DAY #13 – JUNE 22, 2021- HILL CITY, SD – BELLE FOUCHE, SD - THE PRESIDENTS & DEVILS TOWER

 

I had a wonderful visit last night with my dear friends Gus and Kandace Necessary. Again, it amazes me that we live only 30-miles apart back in Virginia and we have to meet up 1,500 miles away in South Dakota to visit and catch up. Gus was born and raised in Tannersville worked for the Tazewell County Sheriffs Office before coming to work for the State Police. Gus became a dear friend, and it was great to catch up with him and Kandace.

I was up about 7:30 a.m. this morning and had a quick coffee and muffin at the Hotel. I wanted to get an early start and head to Mount Rushmore.  It a relative short drive over to another of my bucket list destination,. I know that Mount Rushmore  is extremely popular and gets really crowded. I want to get there and get parked as close to 9 a.m. as possible.

I checked out of the Comfort Inn at 8:35 a.m. headed over to the Mount Rushmore National Monument. The 15-mile drive took about 25 minutes and even though it was just 9:05 a.m. when I arrived, there was already a line of cars waiting to get in. 

Admission to Mount Rushmore is free, but there is a fee for parking.  The attendants at the entrance are not there to collect the parking fees, they only direct you to a parking lot or parking garage.  After only a 5-minute wait, I was directed to an available parking garage. 

Before leaving the garage, I paid my fee at the self-service kiosk and got my paid receipt that I would use later to exit the garage.

Once I had my parking receipt, I made my way to the plaza and got my first real look at the presidents. It was just 9:30 a.m. and the plaza was already crowded and there were lines to enter the gift shops.  Due to Covid, only a certain number of people were allowed into the gift shops and other indoor spaces at any given time.

As I walked up the plaza and through the arch and the Avenue of Flag, the view of the Presidents is amazing. It is truly a wonderful view. The photos that I have seen are beautiful but being here and seeing it in person is truly amazing.

When you get this many people in one place you are bound to encounter a few jerks and as I arrived at the west end of the Avenue of Flag and the view area, I encountered a couple of rude people. While most people (including me) were waiting patiently for our opportunity to take our selfies, there was these two women who more or less elbowed their way in front of every one else and began taking their photos. 

One man did say something to them and got a rude reply.  So, he didn’t say anything else to them but rather started photo bombing all their photos.  I dare say that the rude women tried to take maybe 15-20 photos and he photo bombed every one of them.  The two women finally got pissed off and started cursing at the guy who more or less ignored them which further pissed them off. Finally, they decided to move on but not before flipping off everyone who was now laughing at them.

We all finally got our classic photo of the presidents from the Avenue of Flags, and I moved on to some of the exhibits on display around the plaza. As I walked around, the plaza was getting more and more crowded, so I decided to take a walk around the Presidential Trail.

The Presidential Trail is a paved walkway a takes you around the base of Mount Rushmore and gives you some awesome opportunities for some great photos.  The trail is about a half mile loop trail and starts and ends on either side of the Plaza.

Even though it’s only a half mile loop, it took me the better part of an hour to make the walk. I figured that this would probably be the only time I would be here, so I took my time and stop at every opportunity to take photos and read the story boards.

I started out on the south side of the plaza and walked around ending up at the sculpture’s studio and a couple of exhibits on the north side of the Plaza. I really enjoyed the sculpture’s studio as there was a scale model of what the carvings would look like.  The original project was to feature a waste length sculpture of each president rather than only the heads that we see today.

As usual the Ranger Programs that were scattered throughout the park were excellent and I spent a lot of time listening to them.  I finally found a short line to get into the give shop and only had a bout a 10-minute wait.  I wasn’t going to leave here without some type of keepsake. 

After finishing in the gift shop, it was time to leave and continue my adventure. I must say that Mount Rushmore more than lived up to my expectations. I was a spectacular visit.

I exited the parking garage and made my way back to Route 244.  I did make one more stop just around the curve at a pullout to snap a few photos of the Icon Profile of George Washington. It to was grand photo.

It was about 12:30 p.m. when I arrived by in Rapid City. On the way drive back to Rapid City I decided that since I had all afternoon left, I was going to back track a hundred miles or so to Devils Tower. 

I had originally planned to visit Devils Tower a couple of days ago on the drive up from Gillette. But the Reoccurring Key Fob Problem caused me to drive directly from Gillette to the Honda Dealer here in Rapid City. I didn’t want to take the chance on getting stuck with a dead car in a remote area with no cell service.

So, once back in Rapid City, I hit Interstate 90 and headed back west toward Wyoming.  About and Hour and a half later, I left Interstate 90 at exit 142 and headed north on U. S. Highway 14. The drive up 14 was uneventful and very pretty.

About 15-miles south of the entrance to Devils Tower I got my first look at the massive formation rising more than 850-feet above the Wyoming Landscape. I stopped at several of the pullout along the way and snapped a few photos.

It was about 2:45 p.m. when I arrived at the Devils Tower Entrance Station. The was a line of cars waiting to enter the park and it took me almost 20 minutes to make it to the entrance station.  I once again used my National Park Senior Pass to waive the $25 per car entrance fee.  This Senior Pass has more than paid for itself and has been one of the best purchases that I have ever made.

The ranger at the entrance station told me that parking was very limited at the visitor’s center located at the base of the tower and advised me not to stop in the road and only park in the marker spaces in the lots.

Before I started the climb to the upper visitor’s center, I made a quick stop at the large prairie dog town. There were hundreds if not thousands of those little rodents sticking their head out of their holes.

I snapped a few photos of the Prairie Dogs and then made the climb up to the base of the Devils Tower.  The ranger was right, parking was limited and really crowded but I hit it lucky. As I was driving slowly through the parking lot the was car backing out and, bingo, I snagged the space.

Once parked I made my way over to the visitor’s center and gift shop. There was only 5 or 6 people in line, waiting to get in so I got in line.  About 5 minutes later, I was inside.  The gift shop was really small and crowded so I just picked up a map and a magnet and headed back outside.

Back at the car I grabbed my camera and headed up to the base of the tower.  It was a short walk up to the base where I took a few photos. While here, I looked at the park map and decided to take a walk around the base of the tower. 

It was an easy hike on a for the most part a paved trail that runs around the base of the 867-foot tower.  There are huge boulders on the side of the trail that have over the years fallen off the huge formation. 

In normal time during the summer, there would be people climbing the tower. But Covid has put a stop to that and climbing has been suspended.

It’s a little over a mile and a half walk around the base and because I stopped a lot to take photos, it took me the better part of an hour to make the trek. It was quite warm and by the time I got back to the car I was ready to hit the road. 

I made my way slowly back down the mountain and stopped at one of the private “trading post” located just outside the entrance.  I grabbed a couple of drinks and a couple of the knock off souvenirs. You know the two shirt for $10 deal. I ended up buying a cap and T-shirt combo for $10.

I didn’t have cell service her and I do not have hotel reservations for the night. It was about 4:30 when I pulled back onto Interstate 90 had headed back east. I made a stop in Sundance for a drink and while I was stopped here, I checked the hotels where I could spend the night. 

After several minutes of checking Choice and Holiday Inn Properties, I decided to make a reservation at and Econo Lodge in Belle Fouche, South Dakota.  I don’t usually stay at Econo Lodge as they are on the very low end of the Choice Hotel Chain.  But Both the Choice and Trip Advisor Websites have excellent reviews, which eased my mind a little bit.

My trip to Belle Fouche, took me close to the town of Sturgis, South Dakota. In just about 6-weeks or so more than a half a million people will jam into the small town for it’s annual Motorcycle Rally.  So, on the way to Belle Fouche, I made a little detour to Sturgis to see some of the more well-known sites before it got too crowded.

In Sturgis, I made my way out to the north side of town to probably the best known of the Motorcycle Rally Attractions and that is the Buffalo Chip.  He during the rally the bars are hopping, and the stages are filled with either strippers or some top name entertainment like ZZ Top.

Back in town I parked and took a walk up the street past the Iron Horse Saloon and down Main Street when in just a few weeks hundreds of motorcycles will be parked in the center of the street.

White it is fun to be here now, in quiet times, I don’t think there is enough money to make me want to come here during the Rally.

It was just a short drive from Sturgis up to Belle Fouche. I found the Econo Lodge and the clerk was friendly and quickly checked me in. My room was no frills and just a basic room with a desk and king size bed.

There are a couple of drawback to this hotel. The first being it is really a low-rate accommodation. With the lower rate you get a lower class of guests.  Most of the people staying here were construction workers who spent their evening sitting outside drinking there beverages and smoking.  This made me a little uneasy, but they were quiet and never caused any trouble.

The second drawback was Belle Fouche is a really small town and restaurants are scarce. There was nothing much located near the Econo Lodge except a Dairy Queen and a Subway.  For my evening meal, I opted for a sub from Subway.  I got it to go and brought it back to my room.

After making my run to Subway, I was in for the night and set about my nightly chores of downloading photos, and videos, and writing my daily blog.

This was a good day. I got to scratch two more bucket list destinations off my List. Bot Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore were on my bucket list and both more than lived up to my expectations.

Tomorrow, I am not sure what I am going to do. I am going to have to develop a plan and see where tomorrow takes me. The Adventure Continues.

DAY #14 – JUNE 23, 2021- BELLE FOUCHE, SD – RAPID CITY, SD - WILD BILL & THE BADLANDS

 

Yesterday seemed longer than it really was as I backtracked to the Devils Tower National Monument.  I don’t like to eat the same ground twice, but I wanted to see the Devil’s Tower and I must say it was worth it, but it did make for a long day.

I spent the night here at the Econo Lodge in Belle Fouche. Now, the only thing that I knew about Belle Fouche was it was where John Wayne was heading with his herd in the Movie, “The Cowboys.” It is a really small town with not a lot of going on. The Econo Lodge was ok. It was a budget hotel and when you chose a budget hotel the clientele changes. At the Comfort and Sleep Inns along with Holiday Inn you get the more family/tourist type of people. At the Econo Lodge and other budget hotels you get the people who are more of long-term client, who are in the are working. That was the case here, lots of work trucks in the parking lot and at night the workers sitting outside socializing drinking beer. They didn’t cause any problems and they weren’t loud or anything like that. It’s just that it’s a different look from some of the hotel that I have stayed.

Anyway, like I said, Belle Fouche is a small town but last night when I was planning todays adventure, I found something Interesting just a mile or so from my hotel. So, I opted to skip the hotel breakfast and the Hotel Coffee and checked out at 8:40 a.m.

Five minutes later I was at the Center of the Nation Monument.  Yep, this is geographic center of The United States. This is NOT to be confused with the Geographic Center of North America, which is near Rugby, North Dakota, or the Geographic Center of the Lower 48 near Lebanon, Kansas.  When you throw in Alaska and Hawaii, this monument represents the center of the 50-United States. While the actual center of the nation is located on private property, the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument is in Belle Fourche in western South Dakota. The National Geodetic Survey designated Belle Fourche as the town closest to the actual site and the monument was placed there. The 21-foot diameter monument is located next to the Center of the Nation Visitor Center and the Tri-State Museum. The Museums were closed when I arrived, but the monument is accessible year-round.

After spending a few minutes walking around the park where the Monument is located, it was time to find some coffee and hit the road. It took me about 40-minutes to make the 30-mile drive to the Historic Town of Deadwood.

It was a nice drive into town and arriving just a little past 9:30 a.m. I was able to find free parking at the Visitors Center. After a quick stop at the Visitor’s center to pick up a map of the Historic District, I began my walk down historic Main Street. 

I had to stop and take a quick selfie under the entrance arch before continuing my walk downtown. There is only a few building dating to 1876 when Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and other old west figures roamed these streets. Most of the building including the #10 Saloon where Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok on August 2, 1876. Most of the town burned to the ground in a massive fire three years later in 1879.

Since then, the town has been rebuilt and turned into something of a tourist trap. While not a bad a Tombstone in Arizona there is not a lot to be said for the actors dressed in period clothes hawking you to visit various saloons, casinos, and other attractions along Main Street.

While the original #10 Saloon was destroyed in the 1879 fire, another building has been built on the original site and a sign proclaiming this as being the site where Jack McCall Shot Wild Bill hangs above the entrance.

As I said earlier Deadwood is a tourist trip and one of the artifacts in the new #10 Saloon is the chair that Wild Bill was sitting in the day he was shot.  It hangs in a glass case above the door of the saloon. Now while I was at first thrilled that this noted artifact has been preserved, I soon found out that a few other saloons along Main Street also claimed to have Wild Bill’s Death Chair. After talking with one of the fine folks at the Visitors Center, I found out probably none of the chairs are legit. The gentleman I was talking too said it was highly unlikely that anyone had thought to save the chair after Wild Bills Murder, and it was continued to be used in the saloon until the 1879 fire.  He went on to say that the death chair was more than likely destroyed with the saloon and much of the town in the 1879 fire.

I spent a little more than an hour walking around the historic district. I have to say while I enjoyed it, the Tourist Trap theme really didn’t impress me. So, I made my way back to the Visitor Center and made the drive up the road to the top of a very steep hill to Mount Moriah Cemetery.

While at the Visitors Center I ask one of the people there if I could just walk to the cemetery. It smiled and said “Yea, you can but I wouldn’t advise it.”  He went on to say that the cemetery was at the top of a very steep hill and if I wasn’t in really good shape and in this heat he would not suggest walking.

After arriving at the small parking lot near the entrance to the cemetery, I can see why walking was not advised. I arrived at the Cemetery shortly before 11 a.m. and the temperature was already pushing 90.

After stopping at the small visitor’s center and paying my $2.00 fee to enter the cemetery and picking up a map, I made my way up the hill to the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Marth “Calamity Jane” Canary.

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill are buried near each other with a Bust of Wild Bill sitting on a pedestal marking his grave.  There were several other tourist in the cemetery and it was difficult to get a clean photo of the graves and two buses full of tourist just arrived so its was about to get even more difficult.

So I hustled and got the best photos that I could and moved on to the Veterans Memorial Overlook which gives you a good view of Historic Deadwood in the valley below.

By the time I made if back to the visitors center, I was drenched in sweat and was looking forward to the air conditioning. I grabbed a couple of bottles of cold water from the Visitor’s Center and then headed back down the hill.

Last Night when I was Planning today’s adventure I had considered heading east to Mitchell or Chamberlin, but I want to visit the Badlands National Park and if I moved east it would be a very long day. So, I decided to head to the Badlands this afternoon and then back track and spend the Night in Rapid City.

So about 11:30 a.m. I hit Interstate 90 and head east.  It’s a little over 100-miles from Deadwood to the Interior, South Dakota entrance of the Badlands National Park.  The 100-mile drive took me a little more than an hour and a half.

As I arrived at the Northeast Entrance station for the Badlands National Park the temperature on my car thermometer showed 104 degrees. Once again, I used my National Park Senior pass to waive the $30 per car entrance fee. My NPS Senior Pass is one of the best purchases that I have ever made. It cost me $20 per year and has more than paid for itself on this trip. Plus, once I get four $20 annual Passes, I can get a free lifetime Senior Pass. 

After making it through the entrance station my first stop was at the Big Badlands Overlook. This was my first true view of the South Dakota Badlands and just a preview of the amazing scenery that was to come.

After leaving the Big Badlands Overlook, it was just a shot drive to the Ben Reifel Visitors Center. Here I picked up a map. There was a sign out front informing visitors that several hiking trails are closed due to extreme heat.  I talk to one of the rangers who told me that temperatures are as high as 114 in some areas of the park and hear at the Visitors Center it was currently 105.

Leaving the Visitors Center, I spent the Next 3-hours or so driving the 35-mile scenic drive along Route 240.  Even though it was only 35-miles, I stopped at most of the Overlooks and was always amazed at the views. Pictures just can’t capture the rugged beauty of this park.

After completing my 3-hour tour of the Badlands National Park I arrived back in the small town of Wall, South Dakota and decided to make a stop at the World-Famous Wall Drug. If you think traditional Drug Store you are wrong. While it may have started out as a drug store that offered “Free Ice Water” to people traveling along Interstate 90. Today it is a large complex of Building housing souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and a host of gimmick attractions. 

If You have ever been to South of the Border in South Carolina well Wall Drug is a western version of that. Although it is a gigantic tourist trap it is popular and today it is very, very crowded.  I don’t like the crowds and ended up getting a free glass of Ice Water and a souvenir t-shirt and cap and headed back west toward Rapid City.

The 50-mile drive back to the Main Stay Suites in Rapid City took only about 45-minutes. Once I got checked in and settled in my room, I decided to walk across the parking lot to Sickies Garage Burger and Fries. It looks like a popular place and the online menu looked pretty good.

It was popular place, and I chose to sit at the bar. Since I walked over and was not driving, I decided to have one of the over 100 beers that they Have on Tap.  I chose the house IPA which was really good and after a long hot day it was very refreshing. My Big Classic Burger and Fries was great. It filled me up so Sickies was a good choice for supper.

Back in my room, I set about my nightly routine and set about planning tomorrows adventure. It looks like I’ll head east and begin really begin my trek east. Not sure how far I will make it as it will depend on what I can find along the way.

The Adventure Continues.

DAY #12 – JUNE 21, 2021- GILLETTE, WY – HILL CITY, SD - CRAZY HORSE

 

Yesterday, I decided to take a turn to the east and spend the night here at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Gillette, Wyoming. After supper last night I spent a good part of the evening coming up with a revised plan for the rest of this adventure. I explored the possibility of heading down toward Cheyenne and then Taking Interstate 80 across Wyoming to Salt Lake City. I also played with the Idea of heading down to Denver and heading west on Interstate 70 through the Rocky’s and then north to Salt Lake City. Then Traveling East across Wyoming on Interstate 80 to Cheyenne. While I would have liked to have been able to continue my westward adventure there were a couple of wildfires burning along Interstate 70, west of Denver that could (and did) end up closing Interstate 70.

So, I have officially decided leave Gillette and begin my easterly trek toward South Dakota. It was a little after 8:30 a.m. when I checked out of the Comfort Inn & Suites only to find that the key fob problem that I had back in Bismarck had resurfaced. The key fob would not open the door and I again had to use the emergency start by pushing the start button with the key fob. I got the car started but before leaving the hotel I searched the internet for the Closest Honda dealer.  I found that there wasn’t a Honda Dealer in Gillette, and the closest one was in Rapid City.

On the way out of town, I stopped at the local Chevrolet Dealer and spoke with one of the Service Technicians about this reoccurring problem.  He told me it was probably the battery. I told him that the battery for the fob was replaced just a week ago in Bismarck. He then told me that it could be a bad sensor in the car or the fob itself was bad.  He also said that the emergency start mechanism should work, I would just have to use the hidden key to lock and unlock the car.

So, I hit Interstate 90 and headed toward Rapid City some 140-miles away. Now last night I had planned to visit the Devil’s Tower Nation Monument and a couple of other spots along the way.  But now with the car acting up again I made a beeline to Rice Honda in Rapid City.

It took me almost two and a half hours to make the 140-mile drive and I arrived at Rice Honda on Mall Drive right at 11 a.m.  I talked to one of the Service Advisors who was absolutely no help at all. He did not even want to hear anything about the problem and told me the only thing he could do was schedule me for an appointment on Tuesday of Next week. I ask him if he had any suggestion on what was causing the problem and he bluntly replied "not without an appointment". He was no help at all.

As I was leaving one of the service technicians walked with me to the car. This time when I touched the door handle the sensor unlocked the car. The fob and car seemed to be working again. The service technician that followed me to the car told me that my problem could be a bad sensor or a bad key fob just like the guy at the Chevrolet Dealer in Gillette said.  But the service advisor also said it was more likely just a programing issue that could be solve by resetting the sensor in the car’s computer and resyncing the fob.  He said that it would take about 15 minutes to do it. And ask me to hold on while he talked to the Service Advisor.

About 5-minutes later the helpful service technician came back and told me that the Service Advisor refused to push me in, insisting that I schedule the appointment for next week. I thanked him for his help and told him that I would see if I could make some other arrangements.  The Service Technician told me that perhaps the Honda Dealer in Sioux Fall or Sheridan would be more helpful. I got the distinct impression that he didn’t think very highly of the Service Advisor.

Anyway, I stopped for lunch and when I walked away from the car, I heard the beep telling me that the doors were locked, and the fob and car were communicating. While having lunch, I searched the Choice and Holiday Inn apps for a room for the next couple of day.  Most of the rooms in Rapid City were well over $150 a night.  But I did find a room available at the Comfort Inn & Suites in near by Hill City for $100 a night.  This was even better as the Hill City Hotel was located really close to both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments. So, I made a reservation for the next two nights.

CRAZY HORSE

After lunch, I headed south toward the Crazy Horse Monument. The Crazy Horse Monument was one of the places on my bucket list and is about 40-miles south of Rapid City.  Because of Traffic it took me a little over an hour to make the drive.

At 12:30 p.m. I pulled into the Parking Lot of the Crazy Horse Visitors Center.  The Crazy Horse Monument is not part of the National Park Service, so my National Park Senior Pass didn’t work, and I paid the $35 fee to enter the memorial site.  The $35 fee includes parking and admission to the museum and the viewing area.

I began my visit in the museum and gift shop before moving outside to the viewing area. There are several other shops and a couple of food stations all around the viewing area. The view area was really crowded, and it was hard to get photos without people. But I persisted and did get some decent photos of the area and of the Crazy Horse Memorial.

CRAZY HORSE

While I was walking around the viewing area, I heard a volunteer talking about the memorial. He said the memorial was the vision of a man named Henry Standing Bear. The Monument has been under construction since 1948 and is still many decades away from completion. I don’t think that anyone of my generation will ever see it completed. 

I ended up spending a little more than an hours at the Crazy Horse Memorial. I must admit that once you have seen the actual memorial that is being carved into the mountain, everything else has more of a tourist trap feel too it.  But all in all, it was well worth the price of admission to see what an amazing monument to Chief Crazy Horse will be.

CUSTER STATE PARK

It was still early afternoon when I left the Crazy Horse Memorial so having some time left, I decided to take a drive through Custer State Park and Iron Mountain Road.  While I was planning this adventure several people told me that a drive through Custer State Park and Iron Mountain Road was a must.

It was just a short drive from Crazy Horse to the Entrance to Custer State Park.  I paid the $20 entrance fee and off I went.  The entrance fee is good for 7 days so I can return for a longer visit if I want to.

The drive through the Custer State Park, is in a word, AMAZING! The drive takes you through pine forest which give way to rugged stone formations.  At one point you drive through the rock formations. This part of the drive is known as Cathedral Spires, and it is the most amazing park of the drive. This part of the highway is really narrow as you make you way slowly through the tall, rugged rock formation.  As I drove through the rocks and made my way down the mountain the rugged rocks gave way to grassy meadows where Buffalo are roaming freely.  The lady at the park visitors center said the herd numbers about 1,500 and is one of the largest herds of free ranging buffalo in South Dakota.

NEEDLES EYE TUNNEL

The drive through the state park on the Needles Highway, is about 15-miles but it took me the better part of 2-hours to complete my drive. I stopped at every pullout and overlook and even took a couple of short hikes along the way. I keep using the word amazing, but it is the only word that seems to fit.

I started my trip at the Route 385 entrance to the park and made my way all the way across to Route 87 which took me up to Iron Mountain Road.  Driving across Iron Mountain Road is another spectacular drive that affords you some amazing views of Mount Rushmore in the distance.  It is along this route that you get the iconic tunnel view of Mount Rushmore.

MOUNT RUSHMORE

There are several tunnels along this route, but it is the Doane Robinson Tunnel that affords you that classic view of Mount Rushmore looking through the tunnel. This was one of the places that I really wanted to visit, and I say again, seeing Mount Rushmore through the tunnel was amazing.

The drive along Iron Mountain Road took another hour and a half and it was getting late when I arrived at the entrance to Mount Rushmore.  Being so late in the day, I decided to head on to the Comfort Inn in Hill City and visit Mount Rushmore tomorrow when I can spend as much time as I want.

It was a little before 5 p.m. when I arrived at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Hill City, South Dakota. This is a nice hotel and I check-in was quick and in no time flat I was in my room.  I remember seeing on Facebook where Kandice and Gus Necessary were in South Dakota a few days ago so I sent Kandace a text to see if they were anywhere close.

Well, they were closer than I thought. About 10-minute after I sent my message, she replied that they were still in South Dakota and want to know where I was. I told them that I was at the Comfort Inn “south of Rapid City” in a little town called Hill City.

I was really surprised when she replied that they were, “right across the street." Kandace said they were staying at the Lantern Inn which was right across Highway 16 from me. We quick made arrangements to meet for supper and a short time later I made my over to the Lantern Inn and met them.

ME & GUS

Gus and Kandace along with two other couples were on a summer Motorcycle trip. Also joining them on this trip were Toby Thompson and Garland Snead, two troopers and friends that I worked with from many years. Toby and Garland had cutout early this morning to take a side trip and would be joining back up with Gus, Kandace, and the other couples later in Sioux Falls.

After catching up for a few minutes we all walked down to Alpine Inn for Supper. Hill City is a small town and being it is really close to both Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park, it is crowded with tourists. There was a line at any of the restaurants, so we had a wait before we were seated for supper. So, Gus and I used the time to catch up.

After an hour wait, we were finally seated and enjoy a great suppers and visit with Gus, Kandace, and their friends. After supper we walked back to the Lantern Inn where Gus, Kandace and I continued our visit. Both Gus and I lamented on how it was amazing that we live only about 30-miles apart and had to come all the way to South Dakota to catchup with each other.  We decided that once back home in Virginia we will keep in touch. They would be pulling out in the morning and beginning there trip back toward home.

After a great visit with my dear friends, I made my way back across the street to the Comfort Inn. It was a little after 10 p.m. when I got back to my room and spent the rest of the night coming up with a plan for the next couple of day. The issue with my car and a couple of other things have caused me to rearrange my plans.

Even with the issue with my car, I had a great day. Scratched another destination off my bucket list with a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial, had a great drive across the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. Then I capped the day off with a wonderful supper with wonderful friends.

Today was simply amazing, and the adventure continues.