Friday, November 29th, 2019
Rapid City, SD
It’s 8am MST and I am waking up. Even though I went to bed at 10pm, I still feel groggy. I slowly get ready for the day and still have time to enjoy a small cup of coffee while staring out of the hotel window.
At 9am I meet my parents in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. The restaurant is empty and the service is slow. We discuss the weather and decide to wait until 11am to attempt the drive to Mount Rushmore. A blizzard is supposed to hit this evening, so we need to be back in town before dark. After a slow breakfast, I find a seat next to a picture of a fireplace in the lobby. I call my Grandmother to chat while my parents finish getting ready for the day.
Around 11am, we gather at the rental car. My Dad drives and the road to Mount Rushmore is perfectly clear. It looks like this town really knows how to deal with snow. I feel grateful.
Soon we arrive at Mount Rushmore and it is beyond cold outside. I put on all of my winter gear and start the trek up the long walkway. Once we arrive at the end of the path, my parents start to giggle. Wait a minute, is this it? I am staring at a wall of fog.
There is a viewing room with a fireplace, an extremely tall window, and a small cafe. I buy a cup of coffee and sit down to wait out the fog. We watch some kids play in the snow and are inspired to take some of our own pictures. Me and Mom go back outside and she makes several attempts to time a picture of me throwing snow into the air. Once we are both frozen, we return inside to stare at the fog some more.
Eventually, we make the call to check out the gift shop and then drive to the Crazy Horse memorial. The gift shop is substantial and I pick out a T-shirt to take home. Just as we are starting to leave, the fog begins to clear. We trek back up the path and are able to catch a faded glimpse of the monument. I am surprised by how close it is.
The next stop is the Crazy Horse monument. My parents assure me there is no way to see the monument in this fog, but there is a robust museum and another cafe on site. As we enter the lobby of the museum, we learn they have stopped the shuttle service to the memorial but are encouraged to watch a free short film. The theater is freezing cold, but luckily I am well equipped with winter clothing. You know you’re not from here when your outdoor winter clothes are just sufficient for indoor activities.
We learn that the Crazy Horse monument, which is still in progress, is being built by the same family that built Mount Rushmore. This rock sculpture will eventually be 563 feet tall, significantly larger than its Mount Rushmore counterpart, which is only 87 feet. This memorial was started in 1927 and so far 3 generations of the Ziolkowski family have worked on the project. There is currently no estimation of its completion.
After the movie is completed, we spend 30 minutes or so browsing through the museum. We finish in the gift shop, where I buy another T-shirt of a monument that I didn’t see.
The weather is starting to decline, so we head back into Rapid City. It’s around 4pm and we decide to find a restaurant for an early dinner. We try Tally’s first, but they are not open yet. Next, we go to an Ale House located across the street, but it’s very loud and there are slot machines interspersed with the tables. Finally, we settle on Murphy’s, which is located across the street from the hotel. This place is great. The interior is mostly wood and the chairs are extra comfortable. I start out with some wine and then eventually order the bison meatloaf, wrapped in bacon. It tastes as amazing as it sounds. I enjoy the long dinner with my parents and eventually head back to the hotel at 8pm.
We order a round of drinks in the hotel bar, but it’s incredibly loud and overrun by a local crowd. I wonder if the blizzard can account for the crowd or if this place is actually popular. By 9pm we decide to call it a night.
I quickly get ready for bed and end up watching a few episodes of Undone on Amazon. Even though I am excited to witness my first blizzard, eventually I drift off to sleep.
