Hi.
When we told friends and colleagues (and even strangers) about our retirement road-trip in our motor home, we were often asked, "So, where will you start?". We answered, "Disneyland with family, and then head towards Mt. Rushmore, then east to Maine." Well, we made it to Mt. Rushmore on Friday! Yeah!
The Mt. Rushmore National Monument is a very impressive site. The access to view the monument is one of the best we have ever experienced. Viewing the four presidents almost takes your breath away. The "sculptures" are spectacular to behold...the detail, the size, the environment of the Black Hills...a "gotta-see" place. Add it to your bucket list!
From Mt. Rushmore, we headed 11 miles down the road to the "Crazy Horse Memorial" that is still being carved. The memorial honors North American Native Americans, and Lakota hero "Crazy Horse". After decades of work, the face of Crazy Horse is complete. Decades to go...but just as with Mt. Rushmore, what amazing skill it has taken to design, calculate, and sculpt on such a grand yet detailed scale.
We ended our day by driving through the scenic byway of South Dakota's "Custer State Park". As we drove through the park, we saw prairie dogs, "antelope" (pronghorns), donkeys...and BUFFALO! They are big and beautiful! Vehicles had to stop while the herd crossed the road. One of the male buffalos charged head-down at a motorcyclist who drove too close to the herd, but stopped about two feet short of butting him...thank goodness!
That's all the news for now...take care.
Don & Sandi
Don & Sandi at "home", back in the Stockton area.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
North Dakota
Hello,
On Thursday, we had to spend some time getting the roof-top air conditioner fixed on the motor home. We then moved into our campsite in the Rapid City, South Dakota area, where we will be for the next three or four days. After nearly seven weeks in the motor home, we both had the "spring cleaning" urge and so we spent a couple of hours freshening-up the interior of the motorhome from front-to-back and top-to-bottom.
At about 3pm, on a bit of a whim, we decided to have dinner in North Dakota. We looked at the map and started our 3-hour drive to Bowman, ND. Once we got into town, we had to find a place to eat...not as easy as we thought. We had a choice of the "deli" at the gas station...or "Wendy's Pizza & Sandwiches Family Restaurant". We choose the latter. We had a very nice dinner and headed back to Rapid City...got back to the motor home about 10:15pm. This big road-trip is about seeing the USA and lots of national monuments and cities. But it really is about "making memories". And the 7-hour dinner drive to Bowman will be a simple, but special, memory of this trip.
Take care,
Don & Sandi
On Thursday, we had to spend some time getting the roof-top air conditioner fixed on the motor home. We then moved into our campsite in the Rapid City, South Dakota area, where we will be for the next three or four days. After nearly seven weeks in the motor home, we both had the "spring cleaning" urge and so we spent a couple of hours freshening-up the interior of the motorhome from front-to-back and top-to-bottom.
At about 3pm, on a bit of a whim, we decided to have dinner in North Dakota. We looked at the map and started our 3-hour drive to Bowman, ND. Once we got into town, we had to find a place to eat...not as easy as we thought. We had a choice of the "deli" at the gas station...or "Wendy's Pizza & Sandwiches Family Restaurant". We choose the latter. We had a very nice dinner and headed back to Rapid City...got back to the motor home about 10:15pm. This big road-trip is about seeing the USA and lots of national monuments and cities. But it really is about "making memories". And the 7-hour dinner drive to Bowman will be a simple, but special, memory of this trip.
Take care,
Don & Sandi
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Devils Tower
Hi.
We visited Devils Tower in northeast Wyoming this morning and took a 1.5 mile hike around its base. What an impressive geological formation. More simply...wow! It rises 867 feet from its base and it is about the size of a football field on top. The vertical rock columns are simply amazing to gaze at from afar, but especially up-close.
We are now in South Dakota and will visit Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Black Hills, and probably more...there is a LOT to see in this area.
Bye for now,
Don & Sandi
We visited Devils Tower in northeast Wyoming this morning and took a 1.5 mile hike around its base. What an impressive geological formation. More simply...wow! It rises 867 feet from its base and it is about the size of a football field on top. The vertical rock columns are simply amazing to gaze at from afar, but especially up-close.
We are now in South Dakota and will visit Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Black Hills, and probably more...there is a LOT to see in this area.
Bye for now,
Don & Sandi
Monday, August 16, 2010
Flaming Gorge National Rec Area
Hi.
We made it to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area today, a site we had wanted to visit for years, but it was always too far out of the way. Yeah! It was a tough drive...one road sign said, "Next 4 Miles - 10 switchbacks and 5% to 8% upward grade". That was a rather slow drive for us!
The Flaming Gorge Red Canyon overlook provided an awesome view of the Green River flowing through the red, brown, and green-colored canyon walls (cliffs)...a few photos are attached. We are glad we made the "out-of-the-way" drive. We are now in Wyoming enroute to South Dakota.
Later!
Don & Sandi
We made it to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area today, a site we had wanted to visit for years, but it was always too far out of the way. Yeah! It was a tough drive...one road sign said, "Next 4 Miles - 10 switchbacks and 5% to 8% upward grade". That was a rather slow drive for us!
The Flaming Gorge Red Canyon overlook provided an awesome view of the Green River flowing through the red, brown, and green-colored canyon walls (cliffs)...a few photos are attached. We are glad we made the "out-of-the-way" drive. We are now in Wyoming enroute to South Dakota.
Later!
Don & Sandi
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Dinosaurs?
Hi All,
We are in Vernal, Utah (upper-right corner of Utah) and today we visited the National Dinosaur Monument. Unfortunately, the "quarry building" is currently undergoing a renovation (since 2006) and will reopen in Fall, 2011. I guess we'll have to come back. See the photo at the right to see the closest thing to dinosaurs that we came across in our travels today. We ventured into the Colorado section of "Dinosaurland" and took a somewhat strenuous 2-mile roundtrip hike (at an elevation of 7,500 feet) to a beautiful viewpoint called "Harper's Corner"....spectacular scenery. We were a bit winded when we finally made it back to the car...but the hike was well worth the effort. And all that exercise allowed us to eat dessert this evening!
Take care.
Don & Sandi
We are in Vernal, Utah (upper-right corner of Utah) and today we visited the National Dinosaur Monument. Unfortunately, the "quarry building" is currently undergoing a renovation (since 2006) and will reopen in Fall, 2011. I guess we'll have to come back. See the photo at the right to see the closest thing to dinosaurs that we came across in our travels today. We ventured into the Colorado section of "Dinosaurland" and took a somewhat strenuous 2-mile roundtrip hike (at an elevation of 7,500 feet) to a beautiful viewpoint called "Harper's Corner"....spectacular scenery. We were a bit winded when we finally made it back to the car...but the hike was well worth the effort. And all that exercise allowed us to eat dessert this evening!
Take care.
Don & Sandi
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