Buffalo,Wyoming

We stopped on the way here at Devil's Tower.   It is a huge rock sticking out of the land that you can see for a long ways away.  We parked  the RV's and took the car into the park.  Pat & Elmon took Riley with them in their truck as it was a warm day.  Hard to find parking at the visitor center.  What an awesome sight.  It is 867 ft from the base and 1200 ft above the river.  John & I walked around it a little bit.  Went back to RV's and had lunch and then drove around 130 miles to our camp here in Buffalo.  We are at a nice park in the trees.  Last night the wind really blew and  it has only been in the 60's here today.  We went to a museum today, had lunch in town and saw a old hotel and the town buildings.  Just had a relaxing day.  Here is a picture of Devils tower.  We went to a museum in Buffalo and visited the downtown area. The local hotel is from the late 1800's, and still has the flavor from the times. JVP

Last days of South Dakota

Mon July 27th We headed out for a drive around the Black Hills.  We drove through the Custer State Park and we got to see the herd of buffalo along side the road again.  We are all just awed at them and love to see them every time.  We stopped at Sylvan Lake which has beautiful rocks around it and water is so dark.  We also saw the Lodge again where we had lunch 2 years ago (it was the summer home of President Coolidge. From there we took the Needles Highway where the rocks are just spires high in the sky.  We saw some people climbing a few.  We went through about 10 tunnels on our ride most are only room for one car at a time.  We remember the last time going through in a bus.  We saw so many animals on our ride.  We saw some prong horn antelope, wild donkeys, and mountain sheep.  They thought they were going to get fed and came right up to the car windows.  We had lunch at a picnic stop.  We got to see Mt Rushmore in the rain.  The statues look so different when they are wet. We had some good thunderstorms with lots of rain and even some hail.  Stopped in Custer and had pie and coffee again at Purple Pie Place and did some shopping. All the corners have a buffalo statue on them and each one is painted differently.  We finished our story tape on the way back home and enjoyed the great scenery and rain along the way.  We had dinner at a little restaurant  here in Hot Springs.  Tomorrow is a long driving day so up early.

Sunday #2

Well I just don't know what day it is.  Sun was a kick back day.  I did laundry and John & I had pancake breakfast by the staff here at the park.  We went into town and had lunch at Dairy Queen and than went to Mammoth Site.  It is a geological wonder.  It is a real dig and they are still finding more and more bones.  They covered the sink hole that had water in it from eons ago, that trapped so many Mammoth's is inside a building. the animals slipped in and couldn't get out, water disappeared and layers of silt covered them up.  We saw the remains of mammoths and other prehistoric animals.  It is hard to believe it is real.  We were going to take a dip in the Hot Springs Pool but it is more a family pool and today is filled with kids and a strong odor of chlorine and it is too hot to get into hot water.  We drove up to the Veteran's Hospital and cemetery.  It is a beautiful old building and the graves of Veterans were interesting to see=some from World War I and even Spanish American War.  Drove around and saw some old  buildings and homes.  We had grilled our Dinner at the trailers and rested up. JVP

Badlands

Sat we drove the loop around the Badlands.  We put in a story to listen to along the way as it took us over an hour and a half to get to the Badlands Park.  We had a great movie in the vistor's center and then drove around the loop.  We did get out of the car and climb up on the rocks to look out (Virginia's legs have been really sore from that) but most of the time we were driving.  It is a desolute area but colors in rocks can be pretty.  Filled up car and it was $2.34 a gallon which is about the same price we pay for diesel.  We had dinner here at camp. Afterwards we played a game of Spinners.  Buddy likes it here as there are lots of grasshoppers for him to chase, and lots of grass for the dogs, and cat to wander around in. JVP 

South Dakota News

Thursday,  July 23rd.  Arrived here in Hot Springs South Dakota.  It was a short run with rolling prairies and can understand why the pioneers go bored with the scenery day after day.  We are in a nice park here in the pine trees.  First day was in the 90's and so we were quite warm.  We drove through town to visitor's center and than went to dinner at a nice steak restaurant which was really reasonable.  July 24Th  We took off this morning and went to Wind Cave National Park.  We had an 1 1/2 tour in Wind Cave.  It is one of the largest caves (over 131 miles long).  We started at the entrance and than walked through.  It was just beautiful and very different than any other  cave we have been in.  The formations are called boxwood and have 95% of the world's formations.  Joy couldn't go with us as she doesn't like closed in spaces.  After that we went into the grasslands.  What beautiful rolling green hills. We did seem some prong horns and than we saw a whole herd of buffalo.  They sound like cows but are so big and woolly.  Then we went up a dirt road and found a small herd walking right along side our car.  The Mom and her baby were walking on the trail and Daddy right behind.  It was kind of scary having them so close but made for great pictures and so nice to see them up so close.  Went into Custer and had our home made pie at the Purple Pie Place ( Thanks to Jim and Zilpha's suggestion.)  We hit a thunderstorm and it rained really nice.  We had some thunder and lightening too but so far nothing here at camp.  We're having turkey dinner tonight.  It has cooled down nicely and only in the 80's today.   JVP

  

What's in Nebraska?

July 21-23rd  Arrived here in Gering, Nebraska after a short travel day=about 100 miles.  We are in a nice park with grass and lots of space in between.  We drove out to Lake Minatare=a big lake that has one of seven in land lighthouses.  We climbed to the top of the stairs for a nice view.  A few people were out boating, tubing and just enjoying the lake.  We went into Scotts Bluff the neighboring town to eat at a Mexican restaurant, the park lady said was better than New Mexico.  We had their guacamole and chips which were puffy like a potato chip.  I had my tostato which they never put anything in but chicken, lettuce. and cheese and a little tomato(I like home's better) and the rest had Chile Reanos, enchiladas with green or red chile sauce.  Last night we awoke to the sound of the sprinklers hitting the window in the bedroom.  Everybody got  one side of their rig wet and Elmon"s truck is water spotted too.  This is a small Nebraska town, but Scott's Bluff is a little bigger.  Wed we packed a lunch and headed out about 19 miles to see Chimney Rock Nat. Historic Site.  It is funny to see this tall sandstone pillar sticking up out of the plains.  It was a landmark for the the pioneers traveling through here.  Next was a ride out to Scotts Bluff National Monument.  The bluffs are just beautiful and you can see all over the valley from the top.  This was the start of the Oregon and Calif trails across the Rockies to homestead, trap for furs, and the gold rush too.  They had 3 nice covered wagons out side to show what they traveled in and a Morman  hand carry cart.  It was quite interesting to hear about their travels across the plains and they were glad to get  here to the Bluffs to see something other than flat lands.  It is another clear day with clouds building on the horizon and in the 80's.  We are so glad to be out of the heat at home. JVP

Sunday is Rodeo Day

We did not have to be at Frontier Park for the Rodeo, until 11:00 AM. The behind the shoots tour began at eleven, we got there just in time. WE drove the car to the park and ride and took the school bus to the park. The Rodeo was fun but but there was a couple of accidents, where a horse died and the cowboy went to the hospital. One horse bucked across the arena, and went over the stage, dumped the rider, got up and ran into a fence. He was all right though. A calf was hurt and they carried him off. Virginia and I got up and went shopping for a while. We watched calf roping, bull riding, barrel racing, bronc riding and a wild horse race.  One bull came out, threw his rider off and stood in the middle of the arena and didn't want to go back in the gate.  3 riders roped his horns and tried to pull him off the arena but they couldn't make him budge.  There also was a team of 6 black horses that pulled a wagon and did circle 8's in a small space.  They were just beautiful.  Sunday of course was the hottest day so glad we could sit in the shade.  Afterward we shopped the arena.  Monday was cooler and a kick back day.  We sat around in the morning and than went to the mall and saw Harry Potter.  Instead of going to the pancake breakfast with 10,000 other people we opted for IHOP.  I got my nails done and we did some grocery shopping.  Than we went to friends home for a great dinner and talk.  We also got to see the Thunderbirds fly over and do some practicing for the air show on Wed.  We have enjoyed Cheyenne and the Rodeo, had a few thunder showers and nice cool breezes and great skies with puffy white clouds.  Tomorrow is a travel day and onto Nebraska. JVP