"Travelogue: Wildflowers of the Black Hills"

Dateline: July 3rd, 2005...Black Hills, South Dakota.

...a time of Pre-Sturgis Rally-goers, a National Holiday, and a mass of humanity...

Where to go to escape the crowds?.......

graveled back roads!!!!!........

I got SO spoiled adventuring on the weekends that I found myself floundering over what to do at the big July 4th holiday when everyone wanted to hit the "Hills" and watch the 4th of July fireworks at Mt. Rushmore (just not me!)...

...so I hit the 'go forever' gravel back roads and found my own beauty that everyone else rushed past....the glow of naturally flowering beauty all around. This was my tribute to the Black Hills wildflowers that I now share with you in today's Travelogue blog...especially after the killing freeze in the South recently...

The "Common Sunflower" above served as the album cover of my first CD release "Kiwani - The Awakening"...it is a spectacular flower in every respect, although 'common' in nature there...

I'm a sucker for dwarf irises, like this little bugger...tall and proud, even given it's short stature...

...and looking at the fields of flowers, you could look more closely and find a whole 'nuther world of intimate beauty to watch and admire...

This yellow flower below could not have been taller than 2-3 inches at most...and yet it looks as if it's a giant among its surroundings...

And so I found my solace afterall...just by getting off the beaten path. I highly recommend that route, if you ever run up against it! As I always say....


Walk in Beauty...