Dignity of Earth and Sky

We enjoyed a breakfast with Bill and Bob before completely breaking off from all trail people. The Spillway Cafe got a nice amount of business this week from trail folks. We understand they support the trail, so that's great.

Morning light on the bluffs along the west side of the Missouri River was beautiful. The river divides two geologic regions. On the east side is rolling prairie, and on the west are the eroded plateaus of the badlands. They are higher farther west, but you can clearly see the change in geology.

The boys headed east, and we dropped south into South Dakota. Similar landscape, and yet different.

For sure I learned one thing. I had no idea the Missouri River got this wide so soon. I knew it is huge nearer to where it joins the Mississippi, but this is still far north from there.

Our big goal for the day was to see the "Dignity of Earth and Sky" statue at Chamberlain, SD. Apparently, this is not actually a statue of Sacajawea, although it gets called that a lot. It is to symbolize the interaction of earth and sky and people. She represents the dignity of the native people, the Dakota, Lakota, Nakota. (Nakota was new to me)

It's 50 feet tall, made of stainless steel and weighs 12.5 tons.

I thought the back nearly as interesting as the front. The star quilt is a common design used by the plains tribes. Each diamond is 4 feet from tip to tip. The diamonds have air space between them. This is to allow wind to pass through. It also sort of makes the quilt shimmer.

Here's a closer look at her face.

There was also a Lewis and Clark interpretive center there with some really good displays. Maybe you'll get to see some of that another day.

We are striving to get serious miles in each day on the way home. We continued to a campground and tented yet again, getting in just before dark.

See Western Terminus