Wine Tasting in South Dakota? Day 25, July 14, 2017

Yep, we did go wine tasting and I will tell you about that later but first lets start at the beginning.

A light breakfast because we had plans to eat out for lunch.  We headed back up to the hills and made our way to the Crazy Horse Memorial.  This memorial was the mission of the Boston based sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski who was asked by Chief Standing Bear in 1939 to produce a visage in rock of Chief Crazy Horse.  We paid our $22 and went into the visitor center where we saw a movie produced by the privately owned center that bragged that our government does not support this project.  It is totally privately funded and managed by a board of directors.  The project is ongoing and as you can see by the picture below (or if you want to click on this link since I couldn't get close enough to get a better picture without paying more and my dog was in the car and it was hot (run on sentence?) it is far from complete.  The Ziolkowski family (10 children - I dead) are all involved in the fulfillment of their now dead Dad (Mom died too in 2014).

The Crazy Horse Monument from the Visitor Center


I don't know what I think about this private endeavor.  I think many of the tribes see it as a scar on their sacred land.  What is a Polish-American doing here in the Black Hills anyways?  I would be interested to hear your thoughts . . .

So after the visit to Crazy Horse, we met up with our new friends Katie and Joe in Hill City at the Alpine Inn for lunch.  Totally German.  I had the schnitzel for $12.50 and it was good, just not stellar.  The service, on the other hand, was great!!  Thank you Christina!  Here are Katie and Joe -- isn't she beautiful?



After lunch we went back into Custer State Park (got to use up some of that 7 day pass).  We drove along the Needles Highway.  The views just keep coming....

Freaky skinny tunnel we made it through (without a scratch)

This qualifies as a Hoodoo, I think


The Needles

Oh, I forgot the Wine Tasting -- yep we went to Prairie Berry Winery and, you know me, I had to check out the Red Ass Rhubarb wine -- pretty tasty if you like the sweet stuff!!




Tomorrow we head out to Mitchell to see the Corn Palace.  I am told, not to expect much . . . .

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