Crazy horses in South Dakota

It has been announced this week that the face of the Crazy Horse memorial in South Dakota is complete, exactly 60 years since work began on the sculpture on 3rd June 1948. The giant mountain monument depicts Crazy Horse, a respected Lakota warrior who fought against the US government to preserve his tribe’s culture in the nineteenth century. It was begun by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who also worked on the Mount Rushmore sculpture, eight miles away.

Work has continued on the Crazy Horse sculpture since Ziolkowski’s death in 1982 and once it is completed, the carving of Crazy Horse, sitting on horseback, is expected to be the largest sculpture in the world. If rotated ninety degrees, the four faces of Mount Rushmore would span the same length as the horse’s head.

The mission of the Crazy Horse Memorial is to honour the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians and the monument is also home to an education and cultural centre.

See the completed face of Crazy Horse this year with TrekAmerica. The North American adventure travel specialist offers several trips that stop at the massive mountain monument, along with nearby Mount Rushmore. Two of the best options with availability this summer are:

• The 21-day Northern Trail, which travels cross-country from New York to Los Angeles. Stops along the way include the Sioux Indian Lands, Badlands National Park and Jackson Hole for some true ‘Cowboys and Indians’ sights. Prices start from £998 per person, including camping fees and equipment, transport, entrance to five national parks, some activities and the service of a TrekAmerica tour leader.

For further details on the Northern Trail, see trekamerica.co.uk.

• The 28-day Transcontinental North covers mountains, lakes, plains and coasts in America and western Canada. As well visiting Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore, highlights include Yellowstone, Yosemite, Banff and Glacier National Parks, plus city stops in Chicago, Vancouver and San Francisco. TrekAmerica is currently offering a special price of £1,312 per person for customers booking online with a departure date of 10th August 2008.

For further details on the Transcontinental North, see trekamerica.co.uk.

To find out more about these and other small group adventure trips to North America, visit Trekamerica.co.uk.