20121009; Crazy Horse; The Movie

09 Oct 2012:

As we prepared to leave early in the morning for the Crazy Horse Monument, we encountered a flock of wild turkeys roaming through the RV Park. Was thinking...Thanksgiving is but a month away yet!

This day was yet another cold, overcast day, with a slight breeze lowering the chill factor another notch or two. As we arrived at the Crazy Horse visitor's center one could see a side view of the Crazy Horse monument off in the distance. The visitor's center has several interesting displays of Native-American objects including a full-size teepee with a full compliment of implements and manikins inside depicting life as it was back in the day. Gift shops, the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, studio/home, showrooms and two theaters...all make for plenty to see and do during your visit. Don't forget to make room for lunch at the Laughing Water Restaurant; do try one of their Native American Tacos!

One can take part in a bus tour which takes you to near the base of the mountain, where you can get some interesting photographs. If lucky, you'd have a tour guide/bus driver as witty as ours, and as talented a story teller as he was as well! This will cost you about $4.00 for the tour. There's a 2nd tour, a bit more pricey at around $250, that will take you right up to the face of the monument itself.

If you take time to watch the movie at one of their two theaters, you will learn about Korczak's efforts to carve a likeness of Crazy Horse out of a mountain, including the story of his early use of an air compressor having a motor made by Buda Co., that would quit working while he was up on a high ladder sculpting away. He would have to climb down the many rungs of his ladder each time to restart the motor so he could continue working...some times as many as 11 times or more a day. Thus the reference to "Old Buda."

When Korczak passed away, his wife, Ruth, continued work on his project, along with 7 of their 10 children. They accept no government funding, and rely strictly on your donations and profits from your visits to the monument.

I hope you enjoy this whirlwind tour consisting of selected views of most of the facility. You owe it to yourself to visit there one day and take in all that there is to see in person. And...don't forget to take home some free rocks from the monument discards!

It began to snow just as we were leaving...

Видео 20121009; Crazy Horse; The Movie канала ColoradoGeorge