Day 21-June 19


We are up and out for the short ride to Devils Tower.  The tower can be seen for miles before actually arriving at the park entrance.  Of course that means stops for pictures along the way because I don't want to take the chance of missing the perfect picture.  Sometimes Jess counts but I just ignore him.  Parking for RVs is very limited.  We drove up to the parking area but were unable to find a spot.  Undaunted, we went back down the mountain and found a place to drop the trailer.  According to Indian folklore Devils Tower was formed when 7 sisters and their brother were playing in the forest.  The brother suddenly turned into a bear and started to chase the girls.  A tree stump beckoned them and as they all climbed up it began to rise out of the ground.  The bear continued to try to reach them, thus the vertical groves on the sides of the tower, but the tower continued to rise and the 7 sisters became the stars in the Big Dipper.  Of course, geologists have other reasons for the tower's existence but they are not near as entertaining.  Regardless of how Devils Tower came to be it is an amazing sight as it rises out of the forest floor.  We enjoyed the trail that totally circled the base of the tower.  This enabled the avid photographer to get pictures from every side.


Then it was off for a visit with Jess's sister Shirley in Casper.  We arrived about 5:30 to a great supper and then an enjoyable evening catching up with each other's lives and watching a Jesse Stone marathon on TV.  It was the first TV watching we had done since leaving home.

Jess's ascent up the tower.

Momma and baby.  Aren't they cute?

America the Beautiful!

Days 19 & 20-June 17 & 18

The flooding of the Little Missouri River has caused most of the campsites in the park to be closed.  We may have been able to squeeze in but I wanted to have access to the Internet so we opted for a private park in Medora, ND.  The town has been designed totally as a tourist attraction with its saloons, ice cream parlors and museums.  The Cowboy Hall of Fame is located here.  There is also a nightly performance of a quite elaborate Broadway style musical that draws a substantial crowd. We passed on both.  Obviously there is plenty here to keep the average tourist entertained.  We, on the other hand, were here to visit the park.
We were set up and ready to go by 11:00 a.m., so we decided to make the hour drive up to the North section of the park that afternoon and save the South section for in the morning before we left.   The weather was not exactly the best for an outdoor excursion but we can be tough when we have to be.  It had been raining off and on all morning but that was not the worst of it.  The temperature hovered around 55 with a frigid wind gusting to at least 30 mph. Thank goodness we have the jackets that Melinda sent with us for them to use when they meet us in Yellowstone. ( I honestly don't know what Dave is going to wear to stay warm.)  The North section of Theodore Roosevelt National Park resembles the Badlands of South Dakota with one major difference.  The Badlands are very desolate with very limited water and vegetation.  They are majestic in their own way, but it is not a place that you would want to set up residence.  The badlands of North Dakota have a large water supply as they surround the Little Missouri River.  There are trees and green valleys that provide the perfect habitat for an abundance of wild life such as; buffalo, big horn sheep, prairie dogs and wild horses.  Both sections of the park are absolutely beautiful and well worth the 'out of our way' trip we made to see them.  After our morning ride around the loop in the South section of the park we are packed up and under way again.  Next stop is Devils Tower, WY.
To avoid backtracking down Hwy 85 we opted to get there by way of Montana on I-94 and then south on Hwy 59.  Definitely not the shortest route but it was a nice drive.  We finally found an RV park in Pine Haven to stop for the night.



Our beautiful scenery in Medora.

A cold wind was strong enough to take your breath away.

Canon ball rock formations.

He was visiting the Welcome Center with the rest of the tourists.

The Painted Canyon.

There are wild horses on the ledge below the highest peak.

Even buffalo chips can be pretty.

Day 18-June 16


We just can't seem to sit still too long.  If we take off for North Dakota we will have time to explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park before visiting Jess's sister in Casper.  What's a 400 mile trip out of the way anyway?  At least fuel is still under $4.00 a gallon.
Our first stop is a walk through the downtown area of Rapid City.  Their local sculptors have recently completed a project they began in 2000.  They have placed life size bronze statues of all of our presidents on the street corners of the old downtown district.  The statues are very well done and it was fun seeing how they had each been depicted by the individual artists.  Rapid City is a beautiful city with many lovely parks for their residents and visitors to enjoy.
Next we stopped in the old mining town of Deadwood.  Their claim to fame of course is that Wild Bill Hickock met his untimely death here by being shot in the back while playing cards.  Deadwood almost became a Ghost Town until some local leaders decided they had to do something to lure people back to their town.  They decided that the answer to their problem was to bring gambling back to Deadwood.  The old buildings have been restored and all new building must fit in architecturally to keep the old west theme intact.  Just about every building on Main Street has gambling machines, gift shops, restaurants or lodging.  Many have all four.  Jess and I enjoyed a nice supper and I only added a very little bit to the town's coffers.
On to North Dakota.  We stopped for the night at a truck stop in Bowman, ND, where we were greeted by a beautiful sunset.

Jess with Ronald Reagan.

John Kennedy with John John.

President Lincoln and Tad.

Historical building in Deadwood.

Wasn't it nice that each lady had her own display window?

Wild Bill with his fateful hand of Aces & Eights.

Day 17-June 15

It is time to move on once again.  Today we will make the short trip over to the Badlands National Park.  After perusing the map for the best route from Wind cave to the Badlands we discovered that we would have a decision to make.  Go the more north easterly route by way of a major highway or take a more direct route using some minor country roads.  As we will be returning by the major highway we decided to try the rural route.  Little did we realize that it would amount to about 80 miles of dirt roads.  I must add that the dirt roads in the west are definitely in much better shape than most of ours at home. We did see some areas of South Dakota that are missed by most visitors to the region.  Finally arriving in a small town called Interior we located a campground that promised full service, including Wi-Fi.  I had high hopes of getting some updating done to the blog but no such luck; the connection is too slow to do any good.  After getting set up we took off for our tour of the Badlands.  It is another amazing sight to see.  This unique geological area is stunning as it erupts from the grasslands with its towering peaks consisting of multicolored layers of stone.  We were lucky enough to see a group of big horn sheep that were grazing near one of the overlook areas.  We also saw 4 more turkeys to add to the growing number we have seen since leaving home.  Franklin probably wanted the turkey to be our national bird because they were so abundant. The loop through the Badlands connects through the town of Wall.  While we were there we took a short break to visit the famous Wall Drug.  The original store has now grown to cover most of the downtown area.  If you are looking for souvenirs of the area this is the place to stop.  If they don't have the Chinese haven't been told to make it. The loop back to Interior provided us with a different view of the formations because it was late evening and the shadows gave the impression of even more depth.  The Badlands are a very inhospitable geological wonder.  With all of the signs warning visitors to watch for rattlesnakes I was not inspired to take a hike into the back country even though it is allowed.

Day 16-June 14

We decided that it was time to take a day off.  Well, sort of.  The camper battery needed charging and we needed a few things at the grocery store so we headed for Hot Springs.  After breakfast at a local restaurant we discovered that not everyone in town gets up quite as early as we do.  We dropped the battery off to be charged and then headed for the post office and a hardware store.  Neither was open yet, resulting in a decision to take a leisurely stroll around town.  That led to another cup of coffee at a little pastry shop.  Breakfast #2 so we will skip lunch.  Eventually the stores opened and we accomplished our tasks and headed back to camp.

By late afternoon we had relaxed enough and decided we would go for a little walk. The only trail we could find that makes a loop was 4.75 miles long. Remember we don’t like to retrace our steps so off we go.  It was a very nice hike. First through the meadows where the prairie dogs live, then along a meandering stream through a beautiful valley where we actually saw a large deer that was not used to people.  We also almost stepped on a poor little garter snake as we prepared to cross the stream on a downed log. Toward the end of the hike we actually got a little closer to a group of wandering buffalo than we would have liked.  They behaved well and so did we. 

Back at camp we prepared a great supper then topped it off with a few roasted marshmallows.  Another perfect day!

Our hike began in the grasslands...

Jess had to see what was there.

and ended in the forest.

Days 15-June 13

Up and out early this morning because we have a busy day of sightseeing ahead of us.  Our first stop is a tour of Wind Cave.  The huge cave has many unique features with its boxwood formations, popcorn shapes and the crystalline white frostwork.  The pictures don’t do the cave justice.  Over 100 miles of passageways have been explored in Wind Cave and there are countless more miles for spelunkers to discover. Using today’s technology the experts believe that only about 5% of the total cave has been discovered. There is actually a program for novices to help with the exploring and we would have been glad to go off into those small dark passages but we have too many others things to see. Sure! 

After a quick lunch back at camp we are headed for Custer State Park and on to Mt. Rushmore.  We took the scenic route around the Wildlife Loop and then over Iron Mountain Road where there are opportunities to view the monument from afar. Custer State Park also offers a twist to the sightseers expected wildlife viewing.  This is the home for wild burros who don’t hesitate to walk right up to you so that you can scratch their heads.  The burros were originally used to transport vacationers to Harney Peak many years ago.  When the rides were discontinued the burros were released and now their offspring roam freely throughout the park.

I never would have believed that we could get to the point of saying oh there is another buffalo, or antelope, or deer, but there are so many chances to spot wildlife here that it becomes old hat.  It is funny to be driving along and see a traveler coming from the opposite direction stopping in the middle of the road to take a photo of a lone buffalo.  We want to tell them not to get too excited because there is a whole herd of them just around the bend.  The abundance of wildlife is not the only lure to the Black Hills.  The grandeur of the scenery at every turn is just awesome. There are peaceful green valleys, tree covered mountains and rocky peaks that are nothing short of amazing.  Between recent forest fires and a pine beetle infestation, which conservationists are working hard to control, there are areas where the trees are dying in large numbers.  While this is sad to see the many facets of the topography of the Black Hills makes this area a pleasure to behold.

Mt. Rushmore is an amazing site. This is the first time we have visited a true tourist attraction on our trip.  There were so many people from foreign countries viewing this dramatic tribute to our country’s democracy it was hard not to wonder what they were thinking as they observed the representation of these four men important to our history.  We watched a film that explained how the idea for the monument grew and developed into this awe inspiring work of art.  The sculpting process alone required 400 men and women to complete under the guidance of carver and engineer Gutzon Borglum.  On a lighter note Jess and I shared a raspberry/vanilla swirl ice cream that someone back home needs to start selling. On second thought, maybe not.

On our way back to camp we took another scenic route called the Needles Roadway.  Again we witnessed dramatic changes in the topography that surrounded us.  We found ourselves in the midst of towering rock formations and sparkling mountain lakes.  It was truly the most beautiful scenery one could imagine.

A fierce wild burro in Custer State Park.

George from a different angle.

Sylvan Lake

A tight fit!

Day 13-June 11


We have left the lakes behind and continued our journey.  Our next stop is Fort Robinson, just west of Crawford, NE.  We want to see the buttes in this part of Nebraska before heading to South Dakota.
It is time to do laundry again and pick up a few things at the grocery store.  There is a storm threatening so I don't know if we will get a hike in today or not.  The laundry took forever but it worked out great for me because I was able to pick up Wi-Fi in the parking lot.  We grabbed a burger at the local Drive-In and headed back to camp. 
The storm finally moved on and we were able to take a tour around Fort Robinson.  The fort has been well preserved, enabling us to get a good idea of what it looked like during its early years in the 1870s.  This is the fort where Crazy Horse was being detained when he was killed while trying to escape. The fort has been used for many different military and civilian enterprises over the years until it finally became a state park. I thought it was interesting that they actually tested the first bicycles here to determine if they could be used effectively by our soldiers during WWI.  I can just imagine our guys riding into battle on those bikes with the huge front wheel.  Our walk was very nice and longer than we had anticipated.  They have an old train track bed that has been converted to an excellent walking track so we checked it out until the mosquitoes ran us inside.

Buttes surrounding Fort Robinson.





A friend we met on our walk.