STURGIS SOUTH DAKOTA TO RAWLINS WYOMING…HEALTH IS PRIORITY SO WE ARE HEADED FOR CONGRESS AZ.

Kelly’s cold has worsened with a lot of coughing in the night & she is feeling like a train wreck this morning.  We made the decision to head for Congress Arizona.  Kelly’s primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver drains her energy levels quickly & her auto immune system has trouble with that.  We have to think a little differently about how we do things now as opposed to a few years ago & that is taking a little getting used to for us.  Our plans are to return to South Dakota again on our way West next Fall via the Chicago route.  Much shorter  (& less expensive) than the Lake Superior way for sure & we can catch the Badlands on the way to Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, & the Devil’s Tower..   Priority now is to get into warmer air & back to our South-Western home.  The dropping temperature & 80% chance of rain for the Custer area Sunday was also a deciding factor in moving on. 

IT WAS A NICE PULL THROUGH CAMPSITE WE HAD FOR A FEW DAYS AT ‘DAYS END’ RV PARK
A warm sunny morning in Sturgis as we dumped tanks & packed up.  We climbed aboard I-90 right by the RV Park entrance about 9 a.m. & headed out.  One of the many great things I like about the West is way less traffic on the roads & today was a fine example of that.  Heading West on I-90 there were long stretches of road with no vehicles visible ahead or behind especially in Wyoming.  That is really something for an Interstate & I-90 was like that all the way most of the day.  Even I-25 south from Buffalo had very little traffic on it.  The Big EEE seemed energized so we gave our Steed the lead & she ran like the wind.  It was just a great driving day all round.  Our second best day since leaving Bayfield around the end of September.  We had the tunes just a poppin & all that sunshine for sure picked up our Spirits.

 
THIS LITTLE CABOOSE OUT HERE IN THE WYOMING GRASSLANDS LOST HER ENGINE

 
EASIEST McDONALD’S WE EVER GOT INTO
There was one other thing that had us down a few days ago which I didn’t blog about.  On our way to Rouleau Saskatchewan (Corner Gas) a few days ago we came upon a couple trucks kinda blocking the road.  A driver waved us down a gravel road.  Figured maybe an accident had just occurred ahead & had the highway blocked or something.  The 2 truckers may have picked that up on their CB’s.  Without thinking I turned the rig onto the gravel road figuring we could just go around the concession & return to the highway further up.  Took our time & worked our way around getting back to the highway again.  It wasn’t until later when we stopped in to a Rouleau Convenience Store to check for any Corner Gas souvenirs that we shockingly saw the front end of our Jeep.  Both headlights smashed, both fog lights smashed & the windshield was cracked & pitted.  All that from the gravel stones kicked up from the rigs tires.  We can still drive the Jeep OK but not at night until we get new headlights installed. 

Called our insurance company & it will be covered.  You can imagine how bad we both felt & especially me.  I spend enough time on gravel roads at home to know about flying stones.  Then later that night we discovered the electrical problem with our coach.  Add to that being tired from fighting weather conditions previously & the fact neither one of us hardly got any sleep in Williston North Dakota & maybe you can understand how dejected & depressed we felt.  That’s when the thought of just heading back home to Bayfield came up so you can see how one should never make important decisions in times of duress & stress. 
PHEEBS SPRAWLED OUT ON THE FLOOR AS WE MAKE OUR WAY SOUTH
 
All that took until today to finally ease up enough for us to get ourselves back on track, crank up the tunes & begin to feel like happy traveling campers again.  No more talk about selling the RV, our house in Congress, & giving up the RV life & resigning ourselves to our recliners in front of the TV forever.   Kelly just relaxing in her comfy leather navigator’s seat enjoying the rolling & gently sweeping grassy hills of scenic southern Wyoming going by.  No walking, hiking, trouble shooting or stressful worrying, just soaking up some nice warm healing sunshine knowing we will soon be in our beloved South-West once more.  

It was somewhere East of Buffalo Wyoming about 11:20 this morning when I spotted something familiar on the far Western horizon.  It stretched clear across & appeared to be a bit pointy.  Clouds perhaps?  No sireeeee, I recognize mountains when I sees em.  Oh what a great feeling that was to once again see my beloved mountains.  Last time I saw mountains was in our former Winnie Wagon’s rear view mirror late last March as Colorado slowly drifted off behind us.  Today was the first day I had that good South-West feeling back again.  And it will stay with me all winter until I once again reluctantly watch those fading mountains disappear in my rear view mirror once again.

A WYOMING PIT STOP
Again, thanks to readers for there suggestion & thoughts on trying to help with our electrical problem.  What complicates the trouble shooting is the fact our rig has been starting fine with the ignition key the last 3 days & we have not had to use the power boost feature.  Also our water pump is working again because we had water today.  Side steps are working as well but no power to our coach plugs or  microwave.  A perplexing problem which I’m sure will take some expertise to solve.  First thing we’ll do when we reach Congress is have the garage check our engine battery & alternator.   If that checks out OK we will go from there.

MY FIRST VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS

Tonight we are in Rawlins Wyoming.  Gassed up & pulled into a large gravel parking lot area.  Looks like a trucking company lot.  Pheebs took Kelly out for a walk & they met the owner of the parking area we were in.  He said sure you can park here.  In fact if you pull over there onto that concrete you will be a little more level & out of the wind & enjoy your stay.  A little Wyoming hospitality methinks:))

TIS OUR HOME FOR THE NIGHT
GROANER’S CORNER:(( "I'm sorry," said the clerk in flower shop, "we don't have potted geraniums. Could you use African violets instead?"  Replied the customer sadly, "No, it was geraniums my wife told me to water while she was gone."

MOUNT RUSHMORE & A DRIVE THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS… WHAT A NICE AREA THIS IS

THIS IS FRIDAY’S POST…HAD SOME KIND OF LOG-IN PROBLEM & COULDN’T PUBLISH THE BLOG…HAD TO WAIT TILL SATURDAY MORNING WHEN KELLY GOT UP TO FIGURE IT OUT…………

How nice to wake up under warmer conditions.  With electric we can run our little ceramic heater & that does a nice job of keeping the chilly stuff out.

We loaded up Pheebs & were on the road this morning before 8 o’clock heading down I-90 for MOUNT RUSHMORE.  Cloud & sun & a touch windy.  It’s been twenty two & a half years since I was last at Mount Rushmore & aside from the faces on the mountain I hardly remembered one single thing but that is because it has changed radically since 92.  Surprised to to see a 3 level parking garage for example & I don’t remember the walk-way of flags or the big information building or viewing area.  I did remember Gutzon Borglum’s studio though….well sort of.  .

 

We listened to a Park Ranger give an informative 20 minute talk on the history of Mount Rushmore.  It was then inside the building for a 15 minute video on the mountains construction & a look around at a lot of exhibits.  Back outside again we headed off on a path called, The President’s Walk.  I felt fortunate to be here at this time of year for several reasons.  The off season meant it was not bumper to bumper traffic or shoulder to shoulder people & the Autumn colors just put the icing on the cake so to speak.  Still lots of people there of course but I had expected & accepted that before we arrived there.  Still managed to get myself a little crusty a couple times though.

 

FORGOT HER NAME BUT SHE GAVE A GREAT TALK…I DO REMEMBER HER TELLING US HER DAD WAS A BLUE EYED BLONDE HAIR GUY & HER MOTHER WAS APACHE

KELLY AT MOUNT RUSHMORE…SHE WASN’T FEELING SO SWELL TODAY SO WASN’T TOO KEEN ON MY TAKING PICTURES OF HER

Say what you will about touristy or whatever but Mount Rushmore is what it is.  Truly a monument to man’s perseverance, dedication, & ingenuity.  It was as impressive to me today as it was over 22 years ago & I think the Park system has done a fine job in making the area as easily accessible to people as it has.

 

WE DID THE ‘PRESIDENT’S WALK’ TO MOUNT RUSHMORE SCULPTOR GUTZON BORGLUM'S STUDIO

 

THE LARGE VISITOR’S CENTER AS SEEN FROM THE PRESIDENT’S TRAIL

THE 4 PRESIDENT’S CAN BE SEEN AT THE TOP OF THIS PHOTO

A few hours of walking & looking at things brought on our appetites so we headed off along a gently winding highway through forests of tall Pines to the town of Custer.  Nice little place & it has that old West feel to it.  Someone had recommended a burger spot called ‘Burger & Buns’ but it was closed in preparation for a wedding this week-end.  Another recommended spot on the main street was closed for the season.  Spotted a Mexican red wagon eatery but we just couldn’t get ourselves in the mood for Mexican.  I’ve never cared much for Mexican food but Kelly likes it.  Spotted the ‘Baker’s Café’ down the street.  Outside menu board special looked good so in we went. Can’t remember what we had but we both agreed it was darn good.

MAIN STREET CUSTER SOUTH DAKOTA 

HEY HARRY, SIGN SAID THIS WAS AN ANNIVERSARY EDITION WINCHESTER

  

A FEW SIGNS ON CUSTER’S MAIN STREET & WE ATE IN THE ‘BAKER’S BAKERY & CAFÉ BOTTOM 2 PHOTOS

Clouds had moved in dropping the temperature a bit as we cruised up the highway by the Crazy Horse Monument.  Kelly wasn’t feeling the best & volunteered to stay in Jeep if I went in to see it.  Figured it was best we head back to the rig, crack on some heat for Kelly’s cold & relax for the afternoon.  Maybe I could come back in the morning if the weather’s decent. 

INSIDE GUTZON BORGLUM’S STUDIO WHERE HE USED THAT LARGE MOCK UP TO AID HIM WITH HIS MOUNT RUSHMORE PROJECT

  

This sure is nice country here in the Black Hills.  It has an Alpine feel with it’s log cabins, A-frame chalets & small hamlets.  Just as we approached an especially pretty lake the clouds broke up & we were again bathed in a warming sun.  Nice to see old Sol’s sunny rays bringing such vibrant rich colors out of the surrounding rocks & forests.   

GUTZON BORGLUM’S STUDIO

Kelly saw a sign for ‘Red Ass Rhubarb Wine’ in a little place called Hillside so we pulled in for a look see.  Kelly slipped inside while I took Pheebs for a walk.  She came out with 4 bottles of Red Ass which is made from rhubarb & strawberries.  Maybe that’s how the color got into it’s name.

 

THIS IS VERY TYPICAL OF THE BLACK HILLS FORESTS

Came through another little mountain town I had been to once before called Deadwood.  It was here WILD BILL HICKOK was killed.  The town seemed a lot bigger than what I had remembered it.  Certainly a lot to see in this area.  Don’t know if we will make it over to the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.  We’ll see how Kelly’s feeling in the morning.

 

DEADWOOD SOUTH DAKOTA

By the time we arrived back at the rig we were in full sunshine & the motorhome felt warm & relaxing inside.  Weather was nice enough for us to leave our side door open.  Due to the nice weather & the fact we pretty much have the whole place to ourselves we are really enjoying our quiet surroundings.  A bit of road noise but I don’t mind that.

LAKE PACTOLA

 

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NICE LITTLE CABIN BY THE LAKE BUT SIGN ON IT SAID IT WAS THE CAMPGROUND’S WASHROOM

Want to thank folks for sending in suggestions & ideas regarding some of the problems we have been having with our rig.  From reading comments there are a few things I should say about our coach.  First & foremost this motorhome is in exceptionally fine condition & has been exceptionally well maintained & babied by it’s former owner since the day he ordered it new from the factory in Winkler Manitoba.  Yes it’s a 2003 but it can hardly be called old in the sense of it being out of shape.  All battery connections look like they were just installed yesterday.  We have 4 deep cell Golf Cart batteries in the coach which were installed new in 2011.  Our monitor shows these batteries fully charged with lots of power to move both our slides in & out with no problem.  Keep in mind we also have 4 solar panels on our roof feeding a charge to these batteries & that part of our electrical system is working fine.  Engine battery terminals are tight with not a speck of corrosion on them.  Our problem could very well be what the RV repair place said it was.  Our inverter is shot.  If that is true then how did that happen.  Did we ourselves do something wrong.  We don’t know……………………….

GROANER’S CORNER:(( During one "generation gap" quarrel with his parents, young Michael cried, "I want excitement, adventure, money, and beautiful women. I'll never find it here at home, so I'm leaving. Don't try and stop me!"  With that, he headed toward the door. His father rose and followed close behind. "Didn't you hear what I said? I don't want you to try and stop me."  "Who's trying to stop you?" replied his father. "If you wait a minute, I'll go with you."