We flew to Denver and skied the beginning and ending weekends of a 2+ week trip. In between we hit the road for several places we had never been before. After skiing A-Basin 4/27 we got almost to the Kansas border and visited the Old Town Museum in Burlington the next morning. We spent the next two nights with Liz' relatives in Lindsborg, a Kansas town settled by Swedes which retains much of its original Swedish character. On April 30 we visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene on the way to Omaha. The weekend of May 1-3 we were at the Berkshire-Hathaway annual meeting.
We drove through Nebraska's Sand Hills May 3-4, almost entirely within the August 2017 eclipse path. At Alliance we turned north and soon arrived at Carhenge.
Liz could relate to the graffiti on this car.
Our first stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota was the Mammoth Site.
Over 60 mammoth skeletons have been found in this former sinkhole. The museum was built over the excavation site, leaving some of the bones in place.
Our next stop was Wind Cave National Park, where this is the only natural opening.
An airlock entry for tours has been built. Wind Cave's claim to fame is the boxwork ceiling formations like this one.
This can occur only when a cave is gradually flooded from below, dissolving the limestone rock and leaving thin calcite strips behind.
May 5 we went to Mt. Rushmore.
An hour later we got a longer distance perspective.
Some Black Hills wildlife:
As mountains go, most of the Black Hills are gentle rolling hills. But the granite Needles are more impressive.
Despite threatening weather, we took a short hike for closer views.
Driving out.
May 6-7 were mostly rainy. We visited the Crazy Horse Memorial which has quite bit of Native American exhibits and art inside. There is an ambitious project to carve a huge sculpture into the mountain. View out the window with model sculpture inside.
During a sunny break we went outside for a better view.
On the morning of May 7 we visited Jewel Cave National Monument. In Jewel Cave the stubbly calcite deposits are found on many surfaces.
There are occasional formations, like this thin soda straw column.
And this thin "bacon" strip, backlit for better viewing.
Some varied colors of the calcite deposits.
Jewel Cave has 177 miles of explored passages. Both Wind Cave and Jewel Cave have narrow openings to the outside where wind blows vigorously with changes in atmospheric pressure. From the wind strength researchers believe that unexplored passages are even more extensive.
We drove through Nebraska's Sand Hills May 3-4, almost entirely within the August 2017 eclipse path. At Alliance we turned north and soon arrived at Carhenge.
Liz could relate to the graffiti on this car.
Our first stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota was the Mammoth Site.
Over 60 mammoth skeletons have been found in this former sinkhole. The museum was built over the excavation site, leaving some of the bones in place.
Our next stop was Wind Cave National Park, where this is the only natural opening.
An airlock entry for tours has been built. Wind Cave's claim to fame is the boxwork ceiling formations like this one.
This can occur only when a cave is gradually flooded from below, dissolving the limestone rock and leaving thin calcite strips behind.
May 5 we went to Mt. Rushmore.
An hour later we got a longer distance perspective.
Some Black Hills wildlife:
As mountains go, most of the Black Hills are gentle rolling hills. But the granite Needles are more impressive.
Despite threatening weather, we took a short hike for closer views.
Driving out.
May 6-7 were mostly rainy. We visited the Crazy Horse Memorial which has quite bit of Native American exhibits and art inside. There is an ambitious project to carve a huge sculpture into the mountain. View out the window with model sculpture inside.
During a sunny break we went outside for a better view.
On the morning of May 7 we visited Jewel Cave National Monument. In Jewel Cave the stubbly calcite deposits are found on many surfaces.
There are occasional formations, like this thin soda straw column.
And this thin "bacon" strip, backlit for better viewing.
Some varied colors of the calcite deposits.
Jewel Cave has 177 miles of explored passages. Both Wind Cave and Jewel Cave have narrow openings to the outside where wind blows vigorously with changes in atmospheric pressure. From the wind strength researchers believe that unexplored passages are even more extensive.
