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Here are a few things I learned during an airport power outage:
Through sheer determination, I decided to take the free courtesy bus to the LaGuardia airport in New York city to try my luck. The transformer sub-station fire (see picture), which left 32,000 customer without power, happened in Elizabeth. Because of the state of emergency, some of the highways had to be shut down in the area. Instead of taking the normal route through the Goethals Bridge, we had to take the Outerbridge Crossing. And to make matters worse, the bus driver was lost on the way. If it wasn’t for an alert passenger, we would have probably ended up in south Jersey somewhere. The bus driver had to stop at a rest stop to ask for direction. Once he realized his mistake and with people urging him on, he was going like a bat out of hell which put Sandra Bullock’s driving to shame. He was passing on the shoulder, weaving in and out of the lane and cutting off other cars. After a grueling 2 hour ride in the unforgiving New York city traffic, we finally arrived at the LaGuadia airport. The bright side was that I had a pleasant conversation with the person next to me. We were trying to make the best out of the situation. He was going to a wedding in Milwaukee and, like me, had to rearrange everything because of the power outage.
When we got to the United terminal, I was the 3rd person in the Premier line. The regular line was a mile long. By the time I was done, there was a huge line behind me because of the subsequent buses from Newark. When they announced that Newark was back in operation and jokingly said they were going to send us back, I swear most of the passengers were ready to kill the announcer. Northwest terminal was a few terminals away from the United. By the time I got there on the airport courtesy bus, there was a even longer line at the Northwest terminal. But at least I was going to get somewhere today. Instead of taking United through Denver to Rapid City, I ended up taking Northwest through Minneapolis to Rapid City.
Throughout this excitement, the last thing on my mind was my traveling companion, Carol. When I was all settled down at the Northwest terminal, I decided to check my voice mail. To my surprised, I got a message from her saying that United wouldn’t let her on the flight. So she missed the flight and was at home. Alamak! I found out from the United operator that in order for someone else to redeem the free ticket, I have to sign a ticket receipt in person. I just spent the last hour going between the terminals and I wasn’t going back to the United terminal and miss my Northwest flight. And since there is no more room in any of the flight to Rapid City for the day, I decided to wait until I get to Minneapolis to take care of things for her.
I heard the Twin City, Minneapolis and St. Paul, is very nice area. But all I know is that the airport is pretty clean and has a nice video arcade machine. Spend most of my time there waiting, again, at the United counter to settle thing for Carol. Though the waiting line was long, it wasn’t as bad as things back in New York. United put her on the 6am flight next morning from Phoenix, hoping she can get a standby seat on a earlier flight to Rapid City. I was determined to do this trip even if I have to do it alone. All in all, I arrived at Rapid City around 6:30pm, just 6 hours behind schedule.
A lot of people mistaken Rapid City for Grand Rapids - one is in South Dakota and one is in Michigan. It’s a small city with a very high rental car rate. I was dumbfounded that I have to paid more to rent a smaller car in Rapid City than a bigger car in Los Angeles. Once I got the car, I drove straight toward the cabin we rented for the weekend. Our decision on accommodation was based on the lowest price from the AAA travel guide. I suggested camping in the wild to save the cost, but was rebuffed, as always, by a member of the opposite sex. It seems to be one with nature requires a nice warm bed, clean toilet and hot shower. But the cabin was not as bad as I originally thought. It is situated on a side of a rock face, has two bedrooms and was fairly clean. Since it’s right next to the highway, it was a bit noisy at night, especially with those muffler-less motorcycles and big tractor-trailers. The other disappointment was that it didn’t have a telephone. Since pagers and cellular phones would not work in middle of the Black Hills, I had to constantly go to a pay phone to check for any urgent messages.
Since it was getting late, the only place left to visit was Mount Rushmore. I had a quick bite at the local Dairy Queen at Keystone. After a few winding turns from the town, the four faces majestically appeared at the top of the mountain. The monument included a visitor center, a massive structure which houses a restaurant and a gift shop, a amphitheater, a president trail and a sculptor studio. The amphitheater and the parking facility were under renovation which is scheduled to complete next year. The lighting ceremony started at 9pm at the amphitheater. A huge crowd was at hand for the ceremony. A ranger first gave a little talk about the memorial and a short movie followed. The ceremony ended with the singing of the national anthem and the lighting of the faces.
Just in case you are wondering who were the 4 faces in the mountain, Washington represents the founding of the Union; Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase; Lincoln, the preservation of the Union; and Roosevelt, the expansion of the country and the conservation of its natural resources. One thing that stood out during the speech was that liberty, freedom and pursuit of happiness were the founding principle of this country. Today we have taken these for granted. While most of us seem to be pursuing the religion of money, the government seem to be here to serve the wealthy and the special interest groups. A friend once told me to never look back. But sometimes looking back is the best way of going forward. Sitting through the ceremony brought out the optimist in me, knowing that this country was built by many extraordinary people. But the sad part is that I wonder who is fitting enough in our generation to be up there with the rest of them.
Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor who was selected to carve the sculpture. Each face is approximately 60 feet high. (See picture) It took 14 years and more than 400 men to complete the monument. Jefferson was originally planned to the on the right side of Washington. But because of bad rock formation, the half carved face had to be destroyed and re-carved on the left side of Washington. The memorial was also supposed to be half body sculpture of each president, but it was scaled down to just the face. Because of the temporary walkway, it took a while for the crowd to clear the amphitheater after the ceremony. Once I returned to my cabin, I quickly felt asleep in the midst of the rambling traffic noise.
So I was all by myself, trying to decide what I could do that Carol would not be interested. We had reservation for a 4 hour spelunking tour at the Wind Cave. But I had to cancel that since we had already lost an entire day. Since she didn’t sound too enthusiastic about cave exploration, I decided that I would visit the cave myself. The Black Hill region contains some of the most interesting limestone formation in the world. There are more than a dozen commercialized caves with two caves, the Jewel and Wind caves, run by the National Park Service. I picked the Jewel Cave instead of Wind Cave since it seemed the easiest to get to It is believed to be the fourth longest in the world. Looking at the current mapping of the cave system, it reminded me a picture of the human nervous system. It’s a labyrinth full of chambers and passageways. The longest passageways is 3200 foot and the biggest chamber is 150 by 200 feet. At one point in the cave system, the wind can gust up to 32 miles per hour. The real amazing part is that there are still many unknown passageways waiting to be explored.
There are 3 types of cave tours available - scenic, historic and spelunking. The scenic tour is for the typical tourists. An elevator takes the people to the cave below. The paved path is well lit and stairs have with railing. Though it’s moderately strenuous, involving 700 stairs, no one is turned away. Then there is the historic tour. Children under 6 are not allowed. Bending and stooping are required. And lastly, the spelunking tour where participants are recommended to wear old clothes and gloves. Ankle-high laced boots with lug soles are required. A hard hat with a head lamp is provided. Children 15 years old and younger are not allowed. Knee pads and elbow pads will come in very handy. And most importantly, all participants are required to crawl through a 8-1/2 x 24 inch concrete block tunnel at the visitor center.
There are 3 entrances to the Jewel Cave system. One is artificial, an elevator shaft down from the visitor center. Another one is a small seldom used entrance near the canyons. And the last one is the original entrance by the Hell Canyon. The scenic and spelunking tours start at the visitor center while the historic tour starts at the original cave entrance. I stopped at the visitor center first to find out more about the place. Upon learning the 1 hour historic hour, I rushed toward the historic entrance. The first historic tour of the day starts at 9am. I was the first and only one there. There was a couple who stopped by the historic cabin but was talked into the less strenuous scenic tour by the ranger. I was actually hoping for an one-on-one tour since we could cover more ground and the tour could be more personalized. I consider myself to be very fortunate when I found out that there were about 30 people in the tour following us.
The candle light, or historic, tour enters through the original cave entrance. The ranger, Jack, was dressed in his impeccable ranger uniform. We carried the old fashion tin can lantern with a candle inside. Once we entered the cave, it took a while for our eyes to get adjusted to the darkness. Jack first question was "Are you afraid of bats?" Bats are commonly seen near the entrance. But this is not as scary as the Batu cave in KL where the bats covered the entire ceiling. The Jewel cave was not as damp as most of the caves I have visited. Then again, we were only going to cover an extremely small portion of the cave system. It’s amazing that the current known length of the cave is 102 miles considering only a few years ago it was only about 50 miles. Two spelunkers, Herb and Jan Conn, spent most of their lifetime exploring and mapping this cave system. They started out as rock climbers but were mesmerized by the complexity and the challenge of the cave system. We only covered about 2 miles of the cave system. But there were plenty of tight squeeze, twist and turn and low ceiling. There were steep wooden ladders in places when we need to go between vertical chambers. The path is full of colorful descriptive names such as Fatman’s Misery and Trap Door. It reminded me of naming the rocks at Mars. The only interesting thing I get to name are workstations 8-(
Other than blowing out our candles just to experience the blissful darkness of the cave, the entire experience was very different from a typical cave attraction. I carried a little Mag light to see the rock and crystal formation. At some places I could see little fossils and shells among the formation. Since we didn’t have a hard hat on, it was very easy to bump our heads on the rock ceiling. Jack mentioned that everyone is allowed to bang his or her head 3 times. But after that he would have to book the person for vandalism. I wasn’t sure if he was joking or serious. I asked him about the difference between the spelunking and the historic tour. He said the spelunking tour is longer and the participants get better equipment. The passages are also much more difficult. Just to give me a taste of the spelunking tour, when we were near the entrance, he allowed me to climb two of the side tunnels. The first one I had to exit where I entered because I couldn’t fit through the exit hole. I was tempted to try but he didn’t want me to get stuck. I guess summoning the rescue squad was not on the tour list. Inside the second tunnel, there was a huge chamber. It was very peaceful but eerie in a sense that I am surrounded by layers of rock.
Came out the cave all muddy and actual proud of it. It made me feel like a kid again when we are allowed to get as dirty as we like without a worry in the world. I also thought that it would have been great to playing the game of "hide and seek" in the cave system. The rule might go something like this: Since there is only one entrance, all players would get a 10 minute head start, the seeker would then have to go in after them. But the downside is radio doesn’t work in the caves, so it would be difficult to communicate with the players. With more than 100 miles of dark caves to hide, it might require the most serious players at heart. I went back to the visitor center after the tour to get some more information. When I was chatting with the lady ranger at the book counter, I mentioned how "stiff" ranger Jack was when given the tour, which is a contrast to the people at the visitor center who are so lively. I was surprised when she told me that she was Jack’s daughter. The conversation suddenly abruptly. During the embarrassing exit, I saw the pre-requisite block for the spelunking tour. I sucked in my lung. With one hand forward and the other one hand back, I slid through the concrete block tunnel with great ease. Was pretty proud of that feat.
I picked up Carol at the airport around noon and headed immediately toward Wyoming. For a while I wasn’t sure if she was going to come at all after missing the flight the day before. Devil’s Tower was made famous by Steven Spielberg movie "Close Encounter of the Third Kind." In the film, it was the place where the aliens had arranged to pick up the space bound earthlings. Though it was about 100 miles away from Rapid City, the 75 mph speed limit really made it effortless. I have always wondering about the logic of having 55 mph speed limit on interstate highway along sparsely populated area. I can understand back in the 70’s we were trying to conserve resources. But with the fuel-efficient cars of today, the only reason I can think of is to frustrate the motorists and put money into the coffer with speeding fines. Imagine that this might be the only time I actually obeyed the speed limit on a highway!
The Devils Tower (see picture) was the first national monument. It rose 867 feet from the base just a bit higher than the Washington Monument in DC. From a distance, it looked like a giant tree stump. The surface is covered by symmetrical hexagonal granite columns. According to Indian legend, it was formed by a giant bear trying to claw her way to the top. It is a great place for climbing and hiking. We took the loop trail around the tower. I also had a chance to rock scrambled on the fallen columns. But I was really tempted to climb the tower. We saw people climbing up the tower and I can’t begin to imagine the view from the top. It must be an awesome sight. We past by a prairie dog colony on the way into the park. These little critters were quite annoying. I can imagine this place being the inspiration for the game "whack the weasel." Carol, being an animal lover, spent quite a while videotaping the prairie dogs watching them hopping from hole to hole.
On the way back to South Dakata, Carol wanted to experience the 75 mph legal speed limit. Being the nice guy that I am, I let her have the wheel. But after running a stop sign, I was having second thought about my decision. We made it to Mount Rushmore in time for the lighting ceremony. I have to say Carol is irritating at time, but she does have way of grow on people. We returned to the cabin for some deserving shut eyes after the show.
The cafe at the visitor center opens at 7am. It was a great place to have breakfast while viewing the mountain. We sat down for a cup of coffee after the hike and took our last glimpse of the faces. We then took on the Iron Mountain Road. It was a very scenic road with 3 tunnels which open up to the spectacular view of Mount Rushmore. The intention of the one-way tunnel was to slow down the travelers so they can enjoy the view of the faces. But for us, the road was excruciating slow. The only religion that I subscribe to is time. Most tourists in this region tend to be slow folks who, usually in campers and trailers, were taking their time to enjoy the surrounding scenery. Well, this didn’t sit well for two travelers, One from Phoenix and one from New Jersey, who were used to the fast paced life. From our perspective, these people were traveling in slow motion. It was very stressful and frustrating to be traveling with people who know how to relax and have a good time 8-)
In addition to the nice scenery, the other nice aspect of the road was that it’s full of wildlife. It reminded me of the Great Adventure drive through Safari where you get to sit in the car and observe the wild animals. I remember the monkeys were the most dangerous animal. They have a tendency to bend the antenna, rip open vinyl tops and destroy the windshield wipers. They also like to go on top of the cars. But we have none of the problems here. We saw mountain goat, big horn sheep, deer, and a few domesticate donkeys. The down side was that we saw them as a blur at a high rate of speed 8-) While on the Wildlife Loop, we couldn’t stop on the road because we didn’t pay the fee. But it was good in a sense we made up for some lost time.
After passing a few cars and trailers, we saw a bunch of Buffalo on the side of 87 south in the Wind Cave National Park. They were just peaceful sitting in the sun surrounded by prairie dogs. We stopped for a while for the photo opportunity. Once the trailer caught up to us, Carol wanted to leave immediately to avoid people that we just passed. Heading down 385 was a pleasure - a straight highway for as far as the eyes can see. With the speed limit of 65, we made it to Hot Springs in a jiffy. The town of Hot Springs is famous for its warm mineral springs. But the most interesting site is the Mammoth site. It’s the largest concentrations of Columbia mammoth and woolly mammoth bones in the Western Hemisphere. The site was discovered during excavation for a housing project. A friend of mine gave a Earth Watch T-shirt when I was in S’pore. I have always wondered what type of environmental conservation work they were doing. I was pleased to find out that they are the major contributor to the excavation of the site. One month out of the year, volunteers from Earth Watch would come to the site and excavate. The sinkhole was opened up approximately 26,000 years ago. An interesting fact is that there are only male mammoths in the sinkhole. People speculated it’s because male never ask for direction 8-) I was surprised when I found out that all the women in the Donner party, who were trapped in the one of the worst winter in the Sierra mountain of California, survived. I guess the male species are destined to live a tough and short life. On the way back from Mammoth site, we passed by a herd of buffalo. It was an encouraging sight to see them roaming freely on the prairie considering they have almost gone extinct only a few decades ago.
There is this ancient Chinese fable called "fool that moved the mountain." It was about a stubborn old man who wanted to move a mountain in front of his house. Neighbors were all laughing at him saying that was impossible. But he insisted if he moves a little at a time, eventually the mountain would be moved. Plus if he can’t finish, his descendants would finish what he started. The lesson is that we shouldn’t build a house in front of the mountain. No, seriously, it supposed to teach kids persistence and stubbornness in a good way. Well, history is repeating itself. The sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was invited by the American Indian to honor chief Crazy Horse and all American Indians by building a monument. Dedication and first blast happened on June 3, 1948. His plan was to build a 563 feet high and 641 feet long rock sculpture of Crazy Horse (see picture). Unfortunately, he passed away in 1982 before fulfilling his vision. His family is continuing his dream. Next year, on the 50 year anniversary date, there will be the dedication of the face of Crazy Horse. Korczak worked alone during the early part of the project and twice turn down 10 million dollars in potential federal money. Since the project is nonprofit educational, the funding has always been uncertain. But looking at the crowd during my visit and with helicopter always buzzing overhead, I have no doubt that the project will continue. I am hopeful to see a scaled down version of the Crazy Horse Memorial in my lifetime. But I do wonder if the effort can be used in a more productive way.
We left the Crazy Horse Memorial around 1:30pm. At the souvenir store, we saw bunch of postcards with nice scenery of the Needle parkway. Since we got some time, we decided to take the slow scenic route back to the airport. When we got to the gate, the ranger told us that it was going to be tight for the 4:30 flight, but we decided to push on anyway. The highway, Rt. 87, was under construction at the time. Since the road consisted of mostly gravel, it made driving painfully slow. When we got to the Needle Eye area, it was full of tourists and buses. People were in the middle of the highway taking snap shot of the place. We basically rush through one of the most scenic highway in the states in record time. Once we came out of the needle area, there was really nothing much to see. The only thing that was on our mind was "are we going to make the flight?" What’s more, there is nothing more frustrating than being stuck behind a van or a trailer going at 10 mph. Some were nice enough to let us pass, but some simply took their time leisurely enjoying the scenery, oblivious to the impatient vehicle following behind them.
By the time we got to 16a, the road condition improved. At least now we were going at 35 mph. But all of a sudden, we came to a screeching halt upon a line of car in front of us. The first thought that came across my mind was a traffic accident. But then we saw a buffalo blocking the road. I am sure for most people, this was a very humor and fortunate moment. But with our flight deadline looming, this was the last thing we needed. I was brave enough to exit the car try to distract the buffalo. (FYI, the normal thing to do is to stay in the car since the buffalo can charge toward a person. The stupid thing to do is to exit the car.) Carol followed with her camcorder. By this time, I was excited and frustrated at the same moment. This beast was happily sunbathing in the middle of the road while blocking traffic in both side. I could go up and talk some sense into him, or I could wait in the car until he has satisfied with his tan. While I am in the middle of my indecisiveness, the buffalo suddenly turned and walked toward us. You should have seen the speed that we got back into our car. The buffalo past within a few inches of the driver side window with a very mean look. Carol have the videotape to prove it. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
We talked about the buffalo encounter all the way back to the airport and how dumb we were to get out of the car. We made it back around 3:30pm regretting not stopping by the Needle’s Eye to take a longer look. We even had time for a little snack before the takeoff. We experienced a pretty wild ride from Rapid City to Denver because of thunder storm. When we got to Denver, I dropped her off at the United Red Carpet club and went to catch my flight back to Newark. Didn’t have time to say a proper good-bye.