Day 08 – To Rapid City

We leave Montana today and head to Rapid City South Dakota following I‑90 with stops at the Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana and Deadwood in South Dakota. 

The landscape has changed to more of rolling hills then the stark spires of the mountains we have passed through the last several days.

The Battle of Little Big Horn is only about 50 miles outside of Billings, Montana and we are there shortly before 9:00 AM.

Looking over the battlefield you can feel the sense of defeat by the Calvary as you can see for miles, but only the tops of the little hill crests.  It is easy to see how the Indians could sneak up to attack without even exposing themselves.

Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho surrounded the approximately 41 men with Lt. Col. Custer on the hill when he ordered them to shoot their horses to act as breastworks and fight to the death. 

We spent some time looking over the hill with the markers for the 7^th Calvary where the slain troopers were found and originally buried.  The soldier’s remains are not located here now, but reinterred to other cemeteries years ago.

Custer’s marker has a black background around the lettering and is easily distinguished from the others.

On the other side of Last Stand Hill from the 7^th Calvary is the Indians memorial.  The Indian memorial was erected to honor the Native American participation in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  Also, in 1991, Congress changed the name from Custer Battlefield National Monument to Little Bighorn National Monument to commemorate all those who fought and died here. 

Reference to and names of Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, U.S, Crow Scouts, and U.S. Arikara Scouts who fought and died during the battle are presented on plaques in a semi-circle opposite the sculpture.  It is difficult to name or count the Indians that may have died, because they were returned to their camp.

Just beyond the Last Stand Hill and the memorials is a National Cemetery.  While looking at the markers and taking pictures of the Cemetery, I found a marker for a Maine man (Carmen and I lived in Maine) that died in 1875 and was in the 7^th infantry.

Before Carmen and I left Last Stand Hill where the markers are for the 7^th Calvary, we see a rabbit.  Did I mention that we have seen many animals on this trip so far?

We continued our trip and passed ranches with cows, horses, sheep, llamas, and the occasional pronghorn antelope.

And of course deer, these were silhouetted nicely on the hill top as we were driving by.

The country side has remained the same for most of the trip today.

Passing grasslands and rolling hills spotted with trees.

We even pass an open coal mine where the stripped coal rides on a conveyer belt to a processing plant on the opposite side of the highway.

About 33 miles from South Dakota, we pass near Devils Tower.  Now when I say near, I mean about 20 miles from I-90, on which we are driving.  Even so, we are able to take a picture, albeit, not a good one.

We make a short stop in Deadwood, South Dakota.  Deadwood is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed in the Number 10 saloon while playing poker with his back to a door.  Here is a reenactment of the incident.  The people at the poker table are tourists chosen for the parts.

Wild Bill Hickok, seen here,  wanted to sit in a seat that another player was already sitting and that person said no.  So he decided to sit in the only seat available with his back to a door.  He was holding a hand with two pairs, Aces and eights, now known as the dead man’s hand in poker. 

After arriving at our hotel, we pile back into the bus for a trip for dinner and the evening program at Mt. Rushmore. 

After the program, we headed back to the bus for the drive back to the hotel. 

Until tomorrow, Bob and Carmen.