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| Volume XXIII Number 12 | September 5, 2003 |
Seniors Visit South Dakota
By Randi M. Simmons
On August 17, the Recreation and Education Department from the Tampa field office teamed up this year for an
enlightening
trip to South Dakota. This year, students and seniors combined their annual
trips into one memorable journey. Everything went extremely well, even for
first time travelers.Said Jamie Deanne Walkingstick, age 7, "I really liked the airplane, especially when I was looking out of the window. All the houses looked like they were all in rows. The people and the cars looked so small; they looked like little ants down there to me." She added, "I looked out and saw all white clouds. I knew we were way, way, up high!"
They all arrived safely and were ready to begin their week-long travels.
Alana Henry said, "We looked like a big convoy! The whole group followed in a line of 13 rental vehicles of SUV's and vans."
A special trip was made to see Devils Tower in Wyoming. Photographer Colleen Henry said, "It is a sacred Native American mountain. When you walk the trails that surround it, there are cloths of different colors hanging from all the trees. The cloths are put there and prayers are said; that one may receive blessings."
She added, "There are signs hanging to protect the cloths. There was one that read "Please have respect, Do Not Touch!"
The devils tower is just one of the many national monuments that were visited. There is a great Indian legend of a giant bear that had chased maidens up to the top of Devil' Tower. The markings on the stone were said to be from his claws.
This was just the beginning of bear facts. The group got up close to bears as they went through the drive-thru wildlife park of the Black Hills, appropriately called Bear Country U.S.A. Phillip Smith (parent chaperone) enjoyed this the most.
"We saw all kinds of animals running around freely. There were elk, deer, wolves, bear, and buffalo. They came right up to your windows," said Smith
"My favorite place was Bear Butte Mountain. It's a mountain that looks like a bear taking a nap on his belly. But actually, I liked everything we saw and did. Everything had its own
special moment about it," said Debbie Henry, Recreation Coordinator.
Colleen Henry's favorite spot was traveling through the Badlands. She stated "I just really enjoyed all the rocky mountain scenery. It was beautiful to look at.
Some of the travelers split into smaller groups to accommodate individual interests. The seniors made a visit to the granite stone bust that sits above the burial site of Tatanka Iyotake, Sitting Bull.
Another group decided to check out an unusual attraction called "the cosmos." The story goes that some boys that found a place where everything was off kilter. The dimensions are all bizarre; it appears as if no one is standing straight.
Also on the agenda was an actual wooly mammoth working dig site. Even the big kids enjoyed looking at the big bones and fossil exhibits! Of course they will never forget the Mount Rushmore National Monument or the Atka Lakota museum and Cultural Center where they toured through the arts and history of the Sioux.
Alana Henry said, "We saw the crafts of the people and liked their really nice hand sewn star quilts. There were lots of paintings and pictures about their history. They also had a nice gift shop."
A sincere thank you goes to Chairman Mitchell Cypress, Brighton/Tampa Council Representative Roger Smith, and Tampa Liaison Richard Henry.
Special recognition goes to the department heads Carol Foret (Education Advisor)
and Debbie Henry (Recreation Coordinator) for all their great efforts in planning such a memorable trip. They spent many miles behind the wheel driving, figuring out roadmaps, and chaperoning.
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