07/11/13, 05/18/20
Trafalgar's Scenic Parks Explorer, June 2013 - Page G

Also see 1996 pages (A through I) for other photos of the National Parks.

On June 23rd after the museum in Cody, we headed to Billings, Montana.  

We got to Billings, settled in and then went for a cowboy dinner.  Happy Pappy was an interesting guy.  
He and another cowboy, both masked, pretended they were robbing the bus.  The bus stopped and
Pappy got on.  After taking his mask off, he explained to us who he was and then the bus slowly drove
to where dinner was being served.  The dinner was delicious.  

The first thing we had to do was select a cowboy hat.  We would not be allowed to eat without the hat.  
During dinner, the second cowboy told us "stories".  After dinner Pappy sang a few songs for us
around the fire.  It was a great evening.

The photos below are those I took on my way to Billings and at the dinner.
Happy Pappy
Pappy entertaining us!
Setting sun
He refused to get closer.  This is with zoom.  An actor?

On June 24th, we left Billings (Montana) headed to Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand, Montana,
June 25, 1876), Gillette ( Wyoming, rest stop) and later to Rapid City (South Dakota).  

In the evening we took an Optional Tour to see Mt. Rushmore lit up at night after a presentation.  
María became
a cowgirl for a
few hours.
VERY WELL SAID!
A memorial to the Native Americans
View from lower down the hill.
Visitor Center
Coal quarry
On a hill top in Rapid City, part of Dinosaur Park.
Postcard - "Spirit Warriors" Little Bighorn Battlefield National
Monument.  © Bob Reece
"After The Battle".  The entire painting not captured
in the photo.  And photo not too clear.
Appears on the bottom of left wall.
Appears on the bottom of right wall.
Mount Rushmore at night
Before the lighting ceremony came to an end, veterans of all wars were invited
to come on stage to remove and fold the US flag.

On 6/24, I took photos in downtown Rapid City.   The City of Presidents,
as it is called, has a sculpture of all presidents on most street corners.  
The only president missing was Mr. Obama.  He will be placed in the
future.  However, I will post the photos taken on  6/24 with others I took
on 6/25.   I did not photograph all sculptures (presidents).

On 6/25, we returned to Mt. Rushmore during the day.  

Did you know that originally the monument was going to feature
Western Heroes like Lewis & Clark, Red Cloud and Buffalo Bill Cody?

To the Lakota Sioux the mountain was known as Six Grandfathers but
later renamed after a prominent NY lawyer, Charles E. Rushmore.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt
and  Abraham Lincoln.
On way to cowboy dinner.
This is worth repeating.  
Flowers in the area of the monument.
A better view of the painting can  be seen here.
Dinner was a choice of steak, chicken and possibly
another choice.  It was served with stewed red beans
with bacon, fried bread and salad plus potato salad.
The "hold up".