Spotlight on South Dakota

My husband and I live in Valencia Lakes - a 55+ Active Adults Community in Southwest Florida. After a long break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we went on a trip organized through our Valencia Lake Travel Club. 30 people from Valencia Lakes went on this trip. The "Spotlight on South Dakota" tour was handled by Collette Travel & Tours company. We visited Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Deadwood, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Devils Tower in Wyoming. Beautiful images accompany the text of this diary.

Born in Ukraine and going to school there, Lara Gelya went on for the next 20 years to the Kyzylkum Desert of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working at geological sites and expeditions of the Mining Industry. At that time Ukraine and Uzbekistan were parts of one country—the Soviet Union. In 1989 Lara left the Soviet Union, lived in Austria and Italy before she, at last, found her way to the United States in 1990. Starting her life from ground zero again, and trying on so many hats, she was able to make a lengthy professional career that led to her eventual retirement on the shores of sunny Florida. Lara's debut book "Camel from Kyzylkum" is a poignant memoir about hope, struggles, loss, and finding the strength and inspiration to reach again and again for a better life. When she isn't writing or making her videos and pictures, Lara spends most of her time reading, gardening, cooking, traveling the world, wandering through nature, or catching her favorite shows.