Reflections Following a Botched Vacation

It only took us 26 hours to get home (central Pennsylvania) from Rapid City, South Dakota.  I could've traveled to Australia in that amount of time.

We left our hotel Monday morning at 11:30 for the Rapid City Regional Airport, which had just opened that morning for the first time since the major snowstorm five days earlier shut everything in the area down.

However, the power and all computer systems at the airport were down, so all ticketing was being done by hand.  Also, we learned that our first flight to Chicago had been cancelled.

We stood in line three hours (I timed it), until being booked on another flight that would be leaving later in the afternoon.  Sore from standing so long, we got on the plane and had an uneventful two hour flight to Chicago.

We had been assured that we would have time to make our connecting flight to Harrisburg, but they were wrong.  It was too close and although we rushed, oh about five miles, through the airport to get to the concourse and gate from where our flight was to leave, when we got there the doors had closed and they would not open them for us.

This required another 1 1/2 hour stand in line at the Customer Service counter.  We were given a new flight departing this morning, requiring us to spend last night in Chicago.  Because they determined that we couldn't possibly have made the second flight in time, they provided coupons for us that provided a dinner and a night in a local hotel.

If you are familiar with the Chicago O'hare Airport, you will understand that this meant another long hike to get to the area where shuttles take travelers to the local hotels.  At this point I was seriously wondering if I had overestimated the capabilities of my tender healing foot.  I had figured that since my heel surgery was three months ago, I would be capable by now to do the walking required by this trip.  However, by this point I was in pain.  Lots of pain.

We made it to our hotel, our room was comfortable, and we got a few hours of sleep before returning at the crack of dawn via shuttle to that hiking place airport.  After passing through security and hiking again walking to our gate, we soon boarded our flight and made it back to Pennsylvania.  Son Caleb and his puppy Sheila were waiting for us at the baggage area.  It was so good to see them.

After a pleasant 1 1/2 hour ride, we were home.  Home, sweet home.  Although I love to travel, this time I was very glad to be safely home.

We saw a lot of these before the storm hit.

It had been a long, rough week.  I didn't think I'd find myself freezing, stranded, and starving on a sightseeing vacation.  That was just not on my itinerary.

Snowed in.

The husband/lover/travel companion and I have reflected quite a bit on our adventure during and since we've returned home.

Some of our thoughts:

Would we take another trip like this, an escorted group trip, again?  Definitely.  On the first day of the trip, the day we were able to complete some of the scheduled itinerary, the company proved itself to offer a quality travel experience.  It started off great, and we were enjoying ourselves.

The subsequent storm and trials due to it were beyond the control of the company.  I find it ridiculous that some folks in the group were planning to sue the company or the tour escort.  How would they have any control over a storm?

I'm grateful for the new travel companions we met during our adventure.  To our new friends in New Jersey and Texas, we hope you returned home safely and look forward to crossing travel paths again some day in the future.

On this experience of freezing and starving, I do not like it one bit.  I hope to never be in that situation again.  The most frightening part for me was the moment it was announced that the food in the hotel was gone.  Not knowing how many more days we would be there until power was restored or until we could get out or food could be brought in was concerning.  Trying to stay warm takes a lot of energy and seems to make you hungrier, faster, too.

Bob and I shared this last "meal" of chex mix before the food ran out.

Although our week was difficult, I know there is always someone with worse troubles.  (Please say prayers for my SIL Sherri who is battling a very aggressive and tenacious cancer.)

Finally, I'm glad to be home.

But really, I need a vacation from my vacation.

Trapped Inside by the Snowstorm

Note:  The first part of this blog post was written back on Thursday morning, before we lost power in the storm.

Today we were scheduled to travel to Hot Springs, South Dakota to see the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, and in a way, see America as it was 300 years ago.  This 11,000 acres of prairie is home to 400 wild horses.

The beginning of the storm - the view out our hotel room

Due to the beginnings of a major storm, the roads into the Sanctuary are closed.

A storm bearing possibly 25 inches of snow and winds up to 70 mph is heading our way, and nearly everything anywhere near to our hotel is closed.  Our room is up on the third floor of the Hilton Garden Inn, and here in our room we can easily hear that the winds are strong and gusty.

This morning we did venture out, though, as only a few inches of snow had fallen at that point.  We headed to the Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold factory right outside of Rapid City, which opened briefly just for the benefit of our desperate tour group.

Of course, it is well known that the Black Hills area of South Dakota was a major gathering point for those thousands of folks that came West, dreaming of finding gold and becoming wealthy.

One of these many goldseekers, French goldsmith Henri LeBeau, came to seek his fortune here also.  As the story goes, in his travels he became lost in the Black Hills, and passed out from near starvation and dehydration.  While unconscious, he dreamed of the wine and grapes back in his homeland.

Later, upon awakening, he found some grapes nearby which sustained him.  Subsequently, he created a style of gold jewelry in the 1870's which is now known as Black Hills Gold.

Typical Black Hills Gold style

What makes Black Hills Gold jewelry uniqe is that each piece depicts leaves, grape clusters, and vines, and is made with alloys of gold with standard yellow gold as well as green and pink gold.

In 1980 a law was passed dictating that no jewelry manufacturer would be permitted to use the term "Black Hills Gold" unless is was made right in the Black Hills.

So, if one is traveling in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, an appropriate souvenir would be a piece of Black Hills gold, don't you think?  I may have purchased a pair of Black Hills gold earrings today.

Following the visit to the gold factory, our transportation returned us to our hotel, via a very slippery, treacherous, nail-biter of a ride.

Since our hotel does not have a lunch offered, we scrounged in the little pantry near the front desk and found ourselves a funny little meal.

There are really no other options.  There are no vehicles or humans moving anywhere outside now.  Everything is closed, and the snow is piling up.

For the next 24 hours or so, it will just be a matter of hunkering down and riding out the storm.

We just might not survive, although I do know where I can find a  pool and hot tub that are still open for business.
________________________________________________________________________________

It has now been three days since I wrote the words above.  Unbelievably, the storm dumped 22 inches on us, and as much as four feet in locations nearby.  70 mile winds that blew for two days created drifts that were impassable by all vehicles.

About an hour or so after writing what you read up above, the power in our hotel went out.

For the last three days we've suffered as the temperatures in our hotel fell.   Using the bedding and towels in our hotel room, we tried to wrap up and stay warm.  Late in the day yesterday, we discovered that the temperature in the pool room felt a tad warmer due to the humidity, so we sat in there for a while.  However, the chemical smell with no air exchange ultimately chased us out.

With no power, of course we had no lights.  By 7:00 PM each night it was completely dark, and so most of us returned to our rooms by then.  To do what?  No TV, no internet, no light for reading - we would just try to go to sleep and stay warm until daylight.

The hotel staff tried to feed us the best they could without having power.  By the middle of the second day, an announcement was made that the food was all gone.  That becomes a scary thought when you know that the roads are impassable, there is a $5000 fine to try to drive somewhere, and besides, everything anywhere is closed.  Not knowing how long until you have another meal begins to become worrisome.  In our case, we had 1 1/2 days of very meager meals, then 1 1/2 days of no meals.

No power also means no elevators.  Only one staircase in our hotel led to the lobby, the other one led to an outside entrance.  In pitch blackness, stairs and stairwells are tricky and potentially dangerous.

In complete blackness, it's tricky using our hotel room's bathroom.  We conserved our cell phone batteries to get a little light when using the bathroom.

Now, here's the thing.  Throughout this crisis I saw the best and worst of human nature.

First let's talk about the worst.  Sometimes the way people behaved throughout this difficult situation was downright ugly and animalistic.

We saw people take way too much food at the skimpy meals, leaving none for those at the back of the line.  Bob and I missed out on a meal and parts of other meals because of folks' greed.

Incredibly, some people griped at what was served, how much they got, whether it came with mustard or mayo, and other trivial things.

A few people blamed our snowbound situation on the travel company, claiming the company should have had a Plan B.  This was a serious regional crisis, and even the National Guard had been called out, so no Plan B could have been possible.  Some people just have to be negative, have to gripe, and have to find fault.

Small lanterns were placed on the landings of each floor level in the stairwells.  It is unthinkable to me, but they were stolen by people who took them into their rooms.

Along with all the negatives, happily we saw the best of human nature too.

We saw people helping serve food to others, before they served themselves.

We learned of generous people trading their ground floor rooms with handicapped folks on the upper floors, since the elevators were no longer operational.

The hotel staff slept on the couches in the lobby, and tirelessly took care of us the best they could, for three days.

Many people helped others up the stairways and accompanied them safely to their rooms in the dark.

I have definitely learned the lesson to always appreciate food and electricity.

As of a few hours ago, we were finally transferred to another hotel that has power, heat, and food.  During the transfer, we were able to finally see how bad this area has been hit by this crippling storm.

I will simply close this post by saying I'm grateful to be safe and sound, and to let the few photos I have speak for themselves.

During the storm

Staying warm

Outside our hotel

En route to our new (heated) hotel

We are scheduled to fly home tomorrow, yet as of now the airport is still closed.

Some day, we will laugh about this trip and all of its challenges.

Just not today.

Mount Rushmore is Closed, But...

Mount Rushmore is a National Monument.  Therefore, Mount Rushmore is closed.  However, I am pleased to say that we were able to see it today from a distance, and even view it from several angles.

We only broke the rules a little, by pulling over at the entrance to the park to take a look.  We were parked there taking pictures until the armed park guards chased us away.  Perhaps those guys were the essential government employees that still have to come to work.

Unbelievably, the pull-off areas along the road near the park were blocked with traffic cones, and so those areas were unavailable for safe stopping and looking.  Why?  I have no idea.  What could be wrong with all those tourists who had carefully saved their money all year just to come to this place to see this monument being able to see what they came to see?

Anyway.

Prior to our drive by of the monument, we stopped to explore the Borglum Historical Center in Keystone, just two miles from Mount Rushmore.  In this museum we ventured into the world of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore.

A Borglum sculpture completed before the Mount Rushmore project

We learned about the artist, his family and friends, and saw many of the sculptures he created throughout his life, before he even began the Mount Rushmore project.  Although photos were not allowed in the building, I was able to take pictures of several large Borglum sculptures outside.

Borglum's famous Seated Lincoln piece

A film showed Borglum and his crew working on the face of the monument in seats hung from thin cables.  We watched actual footage of some of the blasting and sculpting of the granite.

Probably the most fascinating part of the exhibit for me was standing alongside the full-sized eye of Lincoln, an exact replica of the eye on the mountain.  It was eight feet across and seemed immense.

Apparently, when sculptor Gutzon Borglum looked upon the knobby, cracked face of that hillside there in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he saw a vision of four United States presidents carved into the mountain - Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

Beginning at the age of 60, between 1929 and 1941, with the help of over 400 workers and several influential politicians, Borglum began carving a memorial to the history of America.

The silhouette view of President Washington

It was truly a moving sight to see.  According to Borglum (in 1930), "...let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were.  Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and rain alone shall wear them away."

Later, after a brief stop for lunch and a bit of shopping back in Keystone, we boarded an 1880 steam powered train for a pleasant, although a bit bumpy, ride from Keystone to Hill City, South Dakota.

Adding water to the engine prior to our ride

This vintage steam train ride was about one hour long and took us on a ten mile trip through the Black Hills National Forest.  

We passed through many areas where there was evidence of long ago mining villages.

All along the way we saw plenty of white tailed deer, mule deer and large turkeys.  (Earlier in the day on our way to Mount Rushmore, we saw two large elk up in the hills.)

It was a full, yet satisfying day here in the Black Hills.  Lot of fascinating history, and more to come tomorrow.

The City of Presidents, and The Art Alley

Rapid City's Main Street Square

Rapid City, South Dakota, prides itself as being the most patriotic city in the United States.  Why?  Because it is the only location in the world where all 42 United States presidents can be seen in life-size bronze statues.

So, we decided to go and see for ourself.

We started our walking tour of the historic downtown area at the Main Street Square.  One of the presidential statues is displayed on nearly every corner of the downtown district, along with benches for resting and viewing.  The 43rd statue, President Obama, will be on display when he has completed his term of office.

We picked up a walking tour guide, and from it we learned a few suggestion of what to notice about each of the statues. Here are some of the ones we found most interesting.

 President Gerald Ford

President Gerald Ford (1974-1977) was a man of strong athletic abilities, having played football for the University of Michigan.  Standing over six feet tall, he was a well-built man with a comfortable demeanor.  He is shown here with his golden retriever, Liberty, who frequently shared the Oval Office with him.

President Thomas Jefferson

President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) was the most gifted writer of his time.  He is shown here during the most important segment of our American history, the writing of the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson appears to be looking away from the document, as if looking to the future.

If one looks closely, the Declaration is shown in its total composition on this statue.

President James Monroe

President James Monroe (1817-1825) was a man of tall stature, standing over six feet tall.  Monroe was the only president to be re-elected without competition.  He was known to be a very cordial man, a man of charming demeanor who always carried a cane.  He is shown tipping his top hat, wishing passers by a "good day."  He is believed to have begun the politician's custom of kissing babies to charm his constituents.

President George Washington

Bob and George

President George Washington's (1789-1797) statue portrays him as a general in full military dress attire.  Before he was known as a politician and, subsequently, President of the United States, he was a military commander.  At 6' 2", Washington was a tall man for this time in history and, like all the other presidential statues, is shown as life size.  Depicted in a prideful military stature, he is shown at possibly his finest hour.  Bob is tall, too.

President Ronald Reagan

The sculptor chose to depict Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) in western attire during a time that he enjoyed the most, working on his ranch.  Reagan was a man of strong body and strong will who enjoyed the physical labor on his ranch.  This activity gave him respite from the rigors of the presidency.  On the announcement of the death of President Reagan, a spontaneous public memorial of ribbons, balloons, and jelly beans from local residents completely surrounded the statue.

President George Herbert Walker Bush

President George Bush's (1989-1993) administration was extensively involved in an international arena, so it seems fitting that he is presented standing next to a world globe.  It is interesting to note that President George Bush is standing across the street from President John Adams.  They are the only two presidents to have sons who also served as presidents of the United States.

President Calvin Coolidge

The statue of President Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) is the only site-specific presidential statue in The City of Presidents project.  His statue is opposite the Main Street Square, and Coolidge appears to be waving a welcome to Rapid City visitors.  He is shown with his big Stetson hat and cowboy boots (although no self-respecting South Dakota cowboy would tuck his pants in his boot tops), and is standing next to a saddle that was made especially for him by a local saddle maker.  The saddle maker's family still resides in Rapid City.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The artist chose to depict President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) as he stood and presented himself to the nation during a time when he was suffering from the effects of polio.  The statue shows just a hint of the leg braces worn by the president below his trouser cuffs.  Roosevelt's stance shows him gripping the podium to steady himself because of his difficulty in standing.  The artist wanted to show Roosevelt's determination to project the image of the strength and the will of the man despite his physical restraints.  The sheer strength of his hands on the platform shows the fortitude of this popular president.  He is shown delivering his famous "day which will live in infamy" speech.

President Martin Van Buren

President Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) is seated on a bench, with his local newspaper, the Kinderhook, on his lap.  At 5' 6", plump in figure and always elegantly dressed, his colleagues called him "The Little Magician."  Van Buren was probably the first of what we have now come to know as a true politician.  He was also called "Old Kinderhook" from which we get our saying, "OK," as he was perceived as usually being correct.  The sculptor placed him on a bench to allow interaction with the public, creating an opportunity for a photograph with one of our presidents.

President John F. Kennedy

The sculptor chose to show President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) with his son, John Jr.  He is handing his son one of John-John's favorite toys, an air fighter plane.  This moment in time takes place at the White House after the president is winding down following a cabinet meeting.  This is a very popular image of Kennedy during one of his happier moments with a member of his family.

Note:  Bob is the one who took this picture of President JFK, cutting off part of his head.  Bob has obviously inherited the cutting-off-the-heads-of-people-in-photos trait from his mother, who is an expert at it.

Note to self:  Take all pictures myself.

Between Main Street and St. Joseph's Streets, and between 5th and 6th Streets, we found an alley that took us by surprise.  Much of the town's power structure seems to be hidden in this alley, but that's not what caught our interest.  This alley is Art Alley, and we watched as locals were creating artwork that literally covers every inch of the space in this alley.  It seemed to be an area of sanctioned graffiti.  Interestingly, we were asked later by a guy on his bicycle if we knew where he could find Art Alley.  

Rapid City, South Dakota, certainly has its own very unique and interesting claims to fame.  

Tomorrow we'll begin exploring some of the surrounding areas and sites.  Just not the National Parks.  They're closed.

Hiking in the Airport

Black Hills, South Dakota

We left home this morning before anyone else on the East Coast was even thinking of waking up, and headed for the airport.  Our first flight was smooth and took us from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Chicago's infamous O'hare Airport.

Today in that airport, I hiked, oh, about 10 miles or so.  The announcer at our first gate, the gate we hiked about 5 miles to get to, joked about how this airport is the King and Queen both of "changeroo."  He then told us to move to another gate.  Hike, hike.

The attendant at that gate then begged us "not to shoot the messenger," but directed us to hike to another concourse and find yet another gate.  Hike, hike.

We did eventually board our plane at some gate there somewhere, after more hiking, and we arrived here in Rapid City, South Dakota, late in the afternoon.

Our sightseeing of the Black Hills area officially begins tomorrow.  

Tonight, we are getting our bearings, relaxing, and reading up on the local sites to see.  And, we are hoping that the government will not "shut down" so that we will be able to see the National Parks and Monuments we came here to see.

We found some dinner nearby which involved another small hike.  Since this is wild country, Bob ordered a buffalo burger, which he said was fairly good.  

To cap off the evening, we're going to make good use of the hotel's pool and hot tub.  My feet could use a good soothing soak.