So we were at our campsite at America's Mailbox and it was really an important event not only for us, but for them as well because it was the start of their operation at their new location and the start of our new adventure also. They had quite a celebration with their new building having a Masonic dedication ceremony which included raising their 30' x 60' american flag on a flagpole that is 100' high, and lots of food being served afterwards. The owner of America's Mailbox said that this flag was gonna be a landmark and I'd tend to agree with him as it's easily visible to anyone traveling on I-90 right there, as well as east or west on the freeway for a mile or so.
As my sisters Elaine & June were in Rapid City on their trek from Washington DC to McMinnville, Oregon, we mosied over to see them at their motel room after the festivities were over with. Spent time with them in the evening, then mosied back to the moho for an early night. Got together with them the next day for day trip around the area. Our first stop was at Mt. Rushmore which is where these photos were taken; the photo on the right has June on the left and Elaine in the center. You can tell it wasn't warm that day, huh? (Remember, Elaine is the bonafide Redskins fan, I got my sweatshirt at a thrift store in the hopes of staying warm when I worked those chili nights in Las Vegas. Now that I'm retired, I'm gonna take up the hobby of being a Redskins fan, along with being a fan of other professional sports teams also). We toured the national memorial going up and down the many steps that are there on the paths (it was very good exercise) and had lunch at the Buffalo Dining Room. Each of us had bison, which was something that none of us had ever had prior to this visit. June and I had the stew, Katie and Elaine had the burgers; not only did the flavor please us, but it was better for us than chicken!
Crazy Horse was next on the list of places to go to. When Katie and I saw Crazy Horse about 10 years ago, it looked almost the same as it does now. The reason being that most of the work that's been done since then has been on the far side of the mountain. You can see from the photo how things look now, and what it's supposed to look like when it's done. It's gonna be a pretty big monument when it's all done, can't help but wonder how long that'll be though.
The next day, May 16, found all of us going to the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. It was interesting to see where many years ago, at least 51 mammoths had fallen into a sinkhole that they couldn't get out of. The city of Hot Springs, SD is adjacent to the mammoth site and has other touristy things to look at. Prior to going into Hot Springs, lunch was eaten at a long lost favorite fast food eatery, Taco Johns. They don't have stores in the Las Vegas area, and we were very happy to be able to eat there and find they had the same good taste that was there when we ate there about 10 years or so, ago. I like the potato ole's; they're like tater tots, but smaller and round.
In Hot Springs, we found the walkway along Fall River, which was fairly warm due to the hot water flowing into it from the hot springs, and walked along it for a ways. In the photo to the left, that's it next to Katie. Not unlike other bodies of water, there was plenty of ducks in the river and on the islands in it. I'm thinking they were happier ducks because of the temperature of the water. Of course, maybe I'm thinking that because I'd be happier due to the water being warmer than a lot of other streams or rivers in this part of the country.
And just like any other foresty place in the country, there were lots of animals. But there were bison here in addition to the other animals. In all, we saw wild turkey, antelope, prairie dogs, mountain goats, and cows. The bison had special privileges it seemed as they roamed all over Custer State Park uninhibited, here's a picture of one of them
June and Elaine left the next day (Tuesday) heading for Yellowstone and points west in hopes of being in Oregon by Saturday. As we weren't residents of Nevada anymore, we went about the tasks of changing our residency and registering our vehicles in South Dakota, which was done with a minimum of fuss.
There was a threat of rain that evening, but we still had time around 5 PM to accomplish part of a goal of ours, which was to play disc golf at least once in each state. We discovered a park in Rapid City, with a 9 basket course and headed out. The course was well laid out and we had a great time getting out enjoying the exercise.
There was a threat of rain that evening, but we still had time around 5 PM to accomplish part of a goal of ours, which was to play disc golf at least once in each state. We discovered a park in Rapid City, with a 9 basket course and headed out. The course was well laid out and we had a great time getting out enjoying the exercise.
The next morning we awoke to water leaks above the side windows next to the driver's and passenger's seats. We were grateful to America's Mailbox for having an RV bay so the moho could dry out and be worked on, and for having a room we could stay in while the moho was drying out. Didn't realize how much their services and facilities would be appreciated when we decided they'd be our new address in South Dakota. We tried to repair the roof (still leaks as of 5/25!) and made other enhancements to the moho while it was in the RV bay.
Our last night in Rapid City, we decided to go out to eat and visit Mt. Rushmore for the evening lighting ceremony. I also had an ulterior motive which was to plan what our itinerary would be between our departure from Rapid City and our arrival at Altoona, Iowa on the 6th of June. We found a Mexican restaurant in Keystone called Arriba Mexican Grill. We were greeted outside by a friendly youth, looking to be college age, who had a european accent rather than a Mexican accent. Turns out he and several other servers were from Moldova, a landlocked European country by Romania and Ukraine. The guy who was training the servers was from Indonesia. Never did see anyone who looked like they were of Mexican descent, figured that's who the cooks were. Regardless, we enjoyed the food; it was tasty, the portions were good, and the atmosphere of the eatery was pleasant as well. We plotted our itinerary to include six stops between May 21st and June 6th, and then headed for Mt. Rushmore for the lighting ceremony. The ceremony started at about 9:00 PM and lasted for about 25 minutes or so with a few spoken words by a park ranger, and a movie which gave brief biographies of each president and why the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum, thought they were important enough to be there. At the end, the lights were turned on and the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln were illuminated. There were about 200 people there that night when it was more than a little cool, and I'm thinking that everyone left with a better appreciation for what those presidents stood for and what they did.
The next morning found us hitching the HHR up behind the moho and heading towards Badlands National Park Campground, eager to see what the moho would take us to.
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