Mt. Rushmore and Local Events

July 28th found us at Mt. Rushmore, or Mountain Rushmore as Benjamin calls it, outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.  In case you were wondering, the faces are of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.  Jerry came here on a road trip after college graduation with his Grandma Pullen in 1981, but for the rest of us, it was our first time.  The day before and after were stormy with some hail, but on this day, we were blessed to have good weather.  

We happened upon The Event at Rebecca Farm on July 27th in Kalispel, Montana, the only Olympic Qualifier for horse riding in the United States.  It was a fun (and free!) event held on a lovely farm in Montana.  We loved watching the horses move quickly around the cross country course and make such graceful jumps.  

We also happened upon Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana that evening where we saw incredible jumps by motocross riders.  Butte is apparently the daredevil's hometown.  Nothing like experiencing a bit of local culture.  

The hot spring pools with a water slide in Fairmont, Montana were a hit with all of us after long days in the car.  

North and South Dakota have lots of bison, prong-horned antelope, and prairie dogs . . .  and very few people.  Did you know that their combined population is comparable to that of Jacksonville, Florida?  

North Dakota also has an awful lot of wheat that we saw as we drove and drove across this very wide state.  Nothing against the great state of North Dakota, but we were more than ready to cross into Minnesota today.     

As we pulled into Detroit Lakes, Minesota, we saw that today, July 30th, was the opening day for the Berke County Fair.  We enjoyed the animals and Benjamin was thrilled to "beat" his sister in a carnival water pistol/balloon race to win a stuffed dolphin.