Chuck Wagon Ride

We began our trip to the Southern Hills with a meet and greet event at the Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City.  Shirley Jane Hobbs joined us for a lovely luncheon and discussion about artist exchanges and we explored ideas about how one could be managed in the Black Hills again.  I am the featured artist at the winery for the month of October, and the group was able to see my exhibit, which made me happy.  More about my show and the events surrounding it, in future posts.

Here you see a happy group:  we were loaded up on a hay wagon, with a top like a covered wagon. This chuck wagon feed is arranged through The Blue Bell Lodge, close to where we stayed for two nights in Custer State Park.   Adorned in hats with Custer State Park bandannas,  we rode out to a supper site, singing all the way.  Our host, Cowboy Keith, played an assortment of western songs, and welcomed requests.  He said he could play anything, but sometimes it all sounded like “Home on the Range”… he did that once when he didn’t know the song.  Pretty funny.  On the way back it got pretty chilly, so a couple verses of “Jingle Bells” seemed appropriate! We met couples from across the US, and proudly added the international flavor to the night.

Chuck Wagon Feed

We had a beautiful ride out, seeing deer and antelope along the way (As in the song “Home on the Range”, they were playing, I think…  )  We didn’t see any buffalo (or the proper name for them is bison), but that wasn’t a great surprise, as in two day’s time, they were to be stampeded at the Buffalo Round-up, so were largely already rounded up for that event)  The food was excellent:  we all chose steak, and each of us raved about how tender it was.  We also had customary baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, corn bread and watermelon.    Cowboy Keith entertained us through the meal, and a few willing participants danced… we started with “The Hokey Poky” and ended with “The Chicken Dance”.  No, alcohol was not involved, and yes, unfortunately, Yves has video evidence to be used against us at a later date…

Legion Lake

We stayed at The Legion Lake Lodge, in charming little cabins.  My guests exclaimed how like their vision of an American summer camp this was!  The lake is rimmed by this beautiful rock wall, with a reflection at the base. I did a small watercolor of it, sitting on a sunny deck overlooking the lake.  We enjoyed our cabins, and even had two nights of campfires and Prairie Berry wine.  Our first night we had a smoky fire, not really able to get it flaming…and then Cowboy Dave purchased some magic lighter fluid for the second night, and we were much happier.  My good friend, Anna Huntington, joined us, and brought the makings for “smores”  This is a typical campfire treat (usually for kids) in which a melted marshmallow is sandwiched between a Hershey bar and graham cracker.  (Note: smores do not compliment any of the wine we selected at Prairie Berry…)

Home of poet Badger Clark

We had beautiful weather the entire weekend:  such a gift, and we grabbed it!  Stopping at a quaint log home, built by South Dakota poet in residence, Badger Clark, we were disappointed to find it closed, but were able to peek through the windows to see inside.  Badger Clark was a cowboy poet, who built this cabin (Called the Badger Hole)  in what is now Custer State Park.  His belongings are all there just as he left them, so it is an intriguing glimpse at his life and source of some of his creativity. Millie shared that Badger Clark spoke at her 8th grade graduation!  Once we left this cabin, we took in an arts festival which is in conjunction with the Custer Roundup, purchasing a few items, but having found we had our shopping needs met the previous day in the quaint little town of Hill City.

Hoop Dancing lessons

Summer White House to Calvin Coolidge

At the Custer Arts Festival, there were different music and dance events.  Pictured is a Native American girl, teaching some crowd volunteers the intricacies of the traditional Hoop Dance.  The Custer State Park Game Lodge was home to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927, and is a stately arts and crafts inspired building yet today.

Mount Rushmore as seen through tunnel

Needles Highway

The Eye of the Needle

We took a beautiful drive along Iron Mountain Highway and The Needles Highway.  The original approach to Mount Rushmore was blasted out of the mountains, with several strategically placed tunnels which were designed to frame the monument.  I’ve always wanted to take a photo of this!  The Needles are the remains of a volcanic formation.  These rock spires rise up impressively, and we all took many photos, as the light was strikingly perfect at the time of day in which we visited them.  At the inner sanctum of the formation is this most amazing form:  called The Eye of the Needle, for obvious reasons!

Moving the Bison

We had to get up early to get a strategic place in line to see the impressive Buffalo Stampede, an annual event by Custer State Park, in which their Bison herd are rounded up, brought into corrals, inoculated, sorted, calves branded, and some sold off, to keep the herd manageable in the park.  Cowboys and cowgirls came with their horses and pickups to bring in the herd.  Thousands of viewers such as ourselves were positioned well out of harms way, and were able to witness a most spectacular event.  Seeing the massive herd moving across the prairie was a way in which to witness days gone by, as well as the modern era of land management in the park.

Carrying the American Flag

The conclusion of the round-up was a ceremonial presentation of the American Flag.  The crowd cheered, and it was a most fitting end to the round-up.  It also signaled the end of our artist exchange.  Judy and Bill Hobbs once again hosted our group: kindly having a delicious supper waiting for us upon our return from the round-up.  Tired though we were, we had a great time, recalling our many adventures, and had a good laugh at the 1950’s version of Calamity Jane.  We watched highlights from the movie “Calamity Jane” with Doris Day, in both English and in French… again symbolic of our cultural exchange.

Today, our guests returned home.  The hosts, Millie Halsey, Judy and Bill Hobbs, and my family, will miss the laughter and daily lessons such an exchange brought into our lives.  Our homes and hearts will feel empty without our good friends here with us, but we look forward to the time when we can possibly travel to their equally unique places on this earth, and continue our learning!