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Montana - home of "big sky"

 


This is a view from a gas station not far from our hotel in Billings, Montana. Gorgeous.

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Have you ever seen a mum mountain?


A local nursery - Otts Exotic Plants in Schwencksville PA - has a mound that is covered with pansies in spring and chrysanthemums in the fall. Who can resist driving 30 minutes to drink in such a beautiful sight? This is their fall display.

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More from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West


If you get a chance, please don't miss the opportunity to visit here. We could have spent a full day and still would have missed so much!

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A visit to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

There's so much to see here. This post focuses on some of the clothing made by Native American artisans. These pictures fail to capture the intricacy and artistry required to maake such exquisite clothing!

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Hunkayapi celebrates the Lakota naming ceremony


This statue is found outside of the Prairie Edge store in Rapid City, South Dakota. I commemorates one of the sacred ceremonies for indiginous Lakota people. I am not of Native American heritage but when I did a bit of research it seems that this ceremony is a way of passing down Lakota heritage to the next generation. As I understand it, it seems that the older woman holds a position somewhat like a godparent toward the young girl in the ceremony. If you are Lakota, please feel free to leave a comment explaining this to those of us who would like to learn more about Hunkayapi.

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A visit to Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore was a surprise to me - I didn't expect to be so moved to see the monument. It's one of the most powerful patriotic experiences I've had. We had the opportunity to walk the trail at the base of the mountain, which gave us some different perspectives on the faces of these great men from our history.


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The Mammoth Site

A developer had begun digging in anticipation of building a new neighborhood in Hot Springs, South Dakota when he realized that he had uncovered an area of possible interest to archeologists. And thus ensued a fascinating look into the remote past. 

It turns out that a sinkhole formed in the Pleistocene era, and animals would come there to drink. The sides were sloped and slippery, and the animals would slide in and be unable to extricate themselves. To date, the remains of over 60 mammoths have been uncovered there. According to a Wikipedia article about the site, "Findings at the site include the remains of megafauna such as giant short-faced bears along with those of shrub oxen, American camel, llama, wolves, coyotes, birds, minks, ferrets, prairie dogs, voles, and moles. Invertebrate discoveries include several species of clams, snails, and slugs." 

It's a fascinating site if you have the opportunity to visit!


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