The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary south of Hot Springs is worth a visit. You can see as many as 600 horses bounding across the prairie that stretches from the Cheyenne River to the limestone cliffs of the Southern Black Hills.

If you’re lucky, you can meet sanctuary founder Dayton O. Hyde. The lanky cowboy turns 85 soon. His gait is slower these days, and his face is weathered by decades of prairie wind and South Dakota sunshine.

But his smile is undimmed. Neither is his love for wild mustangs and the freedom the represent. Since 1988, it’s been his life’s work to keep this 11,000-acre ranch as a safe place for wild horses to roam.

At times, the sanctuary was a financial struggle. During my last visit, Dayton told me he was once so broke that he ate nothing but beans for weeks at a time. A wealthy benefactor – I think he said it was actress Stephanie Powers – sent him a check with a stipulation that the money be used only for Dayton’s groceries.

A new documentary film has been release about Dayton and his horses. “Imagine A Place, the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary Sponsor Mustangs,” was filmed by Christopher Crosby and PK Productions. It follows the daily life of six Sanctuary-sponsored mustangs.

The film’s premier, as well as an 85th birthday tribute for Dayton Hyde, is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, at the Hot Springs Theater. Tickets are $10 for the 2 p.m. showing.

The award-winning drum group, Wind Spirit Drum, will perform. And Native American musician Michael Bucher’s short video, “Don’t Forget About Me,” will be shown. Many of the scenes in the film, directed by Crosby, were shot near the Sanctuary’s petroglyphs.

For more information about the premier, visit www.wildmustangs.com.

The bright neon lights of the Las Vegas strip suddenly go black. The Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Egypt are thrust into darkness. And the giant spotlights that typically illuminate Mount Rushmore National Memorial are switched off.

It sounds like something from an end-of-days science fiction movie, but it really will happen – and for good reason – on March 27th. Mount Rushmore National Memorial will be dimming its lights that night as part of a world-wide event called “Earth Hour.”

Earth Hour was an idea originally conceived by the World Wildlife Fund to symbolically show support for action on climate change. But it has apparently turned into a much larger movement than was first imagined.

As part of Earth Hour 2010, families, business, cities and international attractions and landmarks will all be going dark for one hour on the 27th. From 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m local time, the lights will go out,  in an effort to reduce power usage and lessen their impact on the environment.

In a recent press release from the organizers of Earth Hour 2010, Mount Rushmore Superintendent Gerard Baker said “Earth Hour directly links with Department of Interior and National Park Service priorities. Our stewardship mission is to manage this country’s most treasured landscapes for the enjoyment of future generations.  This mission is being challenged particularly by climate change. ”

Baker went on to say, “As stewards of our national parks, we must be visible leaders to demonstrate commitment to energy and water conservation… and to use our parks to teach the public about climate change and the ways citizens can reduce their carbon footprints.”

With its participation in Earth Hour 2010, Mount Rushmore National Memorial will be in good company – other global landmarks that will be dimming the lights as part of the event include: St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. For a really cool visual of what Earth Hour 2009 looked like, check out this video from last year’s event.

Nestled in an often overlooked section of downtown Rapid City, is an unassuming attraction that is well worth the visit. On the southwest corner of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, in Memorial Park, stand two original sections of Germany’s historic Berlin Wall.

Purchased by an area resident and donated to the city in 1996, the Berlin Wall sections in Rapid City are part of one of the most unique displays of its kind. There are only about 40 locations in the U.S where original sections of the wall are displayed and the one in Rapid City is considered to be among the most comprehensive.

The two wall sections are each 12-feet tall and stand as a sobering reminder of the differences between freedom and control.

In front of the Berlin Wall sections are two iron “tank traps” – wicked looking iron X’s that stand about three-feet tall and used to serve as extra safeguards for the wall on the Communist controlled East Germany side.

This side of the wall is the simple drab gray of concrete, compared to the still visible graffiti paintings on the opposite side that used to face the more politically free West Germany.

The display is an absolute history lesson in itself as there are more than 30 photos, along with interpretive signs, that tell the story of the construction and eventual demolition of the Berlin Wall.

Situated less than 20 miles from Mount Rushmore, America’s Shrine of Democracy, the Berlin Wall exhibit in Rapid City is a very different kind of tribute to freedom. Although not nearly as massive as the famous faces, the Berlin Wall display is often remembered just as vividly by those who visit.

Yesterday, in the Rapid City Journal, there was a really interesting article about the folks down at Reptile Gardens who work with the visitor attraction’s dangerous residents.

The popular tourist stop, near Rapid City, was founded back in 1937 and has long been a favorite among vacationing families in the area. The Journal article highlighted one of the Reptile Curators – Terry Phillip and his work with the venomous snakes and crocodilians on the site.

According to the article, Phillip might have as many as 1,000 encounters with venomous snakes in a single week! But, despite the dangerous nature of many of the animals at Reptile Gardens, he’s only been bitten once in 13 years.

Let me do some math here: 1,000 interactions with dangerous reptiles every week. 52 weeks in a year. 13 years of working with these animals. That’s 676,000 encounters with dangerous reptiles. And only bitten once!

That’s a pretty good safety record, if you ask me.

The story went on to discuss how Reptile Gardens keeps a large variety of anti-venom on hand, just in case the unthinkable would happen. It’s a good thing too, because the Black Hills area hospitals aren’t equipped to deal with non-native cobras and black mambas – such as they have at Reptile Gardens.

That impressive safety record among the employees is evident in all aspects of a visit to Reptile Gardens.

Although the dangerous animals often get the majority of the attention, there is much more to Reptile Gardens than that. It’s a great place for the entire family. From the slow and gentle giant tortoises to the lively animal shows – it’s one of the Black Hills’ family attractions that children and adults alike will long remember.

Dick Kettlewell, in my opinion, is the best wildlife photographer in the Black Hills. And his personal obsession is the North American pronghorn, a.k.a. the antelope.

Dick has been following, studying and photographing antelope for years. He knows their behavior, and they know his. Antelope are naturally skittish, but he’s moved among the herds near his Lame Johnny Creek home so often that they allow him pretty amazing access.

And his 600-mm lens doesn’t hurt, either.

Beginning next Sunday, Feb. 28, Dick’s best antelope photography will be on display at the Journey Museum in Rapid City. He’s calling it “In Praise of the Prince; A Visual Tribute to the North American Pronghorn.”

There’s an opening reception on Feb. 28 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you want to meet Dick and talk to him about his work, this would be a good time to do it. He loves to talk about antelope.

“It’s quite a unique creature,” Dick said. During the last Ice Age, a number of species, including the saber-toothed tiger and the woolly mammoth, died off. But the pronghorn survived. “No creature is more suited to or specifically adapted to this ecosystem than the pronghorn.”

Dick’s show will include 62 photos, including a few very large pieces, arranged in the Stanford Adtelstein Community Gallery. The show runs until May 25.

In addition, there will be a series of “Storytelling Sessions” created around “In Praise of the Prince.”

March 7: Dick and fellow photograph Les Voorhis will talk about “capturing the image” in wildlife photography.

March 14: Photographers Steve Babbitt and Dan Tackett will discuss the American Western Landscape.

March 28: Well-known writers Linda Hasselstrom and Dan O’Brien will discuss their work describing the American high plains.

April 11: Photographer Neal Larson will present his work on the “American Serengeti,” a study of the high plains of the western United States.

The big, green behemoths have been standing guard over the city for almost 75 years and millions of people, young and old,  have had their pictures taken with them, but there’s much more to the residents of Rapid City’s Dinosaur Park than meets the eye.

Mount Rushmore had first been dedicated in 1930 and was beginning to attract thousands of visitors every year, even though not yet complete. Rapid City was beginning to see more and more Mount Rushmore visitors spending time in town and decided it needed a free, family-attraction of its own for the public to enjoy.

The idea of life-sized dinosaur sculptures was originally conceived by Dr. C.C. O’Harra, paleontologist and president of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. O’Harra had always been fascinated by dinosaurs and their relationship to the Black Hills and the western United States.

Others in Rapid City approved of O’Harra’s idea and sculptor Emmit A. Sullivan was hired to design the huge statues. Sullivan had previously worked on the sculpting team at Mount Rushmore so had experience in working on large-scale projects.

Funded by the city and by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), Sullivan, as sculptor, and many local laborers went to work constructing the five original dinosaurs. The sculptures were dedicated in May of 1936 and were originally painted gray in color. Sometime during the 1950’s, they were changed to the famous bright green with white bellies as seen today.

Other interesting facts about the Dinosaur Park statues:

• The sculpture frames are made of two-inch diameter iron pipe, surrounded by steel skeletons wrapped in wire mesh, covered in concrete.
• The Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus) is 80 feet long, 28 feet high and weights almost 93 tons!
• Sculptor, Emmit Sullivan, also created the giant Wall Drug dinosaur and the “Christ of the Ozarks” statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
• Two additional dinosaurs were added a few years after construction of the original five sculptures.
• The Tyrannosaurus Rex statue is 35 feet long, 16 feet tall and has a 4 foot head.
• The dinosaur sculptures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
• The park has always been a free attraction and visitors are actually encouraged to climb on and play around the statues.

In later years, a concession stand and gift shop was built at Dinosaur Park and is still serves visitors and sells some pretty funny souvenirs of the kitschy roadside attraction. A friend actually sent me a picture of some retro, green dino salt & pepper shakers from the gift shop. It’s a funny little shop with a lot of unique things to pick from – it really is worth the stop.

Dinosaur Park is easy to find and is visible from most parts of Rapid City. Located on Skyline Drive, west of the downtown district, it is one of the more unique attractions in the area and makes for some great holiday card photos. Have fun!

One of the region’s largest events has been going on in Rapid City for the past week – the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo. Held at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and the Central States Fairground, the annual event is an absolute western extravaganza. The more than 300,000 people that attend are proof of that.

Understandably, the wild rodeo events like bull riding and saddle bronc riding tend to get the majority of the attention. The Stock Show portion of the week, however, often gets overlooked by much of the media. It’s during that part of the event that livestock is shown, judged and eventually sold to regional and national ranchers.

Last weekend a friend of mine spent the day at the stock show and caught some great photos of one of the horse sales in progress. His “behind the scenes” way of looking at the event is a view that most people never get to see.

Enjoy!

[View with PicLens]

The presidential faces of Mount Rushmore inspire a lot of emotions in those who visit the memorial. For world-renowned composer Michael Daugherty, the national monument stirred up more than just emotion – it served as the inspiration for his latest work – a symphony titled “Mount Rushmore.”

His Mount Rushmore-inspired piece will make its world premier later this week at the Pacific Symphony’s American Composers Festival in Orange County, California.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Daugherty – who grew up in Iowa – based this latest work on his memories of family vacations when he was a young boy. Like many, Daugherty’s family crammed into the car and made the road trip to South Dakota’s Black Hills to see the famous faces.

More recently, as Daugherty worked to compose the symphony, he again visited Mount Rushmore to research and gain more inspiration for his piece. He also traveled to the homes of Washington and Jefferson, visited the Gettysburg battlefield to gain insight on Lincoln and explored North and South Dakota to better understand Teddy Roosevelt and his love of the great outdoors.

In the LA Times article, Daugherty said, “Mount Rushmore is a complex icon of American history. It means a lot of different things to different people.”

“Mount Rushmore” was written to be performed simultaneously by both a large vocal chorus and instrumental orchestra. It is Daugherty’s first work created for both groups. The Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale, both of California, will be the first to perform the new piece.

Since “Mount Rushmore” doesn’t premier until later this week, I haven’t been able to hear the piece yet, but with today’s hi-tech access to so much different music, I’m sure it won’t be long until you’ll be able to hear it right in your own home.

Calamity Jane was no stranger to a good time. She’s fabled to have been many things, but one thing that’s for sure is that she was always the life of the party.

The Adams Museum & House (AM&H) is using her inspiration to host a fundraiser, January 29, at the Charlie Utter Theater in Deadwood. The fundraiser is open to the public and proceeds from the event will benefit the ongoing work of the AM&H.

The January 29 event, called Calamity’s Shindig, will feature a live auction, hors d’oeuvres, drinks and entertainment by Hank Harris, Ricky Jacobsen and Kenny Putnam. Doors open at 7:00 p.m and the festivities will go until 10:00 p.m.

Rose Speirs, Communications Director at the Adams, said that last year’s fundraiser attracted nearly 100 people and she’s hoping that this year’s event will be even larger.

The evening dress code is being classified as “Deadwood formal” attire, so it’s certainly open to interpretation. Tickets to the Calamity Shindig are $35 per person and can be purchased through Black Hills Central Reservations at 1-866-601-5103 or online at Adams Fundraiser.

Over the weekend, a fan over at the Black Hills Facebook page posted a though-provoking question, “Is the Black Hills area considered part of the Midwest?”

Opinions have been pouring in, and the jury is still out. About half of the fans that replied expressed a definite “yes,” the Black Hills are part of the Midwest. Other fans seemed to think that the hills should be classified as part of “The West,” more along the lines of Colorado and Montana.

Some used the Missouri River as a defining boundary, while still others used cultural differences to state their case. Votes rolled in to call the Black Hills part of the Northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, the Mountain West and more.

There were several folks who argued that since the Black Hills region is part of the Mountain Standard Time zone, that it can’t possibly be classified as part of the Midwest.

While hardly a definite answer, the U.S. Census Bureau considers South Dakota as one of the “West North Central states in the North Central Region.” Now, that’s a mouth-full!

My favorite response to the question was, ” Geographically, it’s where the West meets the Midwest. Culturally, it’s a mix of west and midwest. Climatically, it ranges from southwest desert to the frigid North Pole. Politically, it’s a mixed bag, but scenically, it’s heaven.”

Here in the Black Hills, we like to think that the area is a bit undefinable. A beautiful island of mountains rising up from the midst of the expansive prairie. A location like no other. A fantastic place to visit and an even better place to call home.