August 2014

Hello again,Gentle Readers. We (Stacy Lyn’s Traveling Socks) are here again to tell you about Stacy Lyn’s favorite spot in South Dakota – the Black Hills.

Yes, we know that they are famous for Rocky Raccoon, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse. But they are so much more.

Let us explain.

Norm and Stacy Lyn rested and played in Sturgis at night, but during the day, they poked around the Black Hills to indulge in the splendor that the hills offered.

They drove south from Sturgis to the Crazy Horse Monument, which is yet unfinished and (we believe) likely will not be completed in Stacy Lyn’s lifetime. (Though Stacy Lyn has opined that she is not going to die, therefore she will return one day to see the finished statue.)

The white figure depicts how the memorial will look like once complete. Stacy really appreciates American Indian culture and heritage and thinks that turning this dream child into reality was a worthy way for sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to spend his life. (A Navajo once told Stacy Lyn that she prefers the term “American Indian” rather than “Native American,” so we Socks decided to oblige.)

What is a trip to South Dakota without taking a look-see of Mount Rushmore? Yes, we realize that it was built just to attract tourists to the area, but guess what? It worked. (See us on Stacy Lyn’s hands? Just like at the Eiffel Tower, only a world and a lifetime away!)

The hills themselves were the most inspiring attraction in the area. Even if the monuments, the glitz of gold, the screaming pipes of Sturgis disappeared, the glory of the hills will remain.

Stacy Lyn stopped on the side of the road and picked up some gold for fools. It’s just as pretty, she thought. We wondered why somethings are considered valuable and others trash.

And of all the towns she and Norm visited, she loved Hill City the most. It comes quickly around a curve, and disappears even more rapidly than it appeared, so don’t blink!

So what do you think, Gentle Readers? Stacy Lyn won’t be traveling very much for the next few months. Winter is coming, and she prefers home when it’s cold outside and cozy in the house. We’ll see you next time she takes a trip!