The Current Music Blog: July 7, 2007 Archive

"Song for Red," July 7, 2007, Our Summer Vacation, Part 1: "One Does Not Sell the Earth That People Walk Along"

Posted at 3:57 PM on July 7, 2007 by Tony Lopez (148 Comments)

There's something about the Wild West that I find absolutely intoxicating. The history, the people, the landscape. We just got back from 12 days on the road. It was Red's first major-league road trip. Our itinerary: The Black Hills, the Colorado Rockies and a quick stop in Omaha on our way back to the TC.

Our first stop: Rapid City, South Dakota, the longest leg of our journey. We made the required stops in Mitchell and Wall and various rest areas along the way where Red could stretch her legs by jumping rope. And we cranked The Boss as we drove through the Badlands!

We saw Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, and tons of wildlife during our three day stay. But the crowning jewel of the visit was the Crazy Horse Memorial. Not only is it a commemoration of the legendary Lakota warrior but also a tribute to Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor who began the memorial in 1948. It remains unfinished. Only Crazy Horse's face has been completed. And it's still absolutely breathtaking!

Today's SFR is the first of four songs about our little family vacation. By the American Indian poet, musician and political activist John Trudell, "Crazy Horse" dovetails quite nicely with the Live Earth concerts going on today around the world.

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