Nebraska and South Dakota
No estado de Nebraska visitamos "The North Platte River Archway" -na cidade de Kearney. Este Arco e um viaduto coberto que passa sobre a Interstate 80 e que conta a historia do desenvolvimento do oeste dos Estados Unidos,
comecando com os pioneiros que rumaram oeste a procura de oportunidades,seguindo a Oregon, California, Mormon e Pony Express Trails. Continuando pelo surgimento das ferrovias, comunicacoes e finalmente a rede de rodovias desenvolvidas por Eisenhower. Este
Arco aparece nos filmes "About Schmidt" e "Nebraska" - muito educativo e interessante.
Depois rumamos norte para South Dakota e a parte sul deste Estado e terra dos indios Oglala-Lakota e visitamos o local do massacre de Wounded Knee - ultima batalha
entre os indios e os militares Americanos, bem retratado no livro - Enterrem meu coracao na curva do rio. Passamos pelo Badlands National Park rumando para as Black Hills e passando pelo Wind Cave National Park - com paisagens indescritiveis todos estes
lugares...
No caminho para Mt.Rushmore passamos pela cidade de Hot Springs - antiga e pitoresca e, como diz o nome, e um balneario com aguas termais. Pernoitamos na cidade de Custer, na entrada do Custer State Park e ao pe das Black Hills.
Visitamos
o Crazy Horse Monument - uma escultura gigantesca que esta sendo esculpida da figura do chefe indigena Crazy Horse apontando para as Black Hills - terra sagrada para os indios. Depois visitamos novamente o Mount Rushmore National Memorial - escultura da face
dos 4 Presidentes Americanos - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt e Abraham Lincoln - uma obra prima de Borglum!
Depois fomos a cidade historica de Deadwood - onde foi assassinado "Wild Bill Hickok" quando jogava uma partida de
poker no No.10 Saloon, com dois Ases e dois Oito pretos e mais uma carta(?) na mao; e esta combinacao passou a ser conhecida como "Dead Man's Hand"!!! Aqui no cemiterio local de Mt.Moriah estao enterrados "Wild Bill Hickok" e"Calamity Jane" - pretensa namorada
de Wild Bill...
From Iowa we entered Nebraska where we visited the North Platte Archway in Kearney. This Arch crosses I-80 and while going through it one learns about the History of the Pioneers who travelled west searching for better opportunities
and riches, following the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express Trails. This site has appeared in movies as "About Schmidt" and Nebraska.
After that we headed north into South Dakota and the southern part of this State is land of the Oglala-Lakota
tribe and we visited the Wounded Knee Massacre site - which was the last battle between the indians and the American Army. We went by the Badlands National Park going to the Black Hills and going by the Wind Cave National Park - all these places have gorgeous
natural scenery! On our way to Mt. Rushmore we went by the town of Hot Springs which is quite old and picturesque and, as the name states - a hot springs resort. We spent the night in the town of Custer at the entrance of the Custer State Park at the
foot of the Black Hills - beautiful place...
We visited the Crazy Horse Monument - a monument which is being carved in a granite mountain of the figure of Chief Crazy Horse pointing to the Black Hills - sacred land for the indian people. After this
we visited once more the Mount Rushmore National Monument - bearing the faces of the four Presidents of the US - Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln - one of Borglum's masterpieces...
From there we went to the historic town of Deadwood - where
"Wild Bill Hickok" was murdered while playing poker at the No.10 Saloon, having in his hand 2 Aces and 2 eights and a fifth card (??) and this combination is known as the "dead man's hand"! Here at the local cemetery - Mt. Moriah - are buried "Wild Bill Hickok"
and "Calamity Jane" - who called herself Wild Bill's "sweetheart"...