and I need to experience the marvels once again as “OUR FAMILY” I agree if you have never been> GO GO GO!
Korey, yeah it was amazing. Betsy suggested a certain route on the return. We had such a good time. I think we’ll go back next summer and explore even more.
SueAnn, my pal, I could not agree with you more. It was really impacting—we came back with a few books and calmer spirits. Nothing like being off the grid for a few days!
It’s beautiful and humble at the same time. How unique and capable men can be and how small and stern and non-concious we are… Pure Nature, so open and free, and we little people surrounded by it…
Love all the pictures (and the videos). How big your kids are! Growing and growing… Wonderful.
And these pictures above all: the first one: three little dots in the middle of an open field watching the true freedom and the 6th, surrounded by symbols of not so perfect freedom but as near as it can be in a country like yours, big and wide, full of colors.
Todd,
Great place to visit. We as a family have been their several times and I went like 7 years in a row as a child! I know the place inside and out at this point. Glad you had fun!
Jan, couldn’t agree more. So inspiring!