Reminiscing: Dignity of Earth and Sky

Prior to our 2019 road trip, I had never been to South Dakota and had zero expectations. I fell in love with the whole state. The crush began when we crossed from Sioux City, Iowa into Sioux Falls, South Dakota and grew with each passing mile. The only planned stops we had for the South Dakota portion of the trip were Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. We also spent time exploring the famous Wall Drug.

One of the first things that appealed to me were the gigantic teepees present at every SD rest area. They make my heart happy.

I had seen photos of the sculpture named Dignity of Earth and Sky. However, I had no idea that it is located in South Dakota until we pulled off at a rest area near Chamberlain and… there it was. Squealing may have been involved. My pictures absolutely do not do it justice, but I’m glad I got to see it in person.

Dignity

Until next time, happy trails! And remember, life isn’t just about the destination, it’s also about the journey and the unexpected finds along the way.

Friday Funnies

That’s a big pile of poop

So, there’s a story behind this picture. I’m sure you’re waiting with bated breath to learn the details.😂 The little wooden deer in the picture is named Dixie. Dixie Deering to be exact. I’ve always loved the wooden deer that make appearances at Christmas so, several years pre-retirement I bought Dixie at our local Home Depot and took her to work. However, she was too cute to put up after the holidays so I kept her in my office year-round and decorated her for various holidays. After retirement I decided that she would become our version of the Roaming Gnome; we’d take her with us on our travels and take pictures of her in various locations. That was a short-lived plan. We did take her on our 2019 road trip but by the time we were able to take another trip in 2021, the thrill was gone and I have now let Dixie go. However, this photo of Dixie with a pile of buffalo poop at Yellowstone is one of my favorites.

Road Trip 2021: Pennsylvania and the Flight 93 Memorial

Even though we had begun the journey home, we still had one planned stop to make – the Flight 93 Memorial. We arrived in Lubek, Maine on 9/11/2021; watching some of the annual documentaries reminded me that the Flight 93 Memorial was in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There was no way we could be so close and not add it to our itinerary.

On our way north, we traveled through eastern Pennsylvania; I wasn’t a fan.🤷‍♀️ Our journey to the Flight 93 Memorial took us through middle and western Pennsylvania, which I loved. We stayed overnight at Black Moshannon State Park, located in the middle of nowhere. It was absolutely beautiful.

On the way to our campsite

We arrived at the Flight 93 Memorial with our travel trailer in tow. The parking area was smaller than what you might find at other memorials but there was parking for at least 10 RVs/buses. At the time of our visit, masks were still required inside all federal buildings, which included the visitor’s center.

The visitor’s center features a small gift shop (of course) and a walk-through display. The display features a timeline of the attacks on 9/11/2001 along with items found at various locations. One section also features audio clips from various cockpit recordings and voicemail messages, etc. I skipped this section; I’ve heard enough of those heart-breaking clips in the documentaries I watch every year. I moved on to the section that displays some of the items that have been left at the memorial through the years. The one that ripped my heart out was a printed on a standard sheet of printer paper; the text is on the image below.

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This is where I discovered that ugly-crying while wearing a mask is less than ideal. At this point, I got out of line and went in search of Kenn. Once we finished in the visitor’s center, we moved outside. (Note: if you are looking to stamp your national park passport, the stamp is not located in the visitor’s center. There are a variety of stamps located in the visitor’s shelter at the Memorial Plaza.)

Unlike other National Memorials (I’m looking at you, Mount Rushmore) the Flight 93 National Memorial is quiet, peaceful. We chose to walk from the visitor’s center to the memorial plaza; the walking paths were level and the walk was easy, even for Kenn’s bad knees.

On the trail from the visitor’s center
The stone in the center marks the point of impact of the crash

There are marble memorials for each of the 40 passengers and crew aboard Flight 93. This one tugged at my heartstrings the most because it also commemorates Lauren’s unborn child.

The Tower of Voices is located near the entrance to the park and has its own parking area which includes spaces for RVs and buses. The Tower of Voices was dedicated in September 2020 and serves as “a visual and audible reminder of the heroism of the forty passengers and crew of United Flight 93.” The tower stands 93 feet tall and holds 40 wind chimes, one for each of the passengers and crew. The wind wasn’t blowing hard enough to activate the chimes the day of our visit but there are audio clips available online.

There you have it, dear readers. We have now reached the end of our 2021 road trip – with the exception of a few miscellaneous things I may post about later. So, what does 2022 hold for us? We were planning a trip to Utah this autumn but have put it on hold until next year, primarily due to the increased cost of gas. (Filling up Ruby’s 38-gallon gas tank is no joke, even at the best of times.) However, that doesn’t mean that we are just going to sit around the house and do nothing. We will still be traveling, just differently. We will still be going to South Carolina to help out with the twins and taking day trips and visiting attractions/locations in the South. We’re also planning to visit friends and family that we haven’t seen in ages. And you know what? I’m not even mad about the change. I’m actually looking forward to doing something a little more low key.

Until next time, happy trails!