October 4, 2022
Day 2 of Yellowstone starts with a trip to the Continental Divide. It was on our way to the crown jewel of Yellowstone, Old Faithful. We had to wait about 30 minutes to see Old Faithful. In the visitor center they post the approximate time of the next eruption. They allow +/- 5 minutes. Our “scheduled” time was 2:19PM. It is pretty cool as there are other geysers around but Old Faithful has a large concrete sidewalk at least 3/4 of the way around. On the sidewalk are numerous metal benches. You find your seat, and wait. The time estimation was right on the money. We only had one more area we wanted to visit and travel on the rest of the figure of eight so we opted to save that for tomorrow. While it was still mid-afternoon, we decided to check out West Yellowstone, MT. West Yellowstone, MT is where we initially had reservations at another campground. It was only a short drive.
We drove through the town. We located a post office to mail out some things for the kids and grandkids. It was a cute little town. We opted to stop at a McDonald’s. We didn’t pack a lunch today. While in McDonald’s we got robbed! Check this out. We each ordered a Quarter Pounder w/cheese and a milkshake. Our total bill was $22! WTF!! I had to take a double take at the receipt. A Quarter Pounder w/cheese was $7.20 for just the burger. No fries. No drink. At home or most other places you get the entire meal for that price. Then the milkshakes were $4 each. Highway robbery. I am so happy we changed our campground. We returned home stunned and poorer.
One bright spot on this evening’s drive home was a chance to see and hear a heard of elk in a field. In addition on the opposite side of the road, up a wooded hill were two more bucks. Lots of folks stopped and took pictures.
October 3, 2022
Today is our first of three days of exploring Yellowstone. The roadway system inside Yellowstone is basically a figure of eight. We planned our trips around certain areas and what we were interested in. Today we did most of the lower portions of the figure. Our first stop was the Mud Volcano. While we had walked out on the boardwalk to see the volcano and the Dragon’s Mouth Spring we met a couple from Germany. We spoke with them for several minutes. They were very friendly. It is quite interesting for me to recognize and realize the international diversity of people visiting our national parks.
The next stop is Sulphur Springs. Definite stench in the air. Then we drove through Hayden Valley on our way to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone - Artist Point. The views were breath taking. When you stop and think how many millions of years this took to create, it is staggering. We left Artist Point and took the North Rim Drive, stopping at Lookout Point and Grand View. We found a quiet place and dined on our brown bag lunch in the truck.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped at Canyon Village. The amazing thing about this place was that once we parked and I got out of the truck, two, not one but two, ravens were perched on my tailgate. They were unfazed by me. They kept sitting there staring at me. I did not want to get too close as they are a rather large bird with sharp talons and beaks. I eventually got them to fly away. We looked around the two gift shops there and came away with our usual haul; a token for my national parks token book, smashed pennies if they have a machine, postcards for the grandkids, a Christmas ornament, and a walking stick medallion.
We traveled across the middle of the figure of eight and on that road we encountered a female elk. Very large animal. She was just standing along the roadside grazing. A little further down the road we had to wait for a bison to cross. After the car in front of us passed him, he decided to lumber toward us. I wasn’t sure if he was going to hit the truck or not. Fortunately he didn’t and just walked right on by us. Shortly after we took a side road that led us to the Virginia Cascade. Really neat.
Our next stop is the Norris Geyser Basin. Then on the way back “home” we stopped at Firehole Falls, and the Grand Prismatic Spring. At Grand Prismatic Spring we saw the Midway Geyser Basin. It was getting late and we were tired. We decided on a game plan for the next two days. We journeyed home. Yellowstone is a very large park. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to get from one place to another. It was amazing.
October 2, 2022
Traveling again today. Enjoying lots of new and awesome sights. Today we even spotted some wildlife. Granted they were aways away but it looked like Pronghorn Antelope. We are actually camping in Yellowstone National Park at the newly renovated and recently opened, Fishing Bridge Campground. Most national parks do not have room for a 42 foot long fifth wheel. This one does. We actually got the last spot. They will be closing the campground on October 9th. We are here until October 6th. Since we are in the park itself, you must be self-sufficient. Things in the park like groceries are very expensive. Few restaurants are open and they are pricey.
With that said, one of our stops on our way was to Albertson’s Groceries in Cody WY. It was truly on our route. We stocked up on the necessities like lunch meat, cheese, etc. They actually carry Boars Head luncheon meats and cheeses. Our favorites. Also, thanks to our friends that were here a couple of weeks ago, they suggested that we pack our lunches as the park is huge and you won’t be able to run “home” for lunch and then back out. What a savings.
On our way we passed through Thermopolis, WY. It is home to the “World’s Largest Mineral Springs”. Was really neat to see it. One of the pictures is of Ashes, our rescue cat. He really doesn’t mind traveling. He is not allowed out of his carrier unless he is in the passenger’s arms. Most of the time he sleeps in his carrier but enjoys peaking out now and again.
Shortly after leaving Cody, WY you drive on mountain roads, go through a tunnel and then you enter into Yellowstone National Park. Once we entered at the East Gate, we still had about a 35 mile drive to the campground, which is next to Yellowstone Lake. We had to go through Sylvan Pass, a couple of switchbacks at an elevation of 8,534 feet.
October 1, 2022
It’s our first travel day in 5 months. We prepped earlier in the week by airing tires, etc. It took Steve and Nancy guiding me about 20 minutes or so to back into this site. We loved our site. #37. Now it's taking Steve and Nancy about 15 minutes to guide me out of this site. It is really difficult to say good bye. We waited to leave until about 12 noon so most people would be gone because we knew it would take us a while to pull out of the site. We pulled out of the site and only clipped off the left rear gutter extension on the RV. Minor problem, no biggie. After our last farewells, we were heading to Ten Sleep RV Park in Ten Sleep, WY. The route was US 16 which took us through Big Horn National Forest. While driving through the mountains we encountered rain, heavy rain, sleet, and snow. It was very interesting but we made it through just fine. The scenery was absolutely beautiful.
We arrived at Ten Sleep. We had a pull-thru space and it was relatively level. This means that we just put the jacks down for stabilization and never unhooked. Since this was just an overnight we didn’t hookup our sewer. After talking with the campground owner she told us that The Sleeping Coyote was a great place to eat. Fortunately, Ten Sleep is a very small community. We walked the 2 blocks to The Sleeping Coyote where I enjoyed a very good cheeseburger with fried pickles and a cold local brew from the Ten Speed Brewing Co. Nancy also had a burger with sweet potato fries but she did not enjoy hers like I did mine. A nice walk back to the RV and a little TV time. Tomorrow we will be in Yellowstone.
September 30, 2022
The day has finally arrived, The Buffalo Roundup. Everyone has recommended that we get up early. I thought early was 5:30AM. I guess I was wrong. We arrived at the gate to enter the south side of the Wildlife Loop at 6:30AM. The Roundup starts at 9:30 AM. We got stopped about 4 cars back to make our turn. For the next 2 hours we slowly creeped along the roughly 7 mile trip. We got to our parking place, grabbed our chairs and the camera and tried to figure out the best place to view the herd. I snapped a few pictures and then attempted to film a video with my Nikon. Dummy me, I forgot to charge the battery. So I had my phone as a back up. Normally the Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, would lead the herders on horseback. Unfortunately, she recently had back surgery so was unable to participate. However, she did walk her horse around the crowd and made an appearance. As an outsider, I think she is doing a great job.
Back to the roundup. As we were coming in, once we crossed the cattle grate, you could see hundreds of bison just mulling around and several cowboys/cowgirls keeping watch. This was one of two staging areas. It was awesome. In the viewing area, you’re basically watching the herd go by. You can hear the thundering of the hooves. Well, not this year. This has been an abnormal summer. Sunny, hot and drier. This year they had to take it easy on the bison so as not to push them too hard. They did come running by but not thundering. It was kind of neat to see the large cloud of dust and approximately 1,400 bison in one place.
The Buffalo Roundup is a 3 day event. At another location in Custer State Park, they set up an arts and craft fair. The day of the roundup, they also have cowboy pancakes for sale at the north and south viewing areas. We were too late for these. Then between the two viewing areas, they set up the corral where they herd the bison into. They are checked for health issues, some are tagged and then some are sold. The reason is that the park can only sustain about 1,000 bison. Also at this corral, you could purchase some BBQ. It would of been a very long walk and it was starting to warm up so we opted not to go. So we went home. In addition to our pictures and video, I have put the link to the YouTube video of the 2022 Buffalo Roundup. It's hard to believe our time here is over.
September 29, 2022
Our last day of work. Nancy summed it up when she said that we were the first ones here and helped open the camp. By leaving two weeks before the campground closes feels like we are not finishing the job. It was a wonderful time. Maybe one day, we’ll come back to camp here. Not work. Just camp.
September 28, 2022
Leslie and Bill worked our Monday and Tuesday shifts for us so they could leave today.. We work their Wednesday and Thursday. This gives them the opportunity to leave early. Exciting day is the fact that this is the last day we will have to clean bathrooms. It really isn’t too bad. The projects are done. The only other thing to do is to wrap firewood.
September 27, 2022
We only had a couple of items on our list today. The first order of business was lunch at Burger & Bun. We went there our first week here and absolutely loved it. The only problem was that it is only open 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. It is very small and seating is very limited. We wanted one last bison burger before we leave town. It was as awesome this time as the first time. We had purchased some wonderful breakfast link sausage and thought we had gotten it from the meat market in Hot Springs. So we wanted to get some more and headed to Hot Springs. Along the way, we passed by the Coolidge Mountain Lookout,. It was an interesting drive. We wound our way up a narrow gravel road on the side of a mountain. There was just enough room for two cars to pass. Once we got to the top, the views were well worth the drive. Looking north you could see the Crazy Horse Memorial. Someone said you could see Mount Rushmore also but I could not. Looking east you could actually see the Badlands. We descended Coolidge Mountain and went on our way to Hot Springs. It was a nice drive and we got to see some wildlife. We got to the meat market and their stock was very limited. They explained they were between seasons. Additionally, they haven’t carried link sausage in over 5 years. It must have been Dakota Meats in Rapid City. While in Hot Springs we stopped at 2 Cows Creamery for some ice cream. It was okay. We headed home.
September 26, 2022
Today is packing day for us. We have a list of items to do. We have picked up a couple of new items so we have to find room for them. We also have to check tire pressure in the RV tires and the truck spare. The truck tires were just done last week when it was serviced. Have to get the TPMS and the Garmin charged and ready for the road. We have the carpet to roll up and stow, etc. We worked long and hard today so tomorrow we can goof off. We will work Wednesday and Thursday and that will complete our contract. It has been a fabulous and memorable summer. So happy we did it.,
September 25, 2022
We worked the morning shift today. However, Cathy and Belinda are packed and loaded and are leaving for the beet harvest. It has been a great summer to get to know them and hang out and have some good times. We had a lot of fun with them. We’ll hopefully keep in touch and maybe meet again some day. Safe travels friends.
September 24, 2022
Today is a very unusual day. A friend of ours and his wife are in town for the Buffalo Roundup. They are a week early so they will miss the Roundup this year. However, Nancy and I will spend the evening with Steve and Lisa. Steve was one of the first people I met when we moved to Indianapolis in 1975. Steve and I both worked for Precision Fire and Safety and then we both got on Carmel Fire on the same day. It has been several years since we’ve seen them. They came to our place around 3:00 PM and we sat and talked for a while. We then ventured to Hill City to dine at the Alpine Inn. As we had an hour or so to wait, we ventured over to The Twisted Pine for drinks and a meat and cheese board. We eventually go into The Alpine Inn. Dinner was fabulous as usual.
The night was still young so we opted to try a new place in Custer, The Old Pine Social Club. It is a bar that has axe throwing. And we found out they had Bocci Ball and Hammerschlagen. We spent a couple of hours there. We started by playing Hammerschlagen. It is a game of hammering a 16d nail into a block of wood with the point end of a rock pick hammer. You take turns and only get one strike per turn. It is a lot of fun. Then we turned our attention to axe throwing. The owners went over the safety rules and how to properly throw the axe. The biggest safety rule is that you must wear closed toe shoes. Steve and Nancy didn’t have any. So the owners let them borrow Crocs. Still closed toe and they met the insurance requirements. They gave us each 5 practice throws. It took a while to get the hang of it. but it was a lot of fun. Steve got a couple of bullseyes, as well as I. Nancy had one also. Lisa was having a hard time with the game but she was having fun. It was a great evening. We had the chance to talk to the owners also. Great people. I hope their business thrives.
September 23, 2022
For today’s adventure we are heading back to the Badlands and surrounding area. Our first stop is Badlands Harley Davidson. This is the last of the Harley dealers in the area. I said I wasn’t going to buy a shirt but they had the coolest design that I couldn’t resist. The next stop is Delta 09 Minuteman Missile Site. This is an actual missile silo used during the Cold War. It had a missile sitting in the silo. The ground cover was slid away so you could see how it was. There is a clear dome over the silo so you can see down inside. It was very interesting to me. This is an era that I grew up in. This is one of three sites that tell this story. The second site is Delta 01 where you actually go down into a silo to see the Ground Control Room. I called too late and we could not get a reservation. They were closing by the end of September. The third site is our next stop, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Visitors Center. We had briefly stopped here before but Nancy did not go in and I didn’t sit and watch the movie. The movie actually told the story of the Minuteman sites and how they were manned and launched if necessary. It was very interesting to hear about the “close calls” we have had through the years. It really reminded me of the movie “War Games”.
We left here and drove down into the Badlands again. Our next stop is the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. The last time we came through was around closing time. This time we didn’t stop at the overlooks as we had done that the first time. I find visitor centers to be educational and helpful. We walked around the center enjoying the story of the Badlands. It was now lunchtime so we went next door to the center to the Sage Creek Cafe(?) and had lunch. It was a beautiful day and we were going to eat lunch outside at one of the picnic areas. Well, in the Badlands it is always windy. So we wound up eating lunch in the truck.
The next stop wasn’t actually a stop. It was a drive. A drive on the Sage Creek Rim Road. It is a gravel road about 17 miles long and has some breath taking scenery and a good chance to see wildlife. What they never tell you is the road is a gravel washboard. The views are lovely! After about 15 minutes of the ride on a washboard road in a one tone 4X4 truck, Nancy said we needed to get off of this road. We found the available opportunity and headed up to Wall. From there we picked up the Interstate and found our way home on smoother roads.
September 22, 2022
Today is our second trip to Deadwood. There were a couple of things that we didn’t get to on our first trip. Like before, we went to the Deadwood Visitors Center. The plan was to get trolley tickets and get off and on as we needed to. Today they only had one trolley running so the times were greatly lengthened. We opted to drive to a parking garage in downtown Deadwood. It was actually the same cost as two trolley tickets. From the parking garage we could easily walk to our destinations. Our first stop was Deadwood Harley Davidson. It was one of the five area stores for the Sturgis / Black Hills Rally. My goal was to get a poker chip from each one. I also happened to pick up a shirt or two also. As it turned out, next door to the Harley store, was the place where we picked up our bus for the Kevin Costner Deadwood Historic Tour. It was a one hour tour of Deadwood and the Mount Moriah Cemetery. It was narrated by our driver who was awesome. Some facts we had already learned from our prior visit. We drove through town with a few stops to see buildings, etc. We eventually wound up at the cemetery and we had about 10 minutes to walk up to the graves of Wild Bill Hickcock , Potato Creek Johnny, and Calamity Jane. On the route to exit the cemetery we stopped again to view the town from an awesome lookout point.
After we got back we took another walk for about three blocks to the Adams Museum. It was a collection of items the Adams Brothers collected over the years. Most dealt with Deadwood’s history. They also had the original gold nugget discovered by Potato Creek Johnny. From there we decided it was lunch time so we walked about 3 more blocks to Jacobs Brewhouse for a bite to eat. We ate our late lunch and walked back to the parking garage.
Our next stop is Kevin Costner’s Tatanka. It is a small museum -esque dedicated to the story of the bison. Kevin Costner has a connection with the Black Hills as it was the filming location for Dances With Wolves. The movie set can be seen at Fort Hayes, outside Rapid City. He purchased land outside of Deadwood to build a large luxury resort hotel with train, etc. That never materialized. It was going to be called the Dunbar Hotel, his character name in the Dances With Wolves movie. He did have large bronze statues made and set at Tatanka depicting the Native Americans in a bison (buffalo) hunt. We watched a brief video on the history of this statue and the land and then went outside to walk around the statues. It was very impressive.
The afternoon was over so we departed Deadwood and took a short ride through Lead. Not a whole lot to see, especially a little after 5:00 PM. We headed home to pick up Bree. Tonight was going to be the last night that the 6 work campers would meet at the Custer Beacon for a night of cards, fun, and drinks. Cathy and Belinda were leaving in a couple of days and followed shortly by Leslie and Bill. We closed the Beacon down one last time and said our farewells to the staff at the Beacon. We got to know them as well this summer. Our time in the Black Hills is coming to an end. It has been wonderful.
September 21, 2022
Tonight we wanted to go back to Mount Rushmore. The first time the weather was rainy. We really didn’t get too close to the stage. Tonight there was no rain. However it was chilly and windy. But the ceremony was still very moving. I am so glad we did this again.
September 17, 2022
While Belinda and Cathy are gone to the Badlands, they let us borrow their E bikes. They are much heavier single speed. We loaded the bikes in the truck and headed to a large parking area behind Lynn’s Dakotamart. From there we can access The Mickelson Trail. Mickelson Trail is actually the abandoned rail bed from the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad built in 1890-91. The railroad ran from Edgemont to Deadwood and passed through Custer and Hill City. After we unloaded the bikes we adjusted the seat height as best we could. The girls are a little shorter than Nancy and I. We started on our way and headed toward Edgemont. We rode a few miles mixing pedaling with the convenience of the electric motor. We soon realized that the saddles on the E bikes were not very comfortable for us. We rode a few minutes longer and decided to head back to the truck. The trail is smooth and in some spots paved, at least the part we were on. For us the two biggest downfalls of E bikes is cost and weight. It was still a good ride with excellent weather and beautiful scenery.
September 16, 2022
We traveled to Rapid City today for Oktoberfest at Lost Cabin Brewing. Of course we made a few other stops but the main focus was the Oktoberfest. It is a small taproom which was very open. They also had a tent set up for the band. As it was so open, dogs are permitted. They did have a food truck, The Good Stuffed, in the parking lot. I sampled some beer. I tried the Dunkelweizen, Mexican Lager, OAKtober, and Jortmunder. They were all pretty good. They also had some glassware for sale. It is in the shape of a boot and commemorates the 2022 Oktoberfest. Of course I purchased one. Had to have some food so I had the German Burger (beef patty, Swiss cheese, red cabbage slaw, spicy mustard, pickles on a pretzel bun) with Garlic Parmesan tater tots. Yummy! Nancy had the tots but had a Veggie Grilled sandwich (spinach, mushrooms, tomato, and Swiss cheese). It was okay.
September 11, 2022
Since our time here we have been freezing the fish we’ve caught. Tonight was the night we decided to have a fish fry. Everyone was welcome. Belinda talked to Steve and we set up a fire pit next to the Pavilion. Steve even donated some firewood. Belinda set up a grill and flat top so she could cook fish there. I took a baggie full of fish (5 trout) and brined them in water, salt, and brown sugar for about 15 minutes. Then I smoked them low and slow. We had baked beans, salads, and brownies. There were also sloppy joes for us non-fish eaters. All total about 20 fish were cooked and only about 3 left over. Fred and Carol and Belinda and Cathy played corn hole. It was a great evening. In addition to everyone mentioned, Steve and Kelly and Corben and Shilo also joined the festivities. The next day we had to clean up and make sure that no evidence of a campfire was evident in the area. Great night.
September 2, 2022
Yesterday, after Bismarck, we drove across the street to check out Stockade Lake. We decided that Stockade Lake would be a nice place to kayak. We got onto the lake about 11:30 AM. We just have to have the kayaks back by 2:00PM. The wind was a little stronger today than yesterday. It was just beautiful on the water. The view from the lake looking at the Black Hills. Really cool. The picture shows our approximate route. We went much farther today than yesterday. We paddled away from the ramp for about 45 minutes. I decided that it was time to turn around and go back. However, the wind picked up to about 15 mph. It was very difficult to paddle, at least for me. I’m a big target so there a few gusts of wind where I was paddling and the wind just held me in place. I kept trying to lean back into my seat but there was no support. Then my legs started to cramp. After about halfway back my hips and back were on fire. I wound up hanging my feet over the side of the kayak. I go to about the two-thirds point and I was exhausted and hurting. I even thought about bailing off and trying to float back.
Nancy meanwhile was just paddling along like nothing. I stopped to rest and she came along side of me. I attempted to try and sit back in my seat. The back collapsed to where I was lying down. Nancy refused to help me sit up to finish the trip. Instead she tied my kayak to hers and she proceeded to paddle both of us back to the ramp. I was too tired and sore to deflate the kayaks so we took them back inflated. They would need to clean them anyway.
I am so grateful for the save but I did learn a valuable lesson. Don’t try to do too much, especially with wind and as a beginner. This has not turned me against kayaking. It is great exercise and for the most part I enjoyed the tranquility on the water. It will be a matter of finding the right fit for me. Maybe I’ll try again in Arizona.
After returning the kayaks, I needed lunch and a beer. We went to the Custer Wolf. Lunch was good and the beer really hit the spot. The rest of the day is rest and recovery with a heating pad.
September 1, 2022
Okay folks, you better sit down. Have I got a story for you. First of all, if you didn’t know, I’m not much of a water person. I do not know how to swim, even though I have had swim lessons. I do not mind being in the water. One thing I learned from my Carmel Fire Department days is that I am comfortable in deep water while wearing a PFD (Personal Floatation Device). Feeling adventurous, Nancy and I rented a couple of kayaks. I wanted to give it a try. It looks like a lot of fun. We also got a nice discount on the 24 hour rental. We picked up the kayaks at 2:00 PM and headed to Bismark Lake. The kayaks were inflatable Tahe Beach SUP-YAK. They are 11.5 feet long and 3 feet wide. It is a combination Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) and sit-on kayak. They come packed in a back pack. In the pack you have the sup yak, manual air pump, two seats, two foot rests, two double paddles, and two paddle handles to be used for the paddle board.
We got to the lake and started to unpack and inflate the kayaks. It took quite some time to inflate both, even though the pump was a double action. It was tiring for the arms to inflate and then to try and paddle. We launched from the boat ramp and paddled around the lake. We were on the lake for about an hour and decided it was time to call it a day. We still have tomorrow morning to use them so instead of deflating we decided to just put them on the back of the truck and strap them down.
The picture of the map is the lake and the line is the approximate route out and back for my very first time kayaking. I enjoyed the experience. I had issues with the seat. I couldn’t really lean back because the seat did not feel sturdy enough. More to come tomorrow.
August 31, 2022
Tonight we went back to Crazy Horse Memorial for the Legends in Light Laser Show. It reminded me of an old drive-in movie. You can either park and go to the veranda to watch the show or park in the upper lot and sit in your vehicle to watch the show. The sound is broadcast all through the parking lot. The show is a half hour long. It is very different. As a big history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nancy was not enthused by it. All in all it was a nice evening out, none the less.