the Morning was COLD! See your breath cold...I made a fast coffee and breakfast then headed down to Hot Springs to resupply and do laundry. I found one with free WiFi, and I was able to upload photos and make a blog post while sitting there waiting...and watching the dryer tumble...I would live in Hot Springs, only leave in winter! Its a small town of about 3800 people, a lovely little Western town.
There is a fun looking quilt shop I was walking Casey so didn't go inside...I love the name, Heart Song
We walked down down the river walk along the Fall River, and then across and down the main street...and back to the River walk and park.. and there is a falls in town! The water is warm as this flows from a warm spring.
Up on the Morning Sunshine Coffee shop is this Blue Bison
And check out this colorful mural...love this I'd like a poster of it.
And Wind Cave National Park is only 8 miles up the hill from town!
The Red Sandstone on these buildings was quarried right in this area.
City Hall building 1893
and there is something else here of interest just up a ways out of the Historic District...
The Mammoth Site! It is an actual archaeological dig in progress!
You do have to pay an entrance fee to tour the dig area, Seniors is $9. Inside you see numerous skeletons of Woolly Mammoth and
and Columbian Mammoths in the old sink hole where this dig is. This building was built over the site!!
Lots of cool stuff to see! There is a guided tour and they explain what they are doing and answer questions...you have to go see it for yourself!
the Columbian is more like the elephant and much bigger than the woolly mammoth as these plywood displays show the size difference.
a work in progress
I was thrilled! AND they had Turned Pennies in the gift shop they sold them already turned...so I was thrilled again! I keep hoping they will clone a woolly mammoth one day!
Got my laundry done, got some food to keep me going, even got some fast food at Taco John's, and then headed back to Wind Cave and Elk Mountain Campground for another night. Again it was cold! I met some more Aussie's when I walked Casey in the morning, they had a very unique rig..no photos but it was a tent atop a trailer and it had a galley kitchen that was open air, they said the storm of the night before had nearly flipped them! They both got out of the tent and jumped in their Jeep! It reminded me of this type rig..
I did like it tho it was soooo cool, not for me as I do desire some creature comforts, like being able to step right out onto the ground...
I didn't want to leave Wind Cave there were areas I did not get to explore, but dang it was cold I had to wear all the bells and whistles, scarf, gloves, ear muff and hoodie, heavy clothes all over... reminded me of my days off back in Brooklyn LoL...so South I went!
Next up Wounded Knee...but one more Bison for the road!
PEACE
Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.
Looking forward to Wounded Knee as its features a lot in US cultural history. Marlon Brando did much to create worldwide awareness. Those Bison are awesome and to think that they were crucial to the Native Americans way of life, but were nearly wiped out by hunters working for the railroads. I've read stories of the mass slaughter of the bison, thousands of them killed and left to rot. Apparently in Siberia they have found frozen Mammoths and the meat was still ok. Maybe one day they will clone one.
ReplyDeleteThe Bison Massacre was just as sad to me....I'm so glad they are back now tho their numbers will not be what they once were as long as man walks the Earth.
DeleteWhat a wonderful place, Love the way they built these place up against the sides of mountains. I would love to go there too. And the dig WOW! I bet it is getting cold up there.
ReplyDeleteYes Dave I have read about the mass killings of the bison, white people just don't get it and still don't sad very sad.
It's a nice little town! Very laid back!
DeleteWhen I was very young, I remember going to an active archaeological site. Since then I've gone to many places like that, but none looked familiar. I think that mammoth site might be it. I guess we need to take another trip to South Dakota.
ReplyDeleteI have always been fascinated with the Mammoth...so I really had to go see it!
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