A lot to see on the way from Wyoming to South Dakota

Sundance - Kid sculpture in Sundance, Wyoming

Harry A. Longabaugh
made a huge mistake: he got caught stealing a horse in Sundance, Wyoming and was thrown in jail. He might have lost his innocence, but he gained a name and a place in history. He became known as 'The Sundance Kid'.

We have seen the "Devil's Tower" in the Black Hills of Wyoming

Devils Tower
(Lakota: Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Tower”)
is a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic neck located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet (1,558 m) above sea level.

Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Monument's boundary encloses an area of 1,347 acres (5.45 km2).

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore National Memorial,
near Keystone, South Dakota, is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), located within the United States Presidential Memorial that represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (left to right): George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level. It is managed by the National Park Service, a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. The memorial attracts approximately two million people annually.

It's laundry day today - don't disturb me :)
We had a special encounter with Grizzly bears!

Bear Country USA
is home to 20 species of North American mammals which live in large natural exhibits. While captive born, every effort is made to imitate a wild environment for our animal residents. Larger species roam freely throughout 250 acres of the drive-trough park. Smaller animals, as well as those younger than one year, are exhibited in the Babyland area. Visitors can observe these animals while strolling on foot.

I love you sooooooo much, my little brother :)
After seeing the big bears, we had the fun to observe the kindergarten - also called "Babyland" - of the park
(click in the photo to see them (all) bigger)

Black bear cubs
are usually born in January. The 11 cubs at Bear Country are all 3 to 4 months old and weigh about 8 pounds. Cubs usually weigh about 12 ounces when they are born. Most full-grown sows weigh about 200 pounds. Boars usually weigh closer to 400 pounds, but Stoffel said the record weight for a boar black bear is 900 pounds.
The cubs do not seem bothered by the whole process and adapt quickly to life without their mothers.

And today we are arrived in Mitchell, SD and have visited the only one and main attraction in this town: The Corn Palace


The needle of the corn compass points to Mitchell, a prairie town that is corn crazy and proud of it. Mitchell's high school sports teams are the Kernels. Its local radio station's call letters are KORN. And it's home to the "agricultural showplace of the world," the Mitchell Corn Palace.

The Palace, with its mad mix of onion domes and minarets, looks like it was drop-kicked out of czarist Russia. It was originally built to show off the fertility of South Dakota soil - and it's remained on the job, standing in downtown Mitchell for over 75 years. A rival "grain palace" in Plankinton, 22 miles to the west, succumbed to the rigors of prairie weather decades ago. The Corn Palace, shrine to a superior foodstuff, has survived.

Hi my friends,

the last two days I had no connections, we were close to the "Bad Lands" in South Dakota - by this "bad" name it's no wonder that AT&T didn't let me connect to the net....LOL..
I wanted to show you much more pictures, but I have decided to reduce my post to this 6 photos, as a summary of the main attractions and places we have visited . Click in the links and you can read and learn more about all those great places.

I hope you'll enjoy! Stay tuned....
Susanne and David

Living in a Desert Town

Coming from the Grand Canyon going trough "The Painted Desert" on HWY-89 North, we had to climb up this steep road, called "Antelope Pass". The light was getting just beautiful on that late afternoon!

From Bitter Springs, the highway climbs onto the Kaibito Plateau hugging the cliff face to a spectacular road cut at Antelope Pass.

We stopped at the top of the Pass to have a look back to the Valley where we came from

After climbing up the "Antelope Pass" this was the view we got to see - breathtaking!

Fantastic scenery in a wonderful evening light on the left side of the road, driving towards Page,AZ

The road to "Monument Valley"

The devils Tower, visible from Page,AZ

Devils Tower
rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Once hidden, erosion has revealed Devils Tower. This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen.
Also known as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site for many American Indians.

President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower the first national monument in 1906.

Approaching Page, Lake Powell and Glen Canyon dam come into view.

Page,
situated on a mesa in extreme north-central Arizona, is the gateway to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell. Created as a company town for the construction of Glen Canyon Dam in the 1960s, it has steadily grown, adding more and more amenities not usually experienced in a small desert town.
Read more about Page in Arizona here


Several films have been shot in the Page area including:

* Into the Wild (2007)
* Hulk (2003)
* Evolution (2000)
* Planet of the Apes (2000)
* Broken Arrow (1996)
* Maverick (1994)
* Highway to Hell (1990)
* Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991)
* Superman III (1983)
* Thunder Warrior (1983)
* Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
* The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
* Planet of the Apes (1968)
* The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Hi my friends,

I'm so glad you liked my Grand Canyon shots! It was really quite a great experience to see those magnificent mountains! Thanks for all the kind comments.

Since 3 days now we are here in this pretty desert town Page in Arizona. Dave doesn't feel well, he got diagnosed yesterday with severe bronchitis, got some Antibiotics and we are stuck now maybe for another day, waiting and hoping for better days soon for him. :)

I hope you'll enjoy this post the same like you did our Grand Canyon trip.

Stay with me!
Susanne and David