Category: columns-travel

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Photographing Our Famous National Memorial

By Chad Coppess

Thousands of photos of Mount Rushmore National Memorial are taken each year. However, most of those photographs do not take into account that the carvings on Mount Rushmore are best photographed in the morning. The heads face southeast, so receive sunlight best from sunrise through approximately 10 am.

Sunrise can give the faces a pleasing orange or golden cast, but time of year has a large effect on shadows that form on the mountain at that time of day. Mid-summer sunrise will cast a shadow from the Lincoln head that will completely cover Roosevelt’s face. In early winter the sun has moved far enough south to eliminate the shadow almost completely.

Late afternoon and evening places the heads in full shade no matter what time of year you visit.

For an angle on Rushmore that’s a bit out of the ordinary, try these spots:

  • The profile of Washington’s head can be isolated against the sky at a turnout on Highway 244 about 1/2 mile west of the memorial parking area.
  • The Presidential Trail, which makes a loop from either side of the main viewing platform, leads to the bottom of the rock rubble pile below the faces. This gives the mountain carving a grand “monumental” feel as you look steeply up at the faces.

Two spots on the Presidential Trail are especially noteworthy:

If you took the left side branch of the trail from the viewing platform, just before you reach the rock pile you will see a short staircase leading downward to the left. It leads underneath two huge boulders leaning on each other. Through the crack between them you can frame the Washington and Lincoln heads.

A short walk past the boulder crack (or at the top of the steep staircase climb if you started from the right side of the viewing platform) is another short staircase leading upwards toward the carvings. Rounding a large rock you will come to what the park rangers call the “Hot Tub Terrace,” evidently because it would be an ideal spot for a backyard spa. There is an aspen tree here that provides some nice foreground contrast to all the rough granite piled around it. The tree also creates one of the few places to shoot fall colors with the faces at the appropriate time of year.

Chad Coppess is the senior photographer at the South Dakota Department of Tourism. He lives in Pierre with his wife, Lisa. To view more of his work, visit www.dakotagraph.com.

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South Dakota Adventurer

By Rebecca Johnson

Hello to all our South Dakota Magazine readers. My name is Rebecca Johnson. I look forward to sharing my experiences of outdoor adventure and travel in South Dakota. I am a Yankton native and attended the University of South Dakota to study communications. It was my dream at graduation to work at South Dakota Magazine, but alas, they were not hiring at the time! My husband Jeremy and I returned to Yankton anyway and I worked as a graphic designer for several years.

I fulfilled my dream of joining the South Dakota Magazine staff about two years ago and am currently the Special Projects Coordinator. I’ve enjoyed a lot of behind the scenes projects as well as writing for the magazine.

My parents taught me an early appreciation for the beauty of our state — almost all of my childhood vacations were to some part of the Black Hills. I still remember the excitement I felt when we finally reached the tall pine trees and winding roads. It made the long, boring car ride worthwhile.

A favorite vacation memory is hiking Sunday Gulch Trail off Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Finding its trailhead seemed serendipitous as we hiked down the rocks among little waterfalls. I felt like a real rock climber. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring any water or snacks, nor had we researched the length of the hike. Eventually my sisters and I became tired and cranky. We dramatically plodded along, complaining that we were starving. We were sure we couldn’t go any further. Finally my Dad gave in to our whining and jogged ahead to look for the car. It makes me smile now to think that it was only about three miles. I’ve hiked longer and more difficult trails since but I still get that feeling of awe when I return to Sunday Gulch.

Jeremy and I continue to explore the outdoors through running, hiking and biking. I even completed my first marathon last fall when Sioux Falls brought back their full marathon. We are also big music fans and love to take in live shows around the state, especially the outdoor ones. So you might even catch me writing about a local band or two. I can’t wait to share our future adventures with you!

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Exploring Spirit Mound

By Rebecca Johnson

Lewis and Clark’s trail to Spirit Mound passed right through what is now Vermillion. Photo by Dave Jensen.

It’s been almost 207 years since Lewis and Clark headed for Spirit Mound after camping just below the Vermillion bluffs. They’d heard the conical land formation was inhabited by little spirit people — Native Americans have long viewed the place as the home of the spirits. According to the journals, the explorers stood on the pinnacle, marveling at”numerous herds” of grazing buffalo.

Corps of Discovery reenactors stroll through native grasses. Photo by Chad Coppess.

You may not view buffalo, but visitors today can hike a three-quarter mile trail to the top. The historic property five miles north of Vermillion was being used as a feedlot when it was purchased in 2003. Spirit Mound Trust, the National Parks Service and the state of South Dakota have worked together to remove buildings and restore the 320 acres surrounding the mound with native grasses. Interpretive signs and a day use area are now located at the intersection of Hwy 19 and 312th Street.

Identifying exact spots where Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery stopped is difficult because the Missouri River has shifted continuously over the years. Thomas Gasque, Lewis and Clark expert and USD professor, says there are about six places across the country that can be pin pointed, which increases interest in Vermillion and Spirit Mound.”This is really one of the very few places where we can say it is certain that they actually stood,” he said.

For more information about Spirit Mound, including a map of the trail, visit www.spiritmound.org.

This story is revised from the November/December 2001 issue of South Dakota Magazine. To order a copy or to subscribe call 1-800-456-5117.

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JazzFest Melts Sioux Falls

By Rebecca Johnson

Bonerama, a trombone quartet from New Orleans, performs at JazzFest in 2007. This year’s headliners include Indigenous, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience and Little Feat. Photo by Chad Coppess.

Sioux Falls’ weekend of hot weather and hot music is here! JazzFest kicked off last night in Yankton Trails Park with headliners Indigenous and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The annual event, organized by the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society, started as a backyard party with 250 fans and musicians. The free festival now draws up to 100,000 people from around the region with two stages, a kids’ area and a 5k run/walk. And it’s a”party with a purpose.” Proceeds from beer, pop and water go towards the educational programs put on by SFJB.

If you’re not into jazz there are a lot of other genres performing — even rap. My husband and I plan to check out our favorite folk/pop band, We All Have Hooks for Hands (below), on Saturday night. Here’s Friday and Saturday’s schedule if you’re going. I’ve tried to classify their sounds, even though it’s getting harder to do these days.

Friday:

Main Stage
6:00 pm — Sharon Little (blues/soul)
8:00 pm — Anders Osborne (blues)
9:30 pm — Little Feat (rock)

Second Stage
6:00 pm — The Union Grove Pickers (folk/bluegrass)
7:30 pm — Wumpus (alternative rock/psychedelic country)
9:00 pm — Pasque (Americana/rock)

Saturday:

Main Stage
12:00 pm — Elisabeth Hunstad (jazz)
1:30 pm — JazzFest Jazz Camp featuring Allen Vizzutti
3:00 pm — Mike Miller Trio (jazz)
4:30 pm — Maraca (jazz fusion)
6:00 pm — Jeff Lorber Fusion (jazz fusion)
8:00 pm — funky METERS (Afro-beat/funk)
10:00 pm — Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience (zydeco/cajun)

Second Stage
1:30 pm — Diischer-Pederson Trio (jazz)
3:00 pm — Kepler’s Theory (fusion pop)
4:30 pm — Charles Sanders Quintet (jazz)
6:00 pm — Chris Champion Group (jazz)
7:30 pm — We all Have Hooks for Hands (folk/pop)
9:00 pm — Soulcrate Music (hip hop/rap)

Children’s Area
1:30 pm — Washington Pavilion’s Science of Sound
2:00 pm — Phil Baker
3:00 pm — Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco with Terrance Simien
4:30 pm — Phil Baker
5:30 pm — The Coopers/Instrument Petting Zoo
6:30 pm — Washington Pavilion’s Science of Sound

Visit the JazzFest website for information.

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Gentlemen, Crank Your Engines

Members of the Tri-State Old Iron Association showed their patriotism yesterday at Yankton’s Paddlewheel Park. Photo by Dave Tunge.

Today is the kick-off of the Tri-State Old Iron Association’s annual ride. Yesterday, Yankton aerial photographer Dave Tunge shot this patriotic photo from his Piper Cub.

The annual ride may be the slowest procession on wheels, paling speed-wise to South Dakota’s more famous Harley and Corvette rallies. But antique tractor parades are becoming a summertime tradition in South Dakota, and the granddaddy of them all is the Tri-State Old Iron Associations annual ride on the second weekend of July.

The tractor-lovers gather in Paddlewheel Park near the Missouri River shores in east Yankton. Over the weekend, they embark on two long rides — on in Nebraska and the other in South Dakota. Tractors must be able to cruise at 12 miles per hour to qualify. “Remember, it’s a ride, not a race,” reminds the leader in striped overalls and a seed corn cap.

Many of the tractor owners are current or retired farmers who, as kids, probably grumbled about having to steer the tractor once around the North Forty. Now they ride all day just for fun. Some tractors are equipped with an extra seat for the wife or girlfriend. One enterprising fellow rigged a cushy sofa to his three-point hitch so “the missus” could ride along in style.

A few tractors appear as if they just came from the cornfield, but most look better than the day they left the factory, ablaze with the bright colors used years ago by manufacturers to differentiate their brands. In the evenings everyone is welcome to browse the tractors at Paddlewheel Point, where more than 200 will be parked in neat rows. The public can also see and hear the tractors at 6 o’clock Friday night when they parade through historic downtown Yankton.

To stay abreast of the Tri-State Old Iron Association’s activities, follow the website of WNAX Radio, a pioneering farm radio station that went on the air in Yankton in 1922 after getting a license from President Herbert Hoover. WNAX is a major sponsor of the tractor ride.

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Mt. Moriah is a Must See

By Rebecca Johnson

I was appalled when we worked on last year’s”25 Very Unusual Man Made Places” article. There was an attraction in Deadwood I’d never visited! Practically every one of my childhood vacations were to the Black Hills. I’ve been to all the major stuff. Heck, I’ve seen poet laureate Badger Clark’s cabin at least three times. But Mt. Moriah, Deadwood’s famous cemetery that opened in 1878? Never heard of it. How embarrassing.

A quick weekend vacation to Deadwood rectified the faux pas. My husband wanted to go hiking, so I convinced him that walking around a graveyard on a mountain was pretty similar. Admission is only $1 for adults and $.50 for kids. You get a handy map with descriptions of the most popular stops. Our first visit was the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and”Calamity Jane.” Rumor has it that Jane’s dying wish was to be buried next to Hickok, though he supposedly didn’t care for her that much.”Have you ever seen a picture of her!?” Jeremy said. I guess she wasn’t much of a looker. Men!

The grandest plot belongs to Seth Bullock. The first sheriff of this old mining town asked to be buried above Mt. Moriah. His grave faces Mt. Roosevelt, named for his friend and our 26th President, Theodore. Bullock is buried 750 feet above the main portion of the cemetery and the guide warns that the walk is quite steep. A little strenuous but I handled it OK in flip-flops. It’s an impressive resting place even if the view is now obscured by Ponderosa pines.

Once down the hill we visited Blanche Colman’s grave. She’s slightly lesser known but no less impressive. The German Jewish immigrant graduated from Deadwood High School in 1902 then worked in Washington, D.C. for a South Dakota congressman. Colman was homesick for the Hills so she returned to take a job in the law office of Chambers Kellar, Seth Bullock’s son-in-law. She never attended college but studied law independently and became the first female lawyer in South Dakota. She was admitted to the South Dakota Bar at age 27. Colman is buried on Hebrew Hill, a special Jewish section, along with about 60 others.

Many more notable characters rest in this unique Black Hills cemetery, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. You should visit for yourself. Oh, and I asked my mom why we’d never visited. It turns out we had and I just forgot … still a bit embarrassing!

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Could You Refuse The Burros?

Thousands of vacationing families have encountered the friendly pack of burros that lives along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park. It’s become tradition to stop and feed them a treat, but while preparing our May/June 2011 issue’s “Oughta Do” list for kids, we discovered the burros were never meant to be there and visitors really shouldn’t feed them.

Of course we should have known not to give them food. There are signs posted throughout the park discouraging feeding any wildlife. Like most motorists, we assumed that meant the buffalo, bighorn sheep, and the other more dangerous creatures. But certainly not the affable burros.

However, when we called the park seeking more information, a ranger told us the burros are just as wild as any other animal that roams the Black Hills National Forest. She further reported that burros are not native to the Hills. Workers brought them to help haul materials while building roads and bridges, and to carry visitors up Harney Peak. When construction work was finished, the men turned the burros loose.

Nowadays, when you drive the Wildlife Loop, the fearless burros walk right up to your car. They’ll even stick their heads in the window if they smell something good. And that could be anything. A burro once snatched a cough drop from a driver’s hand.

Park rangers don’t recommend visitors feed them, but they know it happens. And it probably always will. Very few people can say no to the world’s cutest beggars.

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Spink: Open For Business

By Bernie Hunhoff

To insiders in southeast South Dakota, the tiny “map spot” called Spink is a diamond in the rough. Here at South Dakota Magazine, we became fans of the town in the summer of 1992 when we spent a day there with Myrtle Twedt, then the town matriarch.

Myrtle had painted more than 100 paintings by then, and most of them were of the town she lived in and loved. The family home (which is still owned by the Twedt family and stands just north of the Spink Store, is still in great condition. It was built by Johannes Larson, her grandfather, more than 135 years ago.

Myrtle and her husband once ran the store. In fact, they struck gold. They were there when the REA strung lines. “We sold Maytag washers by the carload,” she said. They also had a locker plant and a creamery. Where did all the entrepreneurs go?

Well, a few are still in Spink — including John and Diane Otten, who have been running an old-style restaurant in the Spink Store. We stopped by the other night, and there was a good crowd of local folks enjoying a spring evening at the store. The Ottens told me they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have evening specials. Saturday night prime rib is — no surprise here — the biggest “seller,” says John. But spaghetti Wednesdays are also good. They are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and ’till 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. They do quit on Sundays at 2 p.m. — such slackers in Union County.

A classic old Jeep is for sale across the street for $3,000.

After we featured Myrtle’s art in 1992, Ted Hustead of Wall Drug called and ordered one of the paintings we pictured. It still hangs in the main hallway of the world’s funnest pharmacy. Myrtle was thrilled, and so are we every time we see it hanging there.