On my cross country trip several years ago, we decided to stay in Rapid City, South Dakota. This location was in the center of many of the attractions that we had targeted, namely Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. Even though we had an interest in visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial, there wasn't time to fit it in. There are times when fate intervenes. We had left Mount Rushmore and I must have missed my turn when heading for Custer State Park. Lo and behold, we were only 10 miles from the site of the memorial, so we headed there. It turned out to be quite the inspirational visit.
On site is a wonderful museum with great displays and exhibits of the Native American culture. If you visit there, don't miss the movie that tells the story of how the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, came to the project and the work he performed on it from 1947 through his death in 1982. Since that time, his family has continued his work. The family will not accept government funds because Korczak believed in individual initiative and private enterprise. The project is funded by admission fees and donations and it's completion date cannot be determined. The monument, when it is completed, will be about 10 times larger than Mount Rushmore. If you look closely, you can see a couple of workers there that look smaller than ants. It was quite impressive to see in person and will be even more amazing when it is finished. I highly recommend spending time there if you visit the area. I am glad we ended up there.