We said a reluctant goodbye to Terri, Terri, Terry and Brian and set off for South Dakota. We got as far as Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and camped at the lovely Robidoux RV Park in nearby Gering. It is a beautiful park, with some shade and lots of green grass.
They even have a huge dog/play area….even big enough for the Bagley boys to do ready-gos.
We had planned to get up early and hike up to the monument, which is adjacent to the park, but Mother Nature interfered. Late Tuesday afternoon I came down with what would turn out to be a three-day bout with "distress of the lower tract," and several more days before I was feeling myself. We had considered staying another day or so since I wasn’t in the best shape to travel, but our site wasn’t available. Sooooo, after loading up on pills and Pedialite, John helped me into the truck and I curled up on the jackknife sofa with the dogs for trip north to Custer, SD, and our home for the next two weeks, Custer’s Gulch RV Park.
It took a full week for me to feel back to normal, but eventually I was up to hiking the old logging roads behind camp. Dutch was proud to have his own new backpack (the burnt orange one) and took to the trails like a veteran.
We have stayed at Custer's Gulch many times before, and were happy that our favorite spot, #50, was available. It’s a long back-in, with the park boundary and national forest just out our back door. The site next door is also hard to get into because of trees, so it is frequently vacant, giving us a much bigger yard.
We may have been far from home, but we were not far from friends from home. Buck and Sidney Thomason and new friends Kerry and Shannon Hodges were visiting the Black Hills just as we arrived. We were able to meet for a lunch at the beautiful Sylvan Lake Lodge in Custer State Park, and a drive down the Needles Highway. Here is one of the breath-taking views from the Lodge; Sidney, Kerry and I were careful not to get too close to the edge.
Of course, we ha to take a short side trip to see the lake, crowded on this summer weekend with walkers, kayakers, and picnickers.
Then, we stopped for a view of the Needle's Eye rock formation for which the highway is named. It’s always a popular spot, and today was no exception.
Fortunately, we had a storm trooper on hand to direct traffic through the adjacent tunnel. And it's a good thing. Just as we arrived, a tour bus was making its way very slowly through the tunnel. It must have been claustrophobic for those inside.
It must have been hot inside his suit, though. After a short time, he mounted his Harley and headed west.
The spot is marked by this sign explaining that the view from this spot was what inspired the vision that would become Mount Rushmore.
We enjoyed our afternoon, and said a reluctant goodbye to our friends before parting company.
Our next excursion was a trip to Rapid City to visit with good friends Rick and Linda Lorentz. They spent several weeks with us at the farm this spring, and have just moved into their lovely new home in Rapid Valley.
After John and I had a tour of their new home and beautiful, big back yard, the four of us headed into town for an amazing lunch at Firehouse Brewing Company. The restaurant is set in a renovated firehouse, and features to-die-for burgers and brews. Linda and I can testify that their margaritas are pretty good as well.
We browsed for a bit at the wonderful shops next door, then topped off our afternoon with ice cream while we watched the kids play in the downtown water feature.
We didn’t wast any time visiting another of our favorite Black Hills restaurants. Joined by Rick and Linda as well as Bernie and Rhonda, a couple of days later we had another memorable lunch at The Powder House Restaurant in nearby Keystone. We were disappointed that they didn’t have our favorite Buffalo Stew in a Bread Bowl, but made do with some other yummy lunch specials. (And, since then, we’ve been trying to walk off those meals on daily jaunts with the dogs.)
On the way home from lunch, John and I took Iron Mountain Road, which winds from Keystone and Mount Rushmore National Monument down to Custer State Park, and offers some stunning views. There are several "pigtail bridges" along this route, which is part of the 70 mile Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. The bridges are made of wood and curl around on top of the road in order to gain elevation quickly over a short distance. Unfortunately, because of the circuitous nature of the road and the trees, it is hard to get a photo that shows them well.
We also negotiated with other travelers at each of the one-lane tunnels. Since this is the beginning of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, there were plenty of bikes, as well as passenger vehicles.
And. the tunnels are oriented in such a way that you can see the presidents on Mount Rushmore in the distance as you exit some of them northbound.
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