LA to Badlands SD and return.

[keithg]

No Mark. Same as when we had it going the other day. :( I will continue with story shortly and maybe later on worry about the Opera House. I will see i can find some ice cream. That wll solve problem. :)

[Mark Sedenquist]

Actually, it was mysterious why it cleared up for you. I know why it cleared up for me and I hoped it was the same issue. But since it is back, I am mystified again.

If you send me the Opera House by email, I can post it for you.

[keithg]

We were a bit late getting out of Laramie. Still a tired from the day before's travel. Great roads and not a lot of traffic today. Fruit not as good anymore. Must be getting out of season. We got to Manville, a neat little country place and had lunch. Awesome country folk.
We arrived at the town of Hot Springs where we booked into the Super 8. We thought about having a look down town but were exhausted so had a rest. Plenty of parking there and i noticed a lot more parking over further behind some tree's. Thought it was for trucks so looked no further. Next morning after breakfast, we went into town for a look around. Lots of old buildings that Margaret likes looking at.



Saw this sign on a walk bridge there and i showed Margaret and suggested we try it. I puckered up, flashed a smile at her like our grandson told me i had to do and nothing happened. She walked off shaking her head as though i was a few kangaroo's short in the top paddock. Oh,in english, that like lost your marbles. Lost your mind.
Anyway, we then found out that the Mamorth place where they are still digging bones up. You wouldn't believe it but it was right next door to the motel we had been in. That's what the car park was for. Cost $33 for both of us to get in and it was pretty interesting. At first i thought trucks had tipped all this dirt in a huge heap inside this building but then read where it was a sink hole and they built the building over the top. Apparently a year or two ago when all these pre historic creatures were around, they must have been having a drink or two and got sucked in. Staff were still digging in the dirt with small brush's looking for all the parts.



One of the first ones you see when you walk in.



Amazing whats in there. You can see a staff member scratching away in the dirt over in the distance.



Baby one.



We head off further into South Dakota and to Keystone. Cool place with boardwalks. Felt like a unarmed cowboy. We did shoot a lot of pictures though. Just no one got hurt. We booked for two nights as we wanted to see Mt Rushmore and we wanted to go to the Badlands the next day and then return as we were heading west again after that. Had wanted to go further east but it wasn't to be this time.

We went up to Mt Rushmore which is only about 2 miles out of town to the west. Cost $5 for us to get in and than is good for three days i think they said. Coey came with us and he enjoyed the history lesson.







They have a show there at night time at 8pm where the National Anthem is sung. We thought we would go the next night after we got back from The Badlands. Unfortunately we had the time wrong. We thought it was at 6pm and we arrived back in Keystone at 6-20pm. Next morning we found out our mistake and we were upset a bit as we could have got there and it was the anniversary of 9/11. Would have been a very emotional time. We left Mt Rushmore and went back into Keystone where we had another look around. Had an ice cream hehehe.







All these amazing wood carvings were just down from Motel.



Wern't cheap but magnificent.





We went and had some dinner and retired for the night. Back later for couple of pics in Keystone and then to Wall and the badlands.

Keith

[keithg]

What an awesome day this was. We left our motel and then pulled up in town only a couple of hundred yards away. Trouble getting away. Saw a photo opportunity. Not many people about.





Have another pic with Margaret sitting on a different seat but she wont let me post it. I would like to live a little longer.
We headed out and went through the outskirts of Rapid City. Magnificent roads and 80 mph speed limits. We started seeing the signs for Wall where we would be turning off. Story goes that many years ago the Wall drug store offered free ice water to get customers to call in. Wall Drug is just off the interstate. There are signs that now read "Coffee 5 cents". We called in there for a look and had trouble leaving. Magnificent to see whats there and yes, there is still 5 cent coffee's . You just put your 5 cents in a honesty box by the coffee. I had coffee and a cherry pie. Margaret had a lemon doughnut. So much to see and do there but we had to keep moving. Badlands National Park was just out of town and the first stop inside the gate, we thought we would be blown away, the wind was so strong. We pulled up at just about every turnout there was. Amazing place.





Views are so different all around the place.



Didn't see any Rattlesnakes. Not that we were looking. But we did see some Mountain Sheep. Amazing watching them walk up the side of steep inclines.





The whole family.



Grass look's better over here.





An old goat crosses the road. :)



Another different view.



Heading for the moon.



Prairie Dogs. Lots of them darting about. Was reading the ground is aerated by all the burrows the dogs dig. Makes sense. But apparently rattlesnakes and Tarantula's live in them as well.

We made our way back to Wall to have a bigger look around in the store.





Amazing pictures around the walls and lots of souvineer's and stuff to buy.



Just one of the eating rooms there.



Visitors getting there 5 cent coffee's.

Met so many people there and they were all friendly.



Cant remember his name but he was pretty cool.



This young lady was amazing. Didn't have a lot to say. Just kept smiling at me. I am sure she didn't want me to go.

That's not all that the place offers. We went out the back and found all these activities to do. We had a ball. We both rode a bucking bronco and had a drive of the stage coach. Not as easy as it looks. I met my long lost brother who is a talented piano and accordian player. :) Margaret had a ride on a Jackalope. Its a Jack Rabbit with Antelope horns. :)



Horse's were pretty calm for Margaret.



Wonder they didn't take off for this bloke.



No worries at all for me. Got to 8 seconds easy.



Margaret climbed up on the Jackalope but it wouldn't go anywhere. Maybe she needed some carrots.



Good catch up with my long lost brother.

It was time to head out and head back to Keystone. Had a good run and went straight back to Motel getting there about 6-20pm. Thought we had missed the ceremony at Mt Rushmore which we believed was going to be at 6pm. This being the anniversary of 9/11. Next morning we found out it was at 8pm. Oh well. You win some. You lose some.

Keithg

[Lifemagician]

Glad to see you went right through to the back. So much interesting stuff out there. Unfortunately most never make it that far.

You got your 5c coffee, but did you get your FREE iced water as well? And did you stop in the Travellers's Chapel and pause a-while?

Yeah I have great memories of Wall Drug, one of the more interesting "tourist traps" in the US.

Lifey

[keithg]

Hi Lifey. So much to see there and buy if you have plenty of money. We find that we see stuff, we wouldn't mind having and we decide we will get later in trip. And that dosn't happen. No, we didn't have any ice water. Had about 3 coffee's each though. No we didn't stop in the chapel.

Keith

[Mark Sedenquist]

Two of Keith's photos are featured this week on the RTA front page -- Look at the rotator.

Mark

[keithg]

Two of Keith's photos are featured this week on the RTA front page -- Look at the rotator.

Mark

Feel like a movie star. Thanks Mark.

[keithg]

We were up by 6 am and went to breakfast and as usual got talking to other visitors. Always very interesting. An old Indian told us to go to Devils Tower. True. I know that is said in the movies but this happened. Nice gentleman. He said the story goes that long long ago, a big bear chased an indian and he the indian climbed up on the rock. We were told if we looked hard enough, we may find the the bear's claw marks scratched in the rock. He didn'd say if the bear got him but i guess he got away to tell the story. Anyway, we left the motel at 8 am and as we were going right past the entrance to Mt Rushmore, we called in and had a look in better light. All the faces were lit up better. Then we carried on and got lost for a mile or two. Wern't keeping an eye on the signs. Crazy Horse Monument wasnt that far away we heard but we gave it a miss as its not finished. A bit further on we came to this beautiful lake on the side of the hwy. Horse Thief Lake.



We had lunch at a small place called Remy's at Upton. Then it was on to Morecraft where we turned right and headed out to Devil's Tower. Fair way out but it was worth doing. Lots of tourist there. It is a National Park but we were ok with our yearly pass. I didnt walk right up to the base as i was puffed and i thought the big bear may have been still hanging around. Margaret was braver but she didnt find any scratch marks. There were two climbers half way up the side of it. Maybe the bear chased them. :)



DEVIL'S TOWER.



Margaret showing me how strong she was and that no big Grizzly Bear was going to worry her.

On the way back out towards the gate we saw more Prairie Dogs having fun darting about.



Drove back to Moorcroft and then on to Buffalo where we booked in for the night at a Quality Inn. We went and had Subway for dinner. Filled a spot. No Ice cream. :(
Margaret just read out the what really happened at Devil's Tower off the paperwork that they gave us at the entrance. Its pretty scary. Apparently 8 children were playing. Seven sisters and a brother. Suddenly the brother was struck dumb. He trembled and started running on his hands and feet. His fingers became claws and his body was covered with fur. The boy was gone and there was a bear standing there where the boy had been. The sisters were terrified and they ran with the bear after them. They came to a stump and the stump told them to climb aboard and it rose up out of the ground. The bear tried to get them but they managed to stay out of reach. The bear clawed at the tree but it kept getting higher and higher and the sisters became the stars of the Pleiades.
Well, thats what it says here on the paperwork. :) I will take their word for it.

Keithg

[keithg]

We went into Buffalo main st and Margaret got a couple of photo's before heading out to Sheridan.





Cool looking place but unfortunately it was closed.



Our next stop was in Ranchester. Was hoping to have caught up with someone we met on our 2010 trip. He has the Buckshot saloon. But he was away on business. Should have called ahead.
From there we headed up over some mountains to Greybull. Some great views. Road was being resealed in one stretch and it was interesting to see how they were doing it compared with here in Australia. Lot faster way using bottom dumpers with the hotseal mix and then a couple of mile down the road they were using a side tipper to drop the gravel along side the bitumen. Driving slowly up the road tipping it out. Couple of guys walking behind to sweep away any rocks that may have landed on bitumen.
A few mile further on down the road we were pulled up admiring the view and got talking to some people from Rapid City. They gave us a can of bear spray. (Should have had it at Devil's Tower. hehe) The can had been passed on from one person to another and we would do the same if we dont have to use it. Great idea as we wouldn't be able to bring it back here. I think you can to West Australia. After seeing video's of it in use, i'm not convinced by it but its better than nothing. Finally we got to Cody and it was busy as. Managed to get a log cabin for two nights. Coey loved it as he found a friend there. Billy Bison.



Each room had a Bison and you can buy one. We didnt tell Coey that. He was a handful at times without another one. You turn your back for a minute and this is what happens.



He got into the Fruit Loops. Got so grubby.

We went for a walk down town and found out when the shootout was on and booked a couple of front row seats. Dont have to book. Its free but if you want a seat at the front, its $2 that goes to a local fund raiser. It all happens in the side street outside Irma's Hotel. Originally Buffalo Bill Cody's hotel. He named it after his daughter.





Main Street of Cody. We love the way people and towns are proud to show there flag.



Looks like there may be a gunfight happening.



Probably going to start over a card game. Wyatt Earp watching on.



Think they must have forgotten this guy and he died in jail.



Oh nooo. They are shooting at each other.







Another one bites the dust.







Got to meet Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane i think it was.

Its a great fun show. Glad we went to it. And its free. Thanks to Elma's and the great actors. We wandered back and grabbed some food for dinner and then went back to our cabin for the night. Tomorrow we head for Buffalo Bill Cody Mueseum in Cody.

Keithg