Since the transit time from Cheyenne to Aberdeen South Dakota is about 14 hours, our staff made the wise decision to split the trip over two days time. We arrived at Mt. Rushmore around 2:30 in the afternoon and stayed for over an hour. Being in the presence of such an amazing landmark with such beautiful scenery was just indescribable. Despite the fact that the temperature was around 25 degrees, it was still an awesome experience. As a matter of fact, I'd go so far as to say it was one of my favorite stops on the entire tour.
After Mt. Rushmore, we drove about a half our down the road to Outlaw Ranch, where we stayed the night. The group was split up in several different cabins where we spent the night, however most people didn't even sleep! I fell asleep in the camp lodge around 2am next to a nice warm fire and woke up in the same spot a few hours later. All in all this was a fantastic day with a great end!
In the morning we boarded the buses for our second day of driving. We drove about 8 hours before arriving in Aberdeen, SD, which is on the extreme northeast side of the state. My host family here is really great. As a matter of fact, my host mom is a teacher aspiring to become a school administrator. She has two kids (ages 11 and 12) who are really down to earth and fun to be around. They even fed us dinner tonight while she was at night classes for her graduate degree. It seems I always end up staying with people that remind me of my mom so much. Maybe it's just a coincidence, or maybe it's just that I miss her so much that I tend to see the qualities in others that are so similar to her own.
I'll be home in seven more weeks, so get ready Texas folks!
From a distance
A shot from the Presidential Trail
This is part of the recently added landscaping
There's room for me on Washington's right, huh?
Chihiro from Japan, Birgit from Switzerland, Me, and Ouray from the Navajo Nation
What a view!
The mastermind behind Mt. Rushmore.
The entryway behind me is lined with all 50 state flags.
One of the cabins we stayed in at the Outlaw Ranch last night.
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3 comments:
you're always wearing name brand clothes...
did you fall into the gap?
;]
Greetings from North Platte Nebraska! Hey what's up Ryan? This is Brianna. I loved your pics of Mt. Rushmore. They are really neat!! My family and I have been there to but it has been awhile. Like the summer of '99! But we still have the pics from our trip! We didn't get to hike up the Presidents trail, but I bet it was awesome to see the monument up close, well, at least as close as they would let you get! Please keep in touch with me. I would love to hear about your trip to the Philippines! You can contact me any time at davidsmith@windsream.net. It was very nice meeting and getting to know a cool person like you! Hope to talke to you soon!
Sorry if Im bugging you but I gave you the wrong email. It is davidsmith@windstream.net. I forgot the "T" in stream and didn't notice until after i posted the comment. Oops!
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