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Day 37: The transition into the West: A Long Drive through South Dakota

My drive across South Dakota was going to be a long one. I had not particular plans for today other than find a campsite that was within cell range so that my two friends that were to meet me there early tomorrow would be able to reach me. (I ended up staying in a hotel because my lovely cell phone company didn’t have service at any of the camps) I was heading west on I-90 and before I even hit the South Dakota state line I saw them: The Wall Drug bill boards.
Anyone who has driven through South Dakota is familiar with the barrage of billboards listing what Wall Drug has to offer. If you have driven through South Dakota and haven’t seen them, I strongly advise you to contact both your eyecare professional and your psychiatrist about some sort of disorder. They are literally everywhere, probably at least one every half mile. There is even one billboard that tells you about a Wall Drug billboard located in Africa….Really?
It’s actually quite a good advertising scheme. They adverstise so many different items that you start thinking it might be a good place to get your supplies. I mean, they have almost everything according to the bill boards that one by one list off the products Wall Drug has in store. It worked for me…I stopped by to get some dinner supplies only to find they didn’t really have groceries. I actually managed to find my way out of the labyrinth that is Wall Drug without spending a penny.

The prarie of South Dakota along I-90. June 14, 2011

Between bill boards you have a beautiful inspiring landscape. As far as the eye can see is nothing but big, open prarie with rolling hills that slowly transition into the bad lands, the black hills and the mountains. It is a gorgeous view and one of those constant reminders how much I love being in the West. The East is great to visit, and they have a lot to offer both culturally and naturally, but the only place you can find this much land untouched is in the West.

South Dakota along I-90.

The West was the last frontier of the United States, and because of this large portions of land were able to be stowed away without settlement. The first National Park and the first National Monument (both I will visit in the next few days) were both in the west. The National and State parks of this area are world-renowned for unique beauty and inspirational vistas that can be seen nowhere else. The landscapes are as gorgeous as they are varied, the west claiming tall, young mountains that are still growing, and older ranges that have begun to erode. A beautiful coastline that ranges from rocky points to sandy sun-bathed beaches lines the Pacific coast. The praries can be vast and flat as can be, and turn into rolling hills and rising plateaus. There are the lush rainforests in the West so filled to the brim with plants and animals it appears as an alien planet, as well as dry deserts home to very few animals or plants.

The mountains here are tall enough in places to have snow and ice year round, and even hosts some of the remaining glaciers of the continental U.S.
The West has always been more of who I am. It is the place where I can take a deep breath and feel….free. For the next month and a half…I was home.
-Nicole

A dragonfly on the prarie in South Dakota. June 14, 2011
A storm rolling in at my hotel in Custer, SD. June 14, 2011
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Day 19: The Remington Museum in Ogdensburg, NY

The old American West was a time, and a culture, in itself. A tumultuos time where your next dinner depended on your hunting abilities, and natives were in tense relationship with the cowboys and pioneers invading their lands. Today the world is small. We are interconnected with technology and an unknown land is no where to be found. There is no new frontier to conquer, as far as morals and top-side land is concerned, so it can be difficult for us to understand what this time was like. Luckily that time was documented well by the artwork of Frederic Remington, famous sculptor, painter and writer who was passionate about capturing the life of this time.

Remington's "Coming through the Rye" bronze, no. 15. 1902. Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

The Remington Museum sits in Ogdensburg, NY. A small city, port to Ontario, it happily claims itself to be the home of Frederic Remington. His career began as an illustrator for Harpers, and as he became notorious for his work many sought him out to freeze these moments in time forever. As time went by he desired a more artistic venue, and he began painting and sculpting some of the most famous works portraying the American West.

The detail of one of Remington's bronze scupltures. May 27, 2011

His attention to detail is exquisite, especially notable in his bronze sculptures that would have delicate bridles and ropes adorning the sculpture. Every sculpture of Remington is dynamic, capturing a moment in time that was in action or full of emotion. My favorite painting (top) has to be “The End of the Day”. The blue color used for the snow really does capture how cold it was outside as the logger returned home for the evening. My favorite sculpture of his would be “Mountain Man”, an image of a man riding his horse down a steep grade.

Remington's "The Mountain Man" Cast No. 54 July 1903. Remington Art Museum Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

Along with displays of originals of his work, and some artwork by other artists that Remington had collected, the house itself is remarkable. The Parish Mansion, home of the Remington museum, was built in 1809. Recently renovated, Remington’s wife, Eva, moved into the home in 1915. When she passed away she left her late husband’s art and collections in a will to form the museum.

Frederic Remington's "The Last March" 1906 oil on canvas. The Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

While Remington’s finished works are the main attraction of the museum, I have always found the sketches and unfinished works to be more interesting. It shows the raw image that the artist had in his mind and often conveys a more dramatic idea of what he wanted to attain in the finished work.

Remington's unfinished painting, "Ghost Stories".

While the museum was beautiful, it was time for me to make like the Wild West and countinue my wagon trail northward. Tonight I headed into Ontario, Canada to visit some friends and, of course, a cave. In a way a Jeep is the modern covered wagon, the adventurous way to go anywhere and pioneer forwards.
I’ll see you at the end of my next trail.
-Nicole

Stairs in the Parish Mansion, home of the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, NY. May 27, 2011