I am sooooo far behind on this blog. We've taken lots of pictures and a few notes along the way, but the truth be told...we've traveled so much this summer it's hard to remember what we did and when we did it. If I sat down each night an wrote I would probably have a pretty good representation of what we've done and seen But we have been having so much fun, and the people we've met have been so interesting...well, we've spent most evening either socializing with new friends or going to sleep pretty early as we were just plain worn out!
Another big obstacle has been lack of good wifi. We bought a hot spot and we have data on most of our devices, but it seems we use all that stuff up long before we should and we are left with very poor service. Every campground we've been in advertises "free wifi." Sadly, the service has been poor in most every state with the exception of South Dakota. Supposedly we would get the resort's wifi in our RV, but most places we had to go to the main lodge and even then it was slow, sometimes taking ten or fifteen minutes to download one picture.
Theoretically, one of the reasons we made this trip was to "unplug," not be so tied down to our devices. Unfortunately we found that it's not that easy. There was always some bit of business coming up and we found ourselves frustrated with the lack of Internet availability.
In the meantime, we are now back in North Carolina for a couple of weeks,and I'm trying to spend some time each day "catching up" with the blog. We're still having a good time and we'll be continuing our adventures, one way or another.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
Sturgis
Aug. 29
Sturgis was next on our list of must sees. We rode motorcycles a number of years ago and loved riding with friends in Florida as well as in the gently rolling countryside of mid-Tennessee. And of course, living in Florida, we enjoyed several trips to Daytona for Bike Week. But unlike some of our hardier biking friends we never really considered making the trek to the legendary Sturgis, which in my mind is somehow the Mecca of motorcyclists. Now in South Dakota we had to visit, if nothing else to buy a T-Shirt and have a beer. As it turned out we had missed the big Sturgis event, a 75th anniversary celebration, by a couple of weeks, but signs of the recent event were evident and there was still a festive atmosphere.
We drove around town, purchased fuel below the $2.00 mark! then parked and wandered the streets before settling in one of the big biker bars for the obligatory beer and T-shirt. There were still a few motorcyclists cruising the main street and it was a pleasant afternoon.
Between Sturgis and Rapid City we found a national cemetery and stopped for a quiet walk through. It is sobering to see the long rows of grave stones for our military, going back through past wars, knowing that as the U.S. continues to fight new battles these cemeteries will to grow ever larger with the soldiers of current strife.
Sturgis was next on our list of must sees. We rode motorcycles a number of years ago and loved riding with friends in Florida as well as in the gently rolling countryside of mid-Tennessee. And of course, living in Florida, we enjoyed several trips to Daytona for Bike Week. But unlike some of our hardier biking friends we never really considered making the trek to the legendary Sturgis, which in my mind is somehow the Mecca of motorcyclists. Now in South Dakota we had to visit, if nothing else to buy a T-Shirt and have a beer. As it turned out we had missed the big Sturgis event, a 75th anniversary celebration, by a couple of weeks, but signs of the recent event were evident and there was still a festive atmosphere.
We took our time on the beautiful drive to Sturgis, and as we had skipped breakfast we stopped at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city that had outdoor seating. Buddi was with us and she always enjoys sharing our meals. As we enjoyed our breakfast we wondered aloud just what people did for a living right in Sturgis...when hordes of motorcyclists were not around. Our waiter, a young man who was planning international travel following this summer job, told us nearly all of the local help was seasonal.
We drove around town, purchased fuel below the $2.00 mark! then parked and wandered the streets before settling in one of the big biker bars for the obligatory beer and T-shirt. There were still a few motorcyclists cruising the main street and it was a pleasant afternoon.
A side note: our Sun Conure, who is almost certainly the most spoiled bird/pet in the nation, has two things which either terrify her or make her angry: with a bird it's often difficult to tell which. She screeches loudly and usually runs down to one lap or the other whenever she sees one of those orange and white striped barrels or cones used during roadway repair or highway construction. We are baffled as to why she hates the things. The don't move or flap wings, yet she regards them as she might a giant eagle...while we sympathize with her phobia it can extremely annoying when the construction...and the barrels...go on for miles.
The second thing she finds odious is motorcycles. One would think the noise is what bothers her, yet she takes offense at bicycles as well, apparently lumping all two wheeled vehicles into the category of "thing that aggravate the bird." We really should have thought about that before we took her on the trip to Sturgis!!
(And in case anyone wonders why Larry is often seen in pictures wearing the same yellow shirt...
we have four of these oversized T's we wear while traveling to, um, protect us from Buddi.)
Between Sturgis and Rapid City we found a national cemetery and stopped for a quiet walk through. It is sobering to see the long rows of grave stones for our military, going back through past wars, knowing that as the U.S. continues to fight new battles these cemeteries will to grow ever larger with the soldiers of current strife.Badlands and Wall
Aug. 27
We had driven on I 90 across the entire state of South Dakota before arriving in Rapid City. Along most of that route we saw signs much like South of the Border signs in North and South Carolina: every few miles there loomed a gigantic billboard advertising the wonders to be found at that el cheapo, glitzy tourist attraction sitting on the N Carolina/S Carolina border. And yes, I've stopped there. In South Dakota the signs that went on mile after mile advertised "Wall" and "Wall Drug" with tantalizing pictures of ice cream,"homemade pies" and all kinds of souvenirs; the biggest lure of all... "As seen on the Today Show!" According to our reckoning, we could drive east on I90 to Wall, then back through the Badlands and, if we had any daylight left, east again to visit an intriguing 1880's town.
On arriving in Wall we found that the town and gigantic "drug store" were pretty much what we had expected. The streets were packed with camera toting tourists (oops, that included us, I guess!), souvenir and gift shops, Black Hills gold jewelry stores and restaurants and bars as well as one enormous, very out of place dinosaur. We wandered in and out of shops, purchased an excellent guide to the Black Hills area and finally settled on a bar for a late breakfast or early lunch. Apparently a stop at Wall Drug 
is mandatory when visiting the area, so now we could check it off our list.
We returned to I90 and set out for the Badlands Loop which was part of a national park and would, according to our new guide, afford us the best views of the Badlands. We were looking forward to this drive as we had briefly glimpsed the Badlands on the way to Rapid City. We wondered at the time why this area was so named. Having watched too many westerns growing up, I felt sure it was called "The Badlands" because the bad guys...train and bank robbers and such...hid out there from the sheriff after committing their dastardly deeds. Not exactly. According to my sources the Lakota Indians were the first to call it their version of bad land because of the lack of water and vegetation and the harsh
conditions they found there. Later on French fur trappers agreed with the name and the "Badlands" name stuck. Whatever you call it a drive through the Badlands might be compared to driving on the moon; there is an ethereal feel to the panorama, and while desolate and harsh it is also extraordinarily beautiful, the shadows on the rock faces shifting as you round each corner. Ordinarily we chatter a lot when driving...but I noticed we were exceptionally quiet, lost this otherworldly landscape.
As we left the Badlands Loop we decided there was indeed time to visit the 1880's Town. It actually turned out to be further away then we thought and was closing as we arrived. Meanwhile, on the way back to our campground we saw signs for an early west museum that included an outdoor exhibit with a sod house and artifacts from that period. It was about to close as well, but we got information from the ranger on duty and got to see some fat, sassy cute-as-could-be prairie dogs.
On arriving in Wall we found that the town and gigantic "drug store" were pretty much what we had expected. The streets were packed with camera toting tourists (oops, that included us, I guess!), souvenir and gift shops, Black Hills gold jewelry stores and restaurants and bars as well as one enormous, very out of place dinosaur. We wandered in and out of shops, purchased an excellent guide to the Black Hills area and finally settled on a bar for a late breakfast or early lunch. Apparently a stop at Wall Drug 
We returned to I90 and set out for the Badlands Loop which was part of a national park and would, according to our new guide, afford us the best views of the Badlands. We were looking forward to this drive as we had briefly glimpsed the Badlands on the way to Rapid City. We wondered at the time why this area was so named. Having watched too many westerns growing up, I felt sure it was called "The Badlands" because the bad guys...train and bank robbers and such...hid out there from the sheriff after committing their dastardly deeds. Not exactly. According to my sources the Lakota Indians were the first to call it their version of bad land because of the lack of water and vegetation and the harsh
 |
| Big, bad Buddi in the Badlands |
As we left the Badlands Loop we decided there was indeed time to visit the 1880's Town. It actually turned out to be further away then we thought and was closing as we arrived. Meanwhile, on the way back to our campground we saw signs for an early west museum that included an outdoor exhibit with a sod house and artifacts from that period. It was about to close as well, but we got information from the ranger on duty and got to see some fat, sassy cute-as-could-be prairie dogs.
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblog.com/how-did-the-badlands-get-their-name/#sthash.hM6PtBO3.dpuf
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblog.com/how-did-the-badlands-get-their-name/#sthash.hM6PtBO3.dpuf
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblog.com/how-did-the-badlands-get-their-name/#sthash.hM6PtBO3.dpuf
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblog.com/how-did-the-badlands-get-their-name/#sthash.hM6PtBO3.dpu
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblogsthash.8uhEJnyd.dpuf
The
Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land
bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged
terrain led to this name. French-Canadian fur trappers also called it
“les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.” -
See more at:
http://blackhillstravelblog.com/how-did-the-badlands-get-their-name/#sthash.8uhEJnyd.dpuf
The
Lakota
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Rapid City, SD
Aug. 26
On arrival yesterday we had gathered all brochures and magazine available in the lodge at Rushmore Shadows; after getting set up we spent time pouring over each and every glossy page. There was so much to do and see in this area we were going to need to make decisions on how to spend our allotted two weeks. Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Sturgis, Deadwood and Lead were some of the obvious choices. But there were also lesser known sights: caverns, Native American sites, dinosaur bones, wild animal park and... oh joy, Reptile World (which hold some sort of Guinness record) not the mention Wall (home of the famous Wall Drug) and right next to our campground, Old MacDonald's farm, a petting zoo on steroids. We had a lot to think about.
But first things first. We've found that it's a good idea to do a shopping trip early on in our stay, first to stock up and second to get the lay of the land. We were settled in the Black Hills and had beautiful sights all around. As we drove towards our destinations of Camping World (trailer parts needed), Bed Bath and Beyond (replacement of defunct coffee maker) and Walmart Supercenter (for needed food items) we saw that Rapid City, population about 67,000, was spread put over a huge area. Every rise and corner gave us a surprisingly lovely view... even from the gas station! We were looking forward to every minute here.
On arrival yesterday we had gathered all brochures and magazine available in the lodge at Rushmore Shadows; after getting set up we spent time pouring over each and every glossy page. There was so much to do and see in this area we were going to need to make decisions on how to spend our allotted two weeks. Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Sturgis, Deadwood and Lead were some of the obvious choices. But there were also lesser known sights: caverns, Native American sites, dinosaur bones, wild animal park and... oh joy, Reptile World (which hold some sort of Guinness record) not the mention Wall (home of the famous Wall Drug) and right next to our campground, Old MacDonald's farm, a petting zoo on steroids. We had a lot to think about.
But first things first. We've found that it's a good idea to do a shopping trip early on in our stay, first to stock up and second to get the lay of the land. We were settled in the Black Hills and had beautiful sights all around. As we drove towards our destinations of Camping World (trailer parts needed), Bed Bath and Beyond (replacement of defunct coffee maker) and Walmart Supercenter (for needed food items) we saw that Rapid City, population about 67,000, was spread put over a huge area. Every rise and corner gave us a surprisingly lovely view... even from the gas station! We were looking forward to every minute here.
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