Crazy Woman Canyon Drive

Monday the 29th

I have to admit, we've certainly had some nice weather the past two weeks. We slept in this morning, not getting up until almost 7:30 AM. It is simply gorgeous outside, a cloudless blue sky and headed for about 80 degrees this afternoon.

After an easy morning we decided to take a drive up into the mountains and back through Crazy Woman Canyon. This is about a forty mile round trip that should take about three hours to complete. Once the dogs had their breakfast and walk we grabbed some water and headed out Wy-16 towards the Big Horn Mountains. Getting into town we stopped at Subway and got a giant sub "for two" and a couple of chocolate chip cookies for our lunch.

About 4 miles outside town we stopped to help a stranded motorist. We had seen his radiator blow clouds of steam as we rounded a corner, seems his truck overheated going up the hill. Since we had a couple of gallons of water in the trunk we gave them to him and wished him well.

Another few miles further and we pulled off to get a picture of the mountains as we traveled the Cloud Peak Skyway. This is a beautiful scenic drive up into the mountains with many mountain meadows interspersed with large stands of forest. Along the way we pass lots of side roads leading to campgrounds, ranches and trail heads. With the sun out and few clouds in the sky it is a great day to be out for a drive.

Twenty-five miles out of town we came to our turn, WY-33 or "Crazy Woman Canyon Rd". It is another gravel road but looks okay. After making our turn we pull over to take a few photos. We are on a slight rise with huge flower filled meadows on both sides of the road. Filled with mountain flowers, the fields are covered with yellows, blues and purples along with the green of plants.

Along side the road are two signs - one says, "Steep Downhill Road Next Five Miles" and the other "Not For The Faint Of Heart" painted above a skull and crossbones. Just kidding!

With Tina behind the wheel we start up over the gentle rise and down the other side. It's a pretty good road, well graded and graveled, similar to others we have driven on in the Badlands. Of course at this point I'm not thinking about the fact that it's a mountain road just recently cleared of snow, running downhill alongside a raging mountain stream. Silly me!! But we have high expectations so off we go.

Just over the crown of the hill we make an emergency stop for a deer that decided to cross the road. Tina is quick with her camera and gets a quick photo. A few hundred yards on and we are going down a very steep, badly rutted one lane road with exposed boulders at about 2 mph. Using all her skill Tina weaves from side to side dancing lightly down the old wagon trail with nary a bump to the undercarriage. This is beginning to look like our famous British Columbia "Trip From Hell" but on that trip we were driving a beat up old Ford Econoline van with 15" of clearance. Our Malibu maybe has 6" clearance at best, but at least we have A/C in the Chevy.

Then it gets worse! We're on a nine or ten percent grade and just slip sliding down the hill -wheeee, we're off roadin now!!! Heh, heh! Eventually thins start to level out and the slope is averaging five to six degrees, but at least we can look around us at the scenery- high rock cliffs, rushing mountain streams, aspens with glowing white trunks, pines and lots of flowers growing out of the rocks. Just as we are getting used to the descent we come to a one lane bridge. It's almost flat, almost, but it does have railings on the sides. It looks safe, there is a Max Load sign with a nine ton limit on it so we should be okay. Tina eased us across and then we were back to the steep descent.

After traveling about an hour we spotted a really nice pullout where people have been camping next to a rushing stream coming down out of the mountains to join Crazy Woman Creek. Tina pulls in and circling around beneath towering pines and firs gets the car pointed back towards the "road". We grab our sandwiches and water and walk over to the stream where we can sit on some large boulders and eat our lunch. Ahhhh, so peaceful and quiet with the roar of falling water. It really is a beautiful spot and we enjoy the setting and the break from trying to keep from breaking an axle or putting a hole in the oil pan.

Returning to the car we head back down hill making room for a couple of jacked up ORV's and a little later a jacked up pickup truck. At least if we have a breakdown there is a chance of being helped. Eventually we reach a point I called the slot where the towering cliffs with a shear rock face my side are probably eighteen feet apart and the stream takes up about six feet of that. But we make it through with no problems. Just around the next bend are two 'Quads' with Mom and a sleeping baby on one and Dad and a young son on the other. This is just a walk in the park for them.

Continuing on down the road we get to the end of the canyon and roll out onto a high plateau. It only took a couple of hours to negotiate the first five miles. By my calculations we dropped from a little over 6,500 feet to around 5,000 feet in five miles leaving us about 750 feet to go over the next ten miles. The road is really well maintained from here on as we pass fields of cattle, antelope, horses, mule deer, more antelope, ranches and homes tucked away among the hills, ponds and fields being irrigated with big water sprinklers like you'd see in eastern Washington. Eventually we reach WY-198 and head back into town. We stop for a while to walk around downtown Buffalo stopping to buy some pottery at Margo's. Then we continued on our way back to the RV Park where we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing.

Later, we walked across the street to the Bozeman Trail Steak House and had dinner. I had Prime rib and it was the worst cut of beef I've ever eaten, tough and stringy - just terrible, but I choked it down with gusto along with a stuffed baked potato, mushrooms with grilled peppers and onions. While I was thoroughly not enjoying my dinner, Tina was working her way through a really nice sirloin steak. After dinner we watched a movie then called it a night.

To see all of todays photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Travel To Buffalo

Sunday the 28th

A beautiful day for a drive. Blue sky, no clouds and about 75 degrees with a light breeze. We took our time getting ready to leave but finally got on the road by 9:30 AM for the drive to Buffalo.

Not much to report on the drive, very light traffic and we pulled into Indian Campground in Buffalo by noon. No plans for the afternoon so we did some grocery shopping, house keeping and a good wash and wax for the front of the coach.

Distance for this leg, 134 miles.

Distance for the trip so far, 9,231 miles.

Hike Around Devils Tower

Saturday the 27th

Another gorgeous day. This time I was up at 5:45 AM to the sound of a car alarm going off. I managed to doze off for another fifteen minutes when it went off again. So I got up and took a shower, walked and fed the dogs and did a few chores while Tina made breakfast.

After a leisurely breakfast we took the kids out for another walk then headed for Devils Tower. The entrance to the park is only about 50 yards from the KOA so we only had to drive a few miles up to the Visitors Center.

After stopping at the Visitor Center we took our trail map and set out to circumnavigate the base of the tower on a 1.5 mile paved walking trail. We stopped numerous times to take photos. It is really an awesome sight with the wind blowing and the clouds changing the light which plays on the slopes.

We spent a couple of hours walking the trail before returning to the valley floor. Once again it is difficult to describe what we saw and the feelings such a special place evoke, but it is certainly a spectacular sight.

After returning to camp we gave the kids a bath, had lunch, did laundry and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

To see all of our photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Travel To Devils Tower

Friday the 26th

Today is a travel day. We got up at 7:00 AM with the “Punky Alarm”, had a quick breakfast, got everything set for the road and left the Mt Rushmore KOA. The sky is overcast and the temperature is in the mid-70’s. Since we are driving north through the mountains, I leave the dashboard A/C off and run the generator so we have A/C for the roof air conditioner.

It’s a pleasant drive through mountain canyons then up onto high plateaus followed by beautiful rolling valleys dotted with horse ranches and camping resorts. Seventy-five miles north of Hill City we pull into Deadwood which turns out to be a much bigger town than expected. Filled with large brick buildings it’s really very impressive and seems to be bustling with tourism and gambling.

A few miles on we reach I-90 and head west towards Sundance. Twelve miles later we leave South Dakota and enter Wyoming. There is construction on I-90 (much needed) but nothing eventful. Eventually we pull off I-90 and head up into the hills towards Devils Tower. We reach our destination, Devils Tower KOA at noon. Once settled in our site Tina fixed us lunch, then we went for a walk to explore the Trading Post across the street and also the camp store. Getting back to the coach, Tina and the kids took a nap while I updated the blog.

Later that evening we went to a small restaurant and had dinner then watched an outdoor movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. Tomorrow we plan to go into the park and hike around the tower.

To see all of our photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for today, 115 miles. Total for the trip so far, 9,097 miles.

Black Hills Day Three

Thursday the 25th

A lazy day, sunny and 70 degrees at 7:00 AM. After a leisurely morning we decided to take the 1880 Steam Train from Hill City to Keystone City. After walking the kids and setting the A/C for them, off we went. On the way into Hill we wanted to find the Post Office and get the car washed before catching the train.

Arriving in Hill City we quickly parked at the depot and walked into the station to get our tickets. Surprise! The 10:30 AM boarding was all sold out. Bummer! Well that pretty much put the kibosh on a ride through the mountains pulled by a steam locomotive. I walked outside and got a couple of shots of the train pulling out of the station.

Since our train ride was scrubbed, we went to the P.O. and mailed our post cards, then went and found a brand new automated car wash. With all the traveling we’ve done and with the car sitting under trees so often, it really need the super duper wash. Since we had a few minutes while the car got washed we looked at the map and decided to make the drive over to Keystone along SD-353.

Fifteen minutes later we drove out with a clean (on the outside) car and started on our cross country trek. I wasn’t sure but I thought we might be following the same route as the train and sure enough, about five miles out of town we caught up with it. Quickly getting the camera out I took a couple of shots as Tina drove along side. Then we got stopped at a crossing. And another. And another. Either the road was really meandering or the train was, must be the road.

Eventually we got ahead of the train and made our way into Keystone, which calls itself “Home of Mt Rushmore. Driving from one end to the other covered about five blocks. The town is nestled up against a steep rock cliff on one side and rolling forest on the other, so there is only Main Street. We parked at the south end of town in front of the Borglum Museum, dedicated to the Mt Rushmore sculptor. Since we’d already been through the exhibits at Mt Rushmore we decided to wander through town and check out the shops.

Turns out there were about ten restaurants/eating places, fifteen jewelry/gift shops, three hotels, two real estate agencies several western wear shops and assorted miscellaneous businesses like lawyers offices and dentists. We checked out all the jewelry shops as they all were running sales on Black Hills Gold. I was looking for a pinky ring, Tina was looking for a dragonfly pendant. I found a ring that I liked but decided to wait until we got home before getting one. Tina finally found a pendant she liked and we got that.

Going up one side of the street and back along the other side we decided to have lunch at a sandwich shop. Mmmmmediocre, but, as my Dad always used to say, “ it’s only one meal.” Arriving back at the car we reversed our rout and returned to Hill City which is about ten blocks long and three blocks wide. Tina found a parking spot and we got out to go for a stroll, checking out the stores for presents. Unfortunately, the only presents we found were two chocolate ice cream cones – heheheh!

Leaving Hill city we returned to camp so I could try and catch up on the blog and Tina could take a nap. So went the rest of the afternoon.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Black Hills Day Two

Wednesday the 24th

We had a beautiful mountain night last night. I know this because around 3:15 AM, Wicket got me up and insisted on going for a walk around the campground. The temperature was probably around 68 with lots of stars, not that I could appreciate them as I was trying to make sure I didn’t walk too far from the coach. But hey, if one of your kids gets up in the middle of the night and asks for a glass of water, you’d get it for them wouldn’t you? Of Course you would. Well, all that aside we got another four hours sleep then got up for real – heh, heh.

Today we planned to do one of the many loop drives through the mountains. By 9:00 AM we have the kids in the car, cameras, water, leashes, maps and walking shoes so we head for Mt Rushmore to take a few photos in the morning light. With the sun rising in the east if shines full on all four of the presidents faces. We got parked and made the short hike up to the avenue of flags where we could take a couple of photos then we turned around and headed out on our drive.

We had decided to follow the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway, a 71 mile loop named in honor of an early South Dakota governor. Norbeck is recognized for his efforts to create Custer State Park, the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The byway travels through the 1.2 million acre Black Hills National Forest, following the Iron Mountain Road, cutting through Custer State Park along the Needles Highway and including the 14 mile stretch of highway 244 which passes through the lands of the Mt Rushmore National Memorial.

Leaving Mt Rushmore we turn south along the Iron mountain Road (SD-16A) winding our way past Grizzly Campground and arriving at the Pigtail Bridges, a series of curved wooden bridges that form a corkscrew winding down through a deep ravine and through the first of five one lane tunnels on our route. This is a breath taking route with several pullouts where you can see Mt Rushmore in the distance. We stop frequently for pictures and to give the dogs a chance to get out and stretch. We pass through two more of the one lane tunnels on our way to Custer State Park.

Eventually we pass from mountainous terrain to large mountain valleys of rolling grasslands where we spot buffalo, wild burros, antelope, lots of horses and other wildlife. Entering Custer State Park we roll across large open mountain meadows and past the Custer Game Lodge which was the summer white house for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. At the Needles Highway (SD-87) we turn north towards Sylvan Lake the most photographed lake in the Black Hills.
Along the way we pass through another one way tunnel where I get out and direct traffic so Tina can get through without a hassle.

Our next stop is Cathedral Spires another stunning outcropping of massively weathered granite. Back on our way we come to our final tunnel, the 8’4” wide, 80 foot long one way Needles tunnel. At this point traffic is picking up so once again I direct traffic for a couple of minutes as it comes toward us then I jog through the tunnel to the other end to let Tina pass through safely. Immediately after passing through the tunnel we found ourselves in a small parking lot where fifteen or twenty cars have stopped to take pictures of the “Needle Eye” spire and surrounding rock features. It is really spectacular and words are simply not enough to describe the beauty of nature that surrounds us.

From here we slowly wind our way down into the Sylvan Valley and Sylvan Lake. We pull off in expectation of a bite to eat. Leashing up the dogs we make our way over to the small store/restaurant combination. I keep the dogs outside on the deck where we can sit in the shade and children can stop by and pet the dogs. Eventually Tina came out and let me know it would be at least half an hour before we could get anything to eat so we decided to take a short walk along the lake, take some photos then head for Custer, where we could stop for lunch.

From Lake Sylvan to Custer is about eight miles and we have an easy drive down out of the mountains. Custer is a pretty big town and we pull into a parking spot outside a Bistro. With the dogs on their leashes we are able to walk into an enclosed area with tables. Tina ordered a couple of sandwiches so we had a nice lunch stop with a cool cement floor for the kids.

Leaving Custer we head up highway 16 north to the Crazy Horse Monument. Still being carved from the hillside 50 years after being started, the facility is quite large and bustling with visitors. Since we have the dogs with us we decided to take a few photos and come back tomorrow when we can leave the dogs in the coach with the air conditioning running. We checked at the entrance gate and the said it would be okay so we headed for home completing the drive around 2:30 PM, just in time for naps.

Since there was a really nice restaurant on site, Tina and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out. So around 6:30 PM we left the kids and went over to the Ponderosa Restaurant. Tina had BBQ Ribs and I had Sirloin Smothered In Mushrooms - Yum!!. We enjoyed ourselves in the very rustic setting and by 8:00 PM were back at the coach where we spent some time reading before going to bed.

Black Hills And Mt Rushmore

Tuesday the 23rd

Looks like another nice day. Rained hard last night but the sun is out and it is warming up nicely. We got a slow start this morning so we went to the cook shack and got pancakes and sausage to go and took it back to the coach. After breakfast we got everything ready to go and left the Badlands KOA headed for the Mt Rushmore KOA.

We got on SD-44 and headed for Interior where we turned west to stay on SD-44 headed for Rapid City. The road is fairly good and we run along through the prairie with the Erosional Formations off to the north. We encounter several construction delays where we sat for some time waiting for a "Follow Me" car. Turns out there are several paving projects going on to repair spring washouts.

Eventually the prairie grasslands start to give way to rolling hills with trees, horse ranches and irrigated farming and as we say goodbye to the badlands. South of Rapid City we turn southwest on SD-16 through Rockerville and over to Hill City. Now we know we are in the mountains as the scenery looks like we've been transported into the east side of the North Cascades. Once we get through Hill City we continue south to SD-244 and head towards Mt Rushmore and our KOA destination for today (http://koa.com/where/sd/41125/).

We pull in to what turns out to be the second largest KOA in North America. It is simply huge with horse stables, a full scale restaurant, car rentals, etc. Turns out the largest is on the north end of Lake Okeechobee in Florida because it surrounds its own 18 hole golf course. Yup. You guessed it. We stayed there during the shuttle launch earlier this year. We got our site assignment and wound our way through the campground and up into the hills. After making a couple of wrong turns we made it into our site and got set up for the next three nights.

Since it was only 1:00 PM we had a quick lunch and decided to drive over to Mt Rushmore and see what we can as it's only about six miles up the road. Before we got there we pulled off the road along with about twenty other cars to see what all the excitement was about. Right behind us, through the trees and rocky cliffs you could see a perfectly framed profile of George Washington, the first president represented in the Mt Rushmore sculpture. It was very impressive and we were quite surprised at how smooth the rock appeared.

We knew we were close so we took a few photos and continued on to the actual monument. The facility is really well setup (http://www.nps.gov/moru). We drove into what looked like a toll plaza but was actually a way to control parking. We paid a $10 fee which allows us to park in any of the parking areas for as many times as we want to visit in the next year. Once parked, we walked up to the entrance walkway of the memorial. The design of the central promenade is really impressive with the avenue of flags, visitors center, concessions and amphitheater laid out to enhance the view of the Monument.

Our first stop was the Visitor Center where we learned about the history of the monument, the sculptor responsible for the design and construction, and how the memorial was actually carved out of the face of the mountain (http://www.ohranger.com/mount-rushmore/making-mount-rushmore). Then we went out onto the plaza and took several photos. Next we headed out on a half mile hike along the Presidents Trail taking photos as we went, finally making it over to the Sculptors Studio where we saw how the sculptor Gutzon Borglum worked with the various working models to ensure accuracy between the models and the actual carving.

Leaving the studio we made our way back to the main plaza and bought ice cream cones before walking back to the car. We decided we'd had a long enough day at this point so we drove back home to the coach and kids, had dinner and decided our plans for the following day. Oh yeah. Turns out our day wasn't over after all. There is a night lighting ceremony at the memorial which is quite a production. So about 7:45 we got back in the car and returned to Mt Rushmore. Parking in the lot we grabbed our seat cushions (the ones we got for the Swamp Buggy races) and headed up to the amphitheater to get a seat. We visited with one of the couples next to us, they are from New Zealand and traveling around the country.

The evening program opened with a presentation by a large group of kids from a youth camp, followed by a ranger who worked as an emcee and gave the packed audience a brief introduction to the four presidents in the sculpture. This was followed by a fourteen minute video presented on a huge outdoor video screen. At the end of the video several lights began to focus on the sculpture, lighting it up as the light faded from the sky. When fully lit, the emcee asked all active duty and military service veterans to join her on the stage for the closing ceremony. About a hundred men and women found their way to the stage where a Scout Troop performed the flag ceremony for retiring the flag. It was all very impressive.

We left shortly after the show ended and I'd estimate that there were over a thousand people in attendance. We drove home and by 10:00 PM called it a day and went to bed.

To see all of today's photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance traveled today, 94 miles. Total for the trip so far, 8,982 miles.

Badlands Day Two

Monday the 22nd

Since we moved into a new time zone, the dogs still think it's an hour later than it really is. So we all got up at 5:45 AM with the sun shining and the temperature around 70 degrees. Well there wasn't any sense in trying to go back to bed, the "Punky Alarm" had gone off and that's all there was to it!! So I got dressed, did my normal morning routine and took them out for their morning constitutional. When I cam back, Tina had gone back to bed, so I fed the kids and after they ate I put them in with Tina and walked over to the cookhouse to grab breakfast. Pancakes with syrup, link sausages, juice and coffee for about $6.00 and I got to sit out on the veranda and eat while I read my book. Pretty nice!!

When I got back to the coach Tina was up and waiting for me. We had coffee and she had a bowl of cereal while wee firmed up our schedule. We had decided to do a loop drive through a portion of the park taking time to make lots of stops. The kids would stay in the coach with the A/C on as it was supposed to get up to 90 degrees today and we'd try to get back within five hours.

We left camp around 9:30 AM and drove up to the booming metropolis of Interior where we got gas in the car then drove to the Post Office to drop off the postcards Tina sends to all the nieces and nephews from our various stops. As we drove out of town we passed the jail, school, church and bar. Other than a few small houses, that was pretty much it.

Once again on the road we pass through the Badlands National Park (http://www.nps.gov/badl/) entrance and turn west to follow the Loop Road. This is a fascinating area. People have lived in this are for over 11,000 years. Yet human history pales in comparison to the eons it took to form these lands. Approximately 75 million years ago Earth's climate was warmer than it is now, and a shallow sea covered much of the Great Plains. Stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and from western Iowa to western Wyoming, this sea teemed with life. In today's Badlands the bottom of that sea appears as a grayish-black sedimentary rock called the Pierre (pronounced "peer") shale. This layer is an incredibly rich source of fossils, for creatures sank to the bottom of the sea when they died and over a long course of time became fossils. Within the park, the fossilized remains of a variety of animals have been found.

Eons pass. The pushing and shoving of continental plates leads to an active period of mountain-building in the ancestral Rocky Mountains.This causes the land under the inland sea to rise, and in turn, the sea retreats and drains away. In time, the area that we now know as the Badlands is exposed to air and sunshine, yet it looks nothing like the landscape that we are familiar with today. The climate is humid and warm, and rainfall is abundant. On the new land a subtropical forest develops, dense and dark. It flourishes for millions of years. Eventually, though, the climate slowly grows cooler and drier and the forest gives way, first to savannah, then later on to grasslands so much more like the present landscape.

We make our first stop at the Fossil Trail, a raised boardwalk that goes out into the area along the roadside where a half dozen fossils have been discovered and put into protective cases for viewing. Then its on up the road where we make another half dozen stops both down in the basin and along the ridge at the edge of the plateau.

Finally, after a twenty five mile stretch we decided to make a side jaunt up to the town of Wall, home of the famous "Wall Drug" (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2216) a large collection of clothing shops, restaurants and jewelry shops. We make a brief foray into the heart of the emporium then decide to have lunch before doing any more exploring. We cross the street to the Cactus Cafe where Tina has a Roast Beef Dip and I have a Chipolte Chicken Salad. Both are very good. After lunch we explored more of Wall Drug where I bought a new hat (my Fathers Day present) and we had a couple of small chocolate malteds from the old fashioned soda fountain.

We left Wall Drug and stopped at a grocery store then headed back into the Badlands where we wound our way back to the basin floor and made the trek across the valley to US-44 for the drive home. There is so much to see when you take your time. We passed large herds of cattle, but also a Pronghorn antelope, many Prairie Dog colonies, a Western Meadowlark sitting on an old fence post, Wild Horses on a bluff over the White River, a hawk hunting prairie dogs, lots and lots of different wild flowers including Prairie Cactus that were in bloom. We definitely came at a good time of year with everything in bloom and the many colors of green grasses to contrast with the eroded formations. And the fragrances from all the flowers is almost overpowering.

Tomorrow we move on to the Mount Rushmore Campground for three nights.

To see all of today's photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

The Badlands Of South Dakota

Sunday the 21st

Ahhhhh, another beautiful day.... well, sort of, if you discount the fact that it's raining and I have to take the dogs for their morning constitutional. But, it's Fathers Day and Tina is fixing Bacon and Eggs for breakfast. By the time I got back to the coach the rain had pretty much stopped. With the kids dried off and a tummy full of home cookin' I can face the day with equanimity.

We pulled out of camp around 9:30 AM and jumped on I-90 headed for the Badlands. It was a good drive with the mist clearing up within the first thirty miles and the sun coming out after that. We only had a few construction zones to deal with, otherwise it was a nice drive.

Our first stop was at a Prairie Overlook just off I-90 where we could get out and stretch our legs, take the kids for a walk and get an up close look at the National Prairie Grasslands which stretch for miles in every direction. We had gotten used to seeing farmlands and agricultural fields on our drive but somewhere on our drive today the nature of the land changed from farming to ranching. There were large herds of cattle ranging free on the land and the topography had changed as well - from mostly flat to undulating hills and rolling terrain. After walking to the overlook and taking some photos we returned to the coach and got back on the freeway. Eventually we reached our turn off and headed towards Interior, SD and the White River/Badlands KOA.

Our second stop was at the Badlands Trading Post for gas and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (http://www.nps.gov/mimi). We thought we'd tour an old missile silo and command complex but it was closed for the day. So we headed out and made our next stop at the Six Ton Prairie Dog Ranch where we got up close and personal with a rattlesnake (in a cage) and a prairie dog colony. And yes, there is a six ton prairie dog and we've got the pictures to prove it - heh, heh!

Back on the road again we stopped at the entrance station for the Badlands National Park to show our National Parks Pass as Interior was on the other side of the Eastern end of the park. Shortly after entering the park we just had to pull off the road and take pictures of the stunning landscape. Turns out the Badlands are actually a combination of Prairie and Erosional Formations that cover much of Western South Dakota. They were so named because it was so difficult to make a go of it for the homesteading farmers. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, too much rain when it came and sometimes no rain when it was needed. In other words a veritable Bad Land to try and make a living.

Eventually we quit playing tourist and wound our way down to the KOA where we were able to set up camp quickly. Since it was early we went over to the pool with books and drinks and spent an enjoyable hour relaxing while the other campers children screamed and splashed around. Later we took advantage of the KOA cook staff to go out for dinner. They had a special called a "Texas Taco" as an entree and a Cinnamon Pop-Up with Ice Cream for desert. After dinner we spent some time planning the next day and relaxing.

To see all of today's photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for this leg, 148 miles. Total distance for the trip so far, 8,888 miles.

Travel To Oacoma

Saturday the 20th

We got up to a nice day, it was about 70 degrees at 7:30 AM. After breakfast and cleanup we decided to move on rather than stay another night in Sioux Falls. With huge celebrations going on in the central park and two regional sporting events going on, it looked like it wouldn't be much fun in town, especially since we had to move to a different campground. So with a final run for the dogs and taking the trash out, we got on the road headed west.

Today we decided to follow I-90 since most of the countryside will be pretty muck like the past several with farmland, cattle and rolling green hills. The only drawback was that it was really straight with lots of traffic. Oh yes, one other thing. Billboards. Lots and lots of billboards. It reminded me of days gone by when you could see four or five every mile on Hwy 99. At first it was interesting but after a while it was an ugly contrast to the beautiful countryside.

Eighty miles into the drive we decided to pull off and go to Mitchell to see the "Corn Palace".

Turns out the city of Mitchell is a pretty thriving community with lots of tourist attractions, a booming historic district and several busy business parks. We got to town following the signs and with a little luck drove right to the RV parking lot a block away. After walking the dogs and starting the genset for A/C to keep the kids cool, we locked up and walked over to Main Street where we found the Corn Palace (http://www.cornpalace.com/index.php). This is a huge building and serves as a multi-function facility for the community. After taking some photos outside we walked in past a turnstile to read about the history of the place. Turns out the exterior is redone every year. After looking at photos of prior years we waked into a large auditorium, with theater seating, a basketball court and stage. This is where the gift shop was located. The basketball hoops were pulled up and the floor of the court was covered with displays of all things corn. We wandered around and bought some postcards, corn chowder in a package and a package of corn bread mix.

After getting our corny fill I followed Tina outside and back to the coach. We had a nice lunch then wound our way out of town stopping for gas just before getting back on I-90. Within a few miles we encountered another construction zone, twenty-five miles worth of one lane travel at 65 mph against oncoming vehicles. Turns out they are entirely rebuilding the two westbound lanes.

After getting past that stretch we had three more sections of one-lane travel but at least we didn't have people coming at us in the other lane. Amazingly, two lane highways in the country where speeds aren't much lower feel much safer, even with lots of semi's coming at you.

We reached Chamberlain and pulled into the campground only to find out it was full. Fortunately the staff person called another place and found us a spot. So we got back in the rig and went back into Chamberlain, turned right and crossed the Missouri River on a one lane (one way) bridge that looked like it was ready to fall in the river at any moment. But we made it safely across and found the Oasis RV Park, registered and got set up.

On the way in we saw a classic car show right across from the RV Park and just down the street what looked like an old western town. So as soon as we got settled we set out for the old time car show. There were about 45 to 50 cars, trucks and motorcycles on display. The oldest was a 1938 Ford Street Rod and the newest was a 2009 Shelby Mustang with swing up doors (see photos for all the cars we liked). I really liked the 1948 Diamond "T" Pickup Truck but my favorite had to be the 1938 Ford Street Rod.

After oooooohing and awwwwwwing for an hour we walked over to the old western town which really turned out to be a false front for the local grocery store. Next we walked across the street to look at a large bison and read a Lewis and Clark Historic Marker.

Then we walked back through the grass over to our coach for dinner. Thus ends another day on the road!!

To see all of todays photos, go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for today, 144 miles. Total for the trip so far, 8,740 miles.

Travel to Sioux Falls, SD

Friday the 19th

Woke up this morning to a warm, muggy, overcast sky - but it wasn't raining. Well it wasn't raining until I was ready to take the kids for their morning walk, heh, heh. Fortunately it was pretty much just a few drops coming down and we didn't really get very wet.

After breakfast and cleaning up we set out to find US-18. We'd been following it since we passed through Verona Wisconsin, just south of Madison, nearly 215 miles to this point. Sometimes a divided highway with really good pavement, mostly a two lane country road with passable pavement. As we pulled out of the Oakwood RV Park and headed for our first turn we saw a "Road Closed Ahead" sign. Naturally it was the road we wanted. So being flexible and knowing where we wanted to go we headed into Clear Lake to find the Post Office and a grocery store. Within a mile we came to another intersection with, you guessed it, another "Road Closed" sign.

What could we do? Well, as I said earlier, being flexible and knowing where we wanted to go, we asked one of the workmen how to get to town. Following his directions we realized that it wasn't going to be that easy. So, continuing our policy of flexibility and seeing a "This Way To US-18" sign we kept going figuring we'd have other opportunities to find a Postal Box and grocery store.

Shortly after that we made our turn and got on US-18 headed west... for about another 185 miles. It really is a very beautiful drive even with roads that leave something to be desired. As posted in other reports, the fields and farms, small towns and farming communities a something to see. The planted fields are all different colors of green while the fields lying fallow are golden. In places where the ground is freshly plowed the soil is so rich it is almost black. One thing not seen are signs of poverty. The homes and farm buildings all are well maintained with coats of white or barn red paint. Occasionally we pass a dilapidated barn or abandoned building but there are no junk cars strewn around, roadsides and lawn are mowed, driveways are plowed flat and flower gardens are everywhere. There is obviously a different type of mentality at work here in the mid west and it's really cool!

We pass through Britt and Algona and arrive in Cylinder Iowa where Tina spotted a Post Office and plenty of parking across the street. Now before you get the wrong impression, Cylinder has a population of 110 with less than 50 houses. But it does have a post office, right on main street. And it too, is a cute place though rather quiet. We drop off our mail an get back on the road passing huge fields of mustard in bloom. Passing through Emmetsburg we arrive at the toen of Spencer which is much larger than Cylinder with a population of 11,300 and is a very busy town with a thriving downtown and residential community - quite a contrast. We stopped here for groceries and while parked in their lot Tina fixed us a nice lunch.

Back on the road again we continued to follow US-18 West through Hartley, Sanborn, Shelden, Hull, Perkins, Rock Valley and Canton before getting on I-29 North into Sioux Falls and the Sioux Falls KOA. Arriving at check-in we find that they only have room for us tonight. They are full tomorrow due to the Regional Soccer Championships being held here in town. We take what we can get figuring we'd find something for tomorrow night later.

We get set up in our site and get the laptop out. We manage to find a site for tomorrow about five miles away no problem.

So we settle in and before we know it we're in the middle of another huge thunderstorm. An hour later the sun is out and there is very little sign that it has recently rained buckets. Later, after Tina made another great dinner, Sioux Falls was presented with an Air Force FA-18 flyover. There were at least four fighter jets and they made two passes. Tina was able to capture a photo of one of the planes.

Looks like that's it for today. Tomorrow we plan to see a little bit of the area before moving on towards Mt Rushmore.

Distance for today, 208 miles. Total for the trip so far, 8,596 miles.

Travel To Clear Lake, IA

Thursday the 18th

After last night's exciting display of midwest weather, it was a very nice morning.... but very muggy. We got up around 7:00 AM to the "Punky Alarm". After a quick morning routine I looked for the dogs to take them outside for a walk. Turns out that they were both still on the bed. In fact, Punky was snuggled up to my pillow, curled up like a pill, cutting Zzzzzz's.

"Well", as Jack Benny would say... or "Humpfff", as Commander Scorpion of the Galactic Patrol would say, or, well you get the picture. So I gently picked up Punky and set her on the floor. Then I gently picked up Wicket and put her on the floor and quickly snapped their leashes on - heheheh, no dummy me. We mad it outside and took our walk while Tina tidied up and made breakfast.

After a quick breakfast we moved out, hooked up the car and headed out. Within a few minutes we were crossing the Wisconsin River and a few miles later we crossed the norther stretch of the mighty Mississippi River. Here we are a thousand miles north of New Orleans and it's still a big river!

After crossing the Mississippi the sky started to cloud up and eventually we drove into a midwest thunderstorm. It's understandable. Here we are on a back country road crossing into Iowa with prairie lands all around us, the sun warming the land creating warm air updrafts, roiling clouds above with sheets of lightning lighting up the clouds and the occaisional jagged lance of pure energy thrown down by Zeus, after all what else could we be but target practice for the gods?

Eventually we drove out of the bad weather and ran into fifty miles of cross winds. Instead of being able to maintain a steady 60 mph, I was forced to keep it around forty in order to keep the rig on the road. But we finally made it into Clear Lake and found the Oakwood RV Park where we got a nice site not far from the lake. After getting set up and taking the dogs for a walk we did some much needed housekeeping and spent the rest of tnhe afternoon relaxing.

To see all of todays photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for today, 154 miles. Total for the trip so far, 8,388 miles.

Traveling To Bagley Wisconsin

Wednesday the 17th

We left Denise's about 9:30 AM headed for Bagley Wisconsin. We planned to stay on the back roads rather than take I-90. The roads started out pretty rough but got better as we went further west. With the sun out and beautiful countryside it was a really nice ride.

One of the things that surprised us is just how much farmland is under cultivation and how beautiful the farms are kept up. From the time we hit Virginia, up through Maryland and Pensylvania, across Michigan and Wisconsin there are miles and miles of farmland interspersed with small towns and communities. What is really amazing is how everything is so green. In some places, with new shhots coming up it's like an emerald green carpet stretching away as far as you can see.

We finally pulled into Wyalusing State Park overlooking the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. While I went in and registered, Tina took som photos of hummingbirds clustered around the feeders at the ranger station. We got set up in our campsite then took the dogs for a walk. There were lots of kids in the sites next to us and the dogs got lots of attention!

We went to bed about 10:30 PM. Around 1:00 AM it began to rain, then it really rained, then it thunderstormed!! This drove poor Wicket nuts as the storm was right over us.

By 5:00 AM it was all over and the sun started to come out and warm things up - including the mosquitos. Turns out Tina was their favorite treat!

To see all of today's photos click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for today, 181 miles. Total for the trip so far, 8,234 miles.