My National Geographic book on National Parks was spot on when it mentioned that Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota had two different ecosystems; one below the surface and one above. Below, the caves were discovered by settlers Jesse and Tom Bingham in 1881 when they heard a whistling noise. The sound led them to a small hole in the ground, the caves’ only natural opening. After that, the caves were pretty much left to adventurers like 18 year old Alvin McDonald to follow the wind and document all the wonders he found. The cave was created over 320 million years ago through the natural process of erosion by water dissolving limestone to produce a complex maze of passages we call caves.
The above ground ecosystems consists of 28,295 acres of diverse wild life such as pronghorn, mule deer , prairie dogs, coyote, which on a few nights put me to sleep with their awesome howling, and of course the ever popular bison.
I enjoyed the park immensely, but that is not the only thing that kept me there for 6 nights. The area is rich in Western history with towns like Hill City, Custer and Hot Springs, Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
The Black Hills area of South Dakota played an important part in American history, providing economic possibilities for settlers who often ventured from Europe to try their hand at mining and farming. Towns sprung up where mining was plentiful, hunting was rich and main roads passed allowing for people to either settle or continue on with the hope of virgin territory to explore and create a better life. Experiencing in a small way what it may have been like to be the pioneer, that cowboy, that searcher is what makes me appreciate the freedoms we have here in America and this adventure I am on. Enjoy some photos. TC...
Pronghorn before the entrance of the park.
Cave Ranger.
OK, what you have below is Smith Fargo Mercantile, owned and operated by Liz & Dick Smith. Antiques and Collectibles Plus the fantastic Smith Fargo Suites. The Fargo Mercantile building was built in 1910. Its interior is one of the best preserved interiors in the state. Especially significant is the ornate stamped metal ceiling. Set in downtown Hot Springs, guests can choose between the Cowboy, Victorian, Oriental and Mining theme rooms decorated with antique furniture. Liz gave me a personal tour and I loved it. I was also able to pick up a vintage Wrangler Cowboy shirt for $8.00!
STAY TUNED FOR BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA AND THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY HERE IN IOWA, INCLUDING A LOOK AT THE SMALL MUSEUM OF THE DUKE, JOHN WAYNE,PILGRIM.....TC...
