"WHERE 2 OR MORE ARE GATHERED....."

Friday, 7/9/10. Meandering down I90E, we reflect back to our time in the West USA and how much we loved it and will miss it. Traveling by RV is the best, and guess by now we fit the RV people profile...except that we hesitate to display on our RV a carved wooden nameplate saying "Hi, we're Tim and Joan from Northport, NY." Just not there yet.

If you're in a mood to lollygag along the I90 corridor across SD, it has quite a trail of cutsey small towns. In Kennebec, a little treasure hunting in and around an old house.

Kimball is a town of 745 founded in 1880. FUN is the SD Tractor Museum where friendly guides point out historic farming relics and old machinery. Tim steps right in and explains how to operate the old relics and machinery.

Also on the site is a historic, one-room country schoolhouse.

Mitchell is one of the largest towns along I90 and yes, there's a Walmart! Also find Rondees Campground. Simple dinner of turkey, cheese and tomato sandwiches with barley vegetable soup.

RVTip#8 - Make sure you lock and secure all RV windows before the wheels start rolling. Tim's project today is patching a lost-to-the-wind window with corrugated material wrapped in duct tape.

Sat, 7/10/10. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRICK! Have a great, special day--This photo is for you, XOXO

No trip to Mitchell is complete without checking out the famous Corn Palace. There's corn everywhere! Cornelius and other corn people, corn dogs, caramel popcorn, corn-on-the-cob, corn movies, corn murals... Each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of the Palace is stripped. Bundles of grains are reattached. Over 1/2 million ears of corn are sawed in half and nailed to the building following artist patterns. Quite impressive!

Sioux Falls, SD's largest city, is that...a large city. Pass through and enter Minnesota! What the heck's in Minnesota? Depression and moodiness sets in with the both of us. Arrive at the 1st visitor center and spend over an hour figuring out which way to go. Hwy23N-- oh no, bumpity, bump roads and cornfields for miles.

RV campground in Pipestone is appealing. Info includes where to hide in the event of severe weather and tornados. Warnings are posted for tonight!

Chicken parmesean, garlic mashed potatoes, and caeser salad before the storm. Dark... continuous rolling thunder and lights in the sky. Think of drums and strobe lights. Never before experienced anything like it.

Sun, 7/11/10. Pipestone has many quaint churches. We pick Good Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church. Paraphrased bible quote, "Where 2 or more are gathered in my name, I am there also..." in this case, 15. Join all of us for refreshments after the service?..sure! Thank you Pastor Windsperger! A lovely church..a wonderful service and social.

Historic town and quarry site is prized for its durable stone ranging from mottled pink to brick red in color. Check out antique shops and at 1:30 pm continue up bumpity bump Hwy23N. Stop in Helena --there's a super happening airshow!-- watch from RV while having lunch.

A town named Spicer! (again, my maiden name), and a winery!

The city of Spicer is on the west shore of 5,406 acre Green Lake. The Lakota Indians came to Spicer in 1760. Earliest European settlers came to the area in 1856--the village was platted in 1886 and named after site owner John M. Spicer. Lots of water, woods, and amenities.

Glacial Ridge Winery!! is in Spicer. Nationally recognized for award-winning wines. Wine tasting...great assortment...my favorites: Prairie Star, Jazzy, Green Lake Girl, Castle Red Rock. Yes, Brenda...bringing some home for you!

Bumpity bump (awful roads) through St. Cloud and pick St. Cloud/Clearwater RV Park. Wonderful facilities and setting, quiet, 5-star! Country ribs, baked potatoes and broccoli. Twin Cities in store for tomorrow.

DEVILS TOWER

Tues, 7/6/10. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MEGAN! , our granddaughter, who is celebrating her 1st today. Hooray! Thinking of you, XOXO Grandpa and Memaw.

Our extended time in Rapid City, SD, and Lazy J Campground was really great. So long! Travel and explore is what we want to do today. West on Iron Mountain Road through Custer State Park. Tunnels!? Stop the RV, get out and measure 12'2" top to bottom again just to be sure, then barely squeeze through.


Using Ms. Garmin and map for directions, bump 1.5 hours down a narrow dirt road to a possible ghost town site, Dewey. On the way, metal detect and find little treasures at an abandoned site.

Dewey town!, population "7." It's a ghost town alright, but it seems the few folks living there have everything fenced in.

Reach main road Hwy85 into northeast Wyoming at dusk. Stop north at nearest town New Castle and at 8:02 p.m. turn into a local Auto Inn Motel and RV Park...next to a visible train track...and here come the trains...all night.

Second month (6/6 - 7/6/10) travel statistics>

Total# of miles - 2,778
Total# gallons of fuel - 207.2
Total# of states traveled - 4
Total# bakeries visited ?

Wed, 7/7/10. New Castle to small towns Moorhouse (bakery... 2 coffees and a sticky bun = $2.35) and Upton (never strolled through a junk yard, have you? ) Tim skips happily down the rows of vehicles.

















Down Rt14 is a soooooo mysterious looking rock looming in the Black Hills distance. Can't wait to get close!

The 2-square mile park surrounding Devil's Tower was proclaimed the nation's 1st national monument by President Roosevelt in 1906. The stone pillar rises 1,267 ft, about 1,000 ft in diameter at the bottom and 275 ft at the top. Spectacular!

Question: What award-winning 1978 Stephen Spielberg movie did Devils Tower star in? (Answer at end of post)















A Native American LEGEND: One day, an Indian tribe was camped beside the river and 7 small girls were playing at a distance. The region had a large bear population and a bear began to chase the girls. They ran back toward their village, but the bear was about to catch them. Th girls jumped upon a rock about 3 ft. high and began to pray to the rock. "Rock, take pity on us; Rock, save us." The rock heard the pleas of the young girls and began to elongate itself upwards, pushing them higher and higher out of reach of the bear. The bear clawed and jumped at the sides of the rock, and broke its claws and fell to the ground. The bear continued to jump at the rock until the girls were pushed up into the sky, where they are to this day in a group of seven little stars (the Pleiades). The marks of the bear claws are there yet.

Welcome a grassy nice RV site within the park and a great view of the tower. People actually climb this massive column!


Try out newly purchased clippers on Zack...he's happy and handsome, and we're happy. Grilled chicken, hash browns, and spinach. S'mores of course.

We hear a ruckus going on at the nearby amphitheater and go to check it out. It's there where matters of cross cultural diversity are discussed by two chiefs--each in their customary tribal dress.

Thurs, 7/8/10. Hiking around Devil's Tower was a study of contrast--a stark, impressive stone colossus dominating flat, pine forests, rocks and meadows. The Indians have it right.. spiritual. Near the monument entrance, black-tailed prairie dogs live in their "town."

Via Rt24E, travel through Huelett into South Dakota. Such long stretches of road on Hwy212E with farms, cows and sheep. It's scenic, but could put you to sleep...so almost halfway across SD, decide to go south 1.5 hrs on Hwy73 and pick up I90E .











See small town Kadoka and the Ponderosa Motel and RV Park. Not exactly where they filmed Bonanza, but it will do. Quiet night... no trains. Continue our highway journey tomorrow.


Answer to question above: Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

GREAT FACES, GREAT PLACES

Fri, 7/2/10. Leave rainbow-over-Hardin KOA campground. In town...wash the RV, shop and visit the bakery. Continue east 15 miles to Little Bighorn Battlefield where Lt. Col. George Custer and 262 soldiers met their death as well as many Indian warriors. The National Monument memorializes the major battle fought on 6/25/1876.

"The Spirit Warriors will eternally race across the plains," is part of the Indian Memorial. The battlefield walk and historic interpretation of the events leading up to the battle was interesting.

It's late and there's a sign "CAMPING," as we pass through the city of Belle Fourche, SD. A site is available...we'll stay. PB&J sandwiches and goodnight.

Sat, 7/3/10. Sunny in the a.m...we both run 2 miles around the Riverwalk. Historically described as the Center of Cowboy Country, the city hosts many rodeo events. Tim tries to fit in as a local. It works until he says "howdy" and starts talking.

With a 3-night reservation at Lazy J RV Park and Campground, take I90S to Rapid City and register. Not wanting to miss Independence Day events scheduled today, we rush down Hwy16 to Mt. Rushmore. Around the corner, and there they are! -- four great faces...amazing!

Question: What are the names of these four leaders who brought the nation from colonial times into the 1900's? (Answer at end of post).

Briefly, the history states: In 1923, Doane Robinson of the SD State Historical Society had a vision of a massive mountain memorial carved from stone. US Senator Peter Norbeck carried the torch. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum spent the last 14 years of his life working on Mt. Rushmore.

The memorial is truly a masterpiece! The heads--about 60 ft. tall (6-story bldg.) , the noses--20-21 ft high, the eyes--11 ft wide, and the mouths--18 ft wide. The story from beginning to end is astonishing.

7/3/10 events include recognition for veteran Ola Mildred Rexroat, an Oglala Sioux who served in WWII and also served as a WASP.

B1-B Lancer Bomber fly-over and concert by the Black Hills Symphony.

No fireworks this year!... high fire danger resulting from an epidemic of Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and high # of standing dead trees.

Tim thanks Abe for his participation. Back to Hwy16 and 28 miles to the campground outside of Rapid City. Happy with our site and hook up. It's 9:30 p.m., still hungry, grill some beef ribs. Yum! Looking forward to the 4th!

Sun, 7/4/10. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! It's raining here. Nothing special going on this a.m., so the RV bins get cleaned out for basic inventory..and Zack gets a shampoo.

By early afternoon, it becomes sunny and 70+ degrees. Lovely, so we check out urban Rapid City and discover Independence Day celebrations at Memorial Park.

A 1st Annual Freedom / Family Roots 4-mile Fun Run at 4 p.m? OK.. be right back in 30 min. in our running gear. Hooray! Won a sweatshirt and free beer. Winning odds pretty good with only 10 runners!

Shower, change of clothes, and return to the park for food!, (for example...sausage pizza, kettle korn and watermelon), craft booths, music by Phat City Funk (yeah!), and cultural entertainment.

Return to campground and view city fireworks from our site! Just beautiful!

Mon, 7/5/10. Good time to clean up the RV some more, reorganize, do laundry and bills. It's 75 degrees here, no humidity. It's 98+ degrees and highly humid on the east coast? No thank you, we like it where we are. Have to see and hear about Crazy Horse Memorial, Hwy44W to 385S.

That's some big face up there! A colossal Memorial (world's largest mountain carving in progress) and huge, really huge visitor complex. Brief history-- Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to the Black Hills to carve Crazy Horse, or...his likeness as a spirit to his people. Work started in 1948. It is not yet completed . Expenses are funded by the interested public and not the taxpayer.

There is a 1/34th scale model from which visitors can watch drilling and blasting on the mountain.

8:00 p.m. and back again to our site in Rapid City. Turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and fresh cherries hit the spot for dinner. Work on our second month travel statistics!

Answer to question above: George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Tues, 6/29/10. Love camping in the wild. Pack up and drive the 33.5 dirt road miles back through Virginia City.


Locals recommend route to take for great fishing and prospecting. So here we go! Hwy287E/N to Rt15E into Bozeman. Hwy89S parallels Yellowstone River to Gardiner. Enter Yellowstone National Park (again!), and cross the northern section.


Whoa!! Don't need to see the body of this buck to know how big he is. Traffic jam in the park....

Exit Yellowstone, exit Wyoming, and arrive in Cooke City, Montana. In 1870, early explorers to the Cooke City area struck gold in the surrounding hills and mining began. Historical and old log cabin buildings still remain. Seems like an interesting place, it's 9 p.m., so we mosey a few miles north and find an empty spot at Soda Butte Campground- Gallatin National Forest. It's pretty dark out here..


Wed, 6/30/10. Up early with mission to explore Daisy Trail and Lulu Pass with our panning

equipment and metal detector. Don't remember seeing this sign when entering the campground?!

From Hwy212 the RV doesn't get very far up the trail to the high country, so Tim says "let's take a little hike up Daisy." Our "little" 6.5 hour hike up and down a steep winding --and off the beaten path -- trail was quite inspiring. Grand Beartooth Mtns, rivers, SNOW!, wildlife.....



































.....panning in streams, detecting around old stone foundations, and seeking shelter from passing thunderstorms.


RVTip#7 - Take lots of photos while in the wilderness. Should you get lost (or something else in grizzly land), hopefully your camera will be found by the search and rescue team and photos used as clues to your possible whereabouts.





























Returning to Hwy212, we locate Lulu Trail which is a bit more groomed for motorized vehicles.













Trail grooming comes to a halt in the higher, snow-covered elevations. A safe RV turnaround is about 1/2 mile back, and what's a dedicated passenger to do? Get out and guide the driver from behind for 1/2 mile to the turnaround.


FUN looking around the remnants of an old abandoned mining area.

A long day and a few treasures. Most valuable treasure was finding out we each have the same infectious desire and all-day patience to wander aimlessly off the beaten path.





















"Me go light fire, me grill steak." Great day, great dinner, great s'mores. Pretty dark again out here...rumbling thunderstorms (or perhaps grizzly?) through the night.


Thurs, 7/1/10. Leave Soda Butte via Hwy212. Exit Montana, enter Wyoming for a thrill ride on the Beartooth All American Road. Gorgeous green terrain, pines and mountains. Coffee and snacks at an overlook.
















Snow, 8' markers, a snow thrower, and Tim with visions of snowplowing in his head.
























At Beartooth Pass, highest elevation is 10,947 and it's 54 degrees.
Tim, "Past awesome!" "Like a ride across the top of the world." "A thrill ride!"

Through Custer National Forest, roll back into Montana through Red Lodge, a rough and rowdy mining town in the early 1890's when coal was found in the area and the streets wandered by Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody and Liver Eatin' Johnson. Continue on Hwy212, pick up I94E to Billings and stop for a few basic food items...and wine. I94E, exit 495 to KOA Campground. Nice site. Grilled turkey legs, corn and spinach. An ice cream sundae social @ 7:30 p.m. for RV people. TV, internet, pool, hot tub, civilization again.