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What's New • May 2007

• Paha Sapa: The Historic Black Hills, July 22-29
• Jack's Back!
• News Bits From HistoryAmerica

Paha Sapa: The Historic Black Hills, July 22-29

Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, George Armstrong Custer, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickock. You've heard their names, now come see great faces and great places with Paha Sapa: the Historic Black Hills. Several recent HistoryAmerica tours have come through this area, but this will be the most complete and in-depth version. Days are themed, beginning with early origin stories of Sweet Medicine at Bear Butte, Indian culture on the Great Plains, the first explorations, gold discovery and its aftermath, and finally the tragic events at Wounded Knee.

More than just lectures and discourse, this tour offers novel and unprecedented activities. Walk in Custer's footsteps when you spend a day with Paul Horsted, whose book compares modern photos with those of William Illingworth, photographer on the 1874 Custer Expedition. Take a ride to the top of the colossal Crazy Horse Memorial and view the sculpture in progress, which when completed will be the largest sculpture in the world. The breathtaking vistas and views from here are incomparable.

Need one more reason to join this tour? Think about this! All but one night will be spent in Rapid City. No constant packing and unpacking. There is almost no time left to sign up for this great trip, so call Georgia or Sharon at 800-628-8542 right away.

Jack's Back!

You won't want to miss this chance to go on a learning vacation with John D. McDermott, whom most of you know as Jack. He is the Historian Guide who will take you on the Historic Black Hills tour in July. Jack has been living in the Black Hills for the last eight years. A retired historian with the National Park Service and the author of more than 10 books on the history of the American West, Jack has been a guide for many HistoryAmerica tours, has appeared on the History Channel, and is respected by his fellow scholars and those who travel with him.

HistoryAmerica News Bits

• There are still a few openings on The Legend of the Little Bighorn and very few days left to sign up. Everyone who has ever been on a tour with Neil Mangum is awed by his knowledge and extensive preparation and also by his warmth and charm. There is not a historian more qualified to teach us about Crazy Horse and Custer. Take 10 minutes to read this fascinating web artcle: www.friendslittlebighorn.com/neilmangum.htm.

• Georgia attended the Civil War Preservation Trust Conference in Portsmouth, VA, in April. She was very impressed with her first associations with this dynamic organization. There was a great deal of excitment about Virginia Senator Webb's speech to the Senate earlier that week. He spoke of the CWPT by name and eloquenly urged his fellow senators to join in the important business of battlefield preservation by passing a measure that would help finance further protection of hallowed ground.

• HistoryAmerica travelers who were on the Delta Queen Civil War on the Red River cruise report that the remodeled Delta Queen is elegant and classic. Surely you will be as grateful as we were to learn that rumors that she was being fitted with TVs and telephones are not true.