2013 - Sept 7 Touring Mt. Rushmore, Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway

After the pancake breakfast, we hit the road at about ten o'clock and made a 68 mile loop that included Mt. Rushmore, Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway and several tunnels along the way. There were three "pigtail bridges" on our route. In the shot below, we traveled under the bridge, then looped to the right and over the bridge. Making a left turn would have been too tight and too steep.

After we got back to camp, we found that Jim and Bonnie, our friends from the 2010 Alaska trip, had arrived. We threw a pork tenderloin on the Cobb Grill and enjoyed dinner and visiting with them. I forgot to get pictures of them, but we'll be with them tomorrow and I'll get some then.

Did I mention that the Wi-Fi at Crooked Creek RV Park in Hill City, South Dakota sucks?

 

2013 - Sept 06 Gering, NE to Hill City, SD

Well, it was pretty routine until we got caught in a hail storm about seven miles from our destination, Crooked Creek RV Park in Hill City, SD. We pulled over to the side of the road and watched the hail accumulate and the temperature drop from 87 to 58 in about 5 minutes. The hail stones were only about dime-sized, but later we heard that two nights ago down in Custer, they had baseball-sized hail. That size leaves a mark! Only damage we had was a shredded spare tire cover on the back of the camper.

They're supposed to be doing a "blast" on Crazy Horse Memorial tonight, but, so far, nothing. We passed it on the way in. It's only a couple of miles away, so I'm sure we'll hear it.

Not sure how many Aframe campers are here, but it's supposed to be over twenty. I'll try to get a final count for you later.

We sat around the campfire for a while and headed for the camper. Breakfast is at 8:00 in the morning. I've got to get to be early if I'm going to get up that early!

BTW, it's almost fraudulent for this campground to claim that they have Wi-Fi Internet access. It's REALLY painful, so I don't know what kind of success I'll have when I try to post.

2013 - Sept 05 Phillipsburg, KS to Gering, NE

We covered exactly 200 miles less today than we did yesterday. 344 miles today only leaves about 200 miles for tomorrow to get to Crooked Creek Resort in Hill City, SD where we will be until Tuesday morning (9/10). We are in a Good Sam park, called Robidoux R.V. Park, just outside of Scotts Bluff in Gering, NE. It was about 30 miles out of our way to get here, but there wasn't much in the way of campgrounds along our planned route. AND it has Wi-Fi!

I think the bluff in the picture(s) is what gave Scotts Bluff its name. It was about 95 degrees when we got here this afternoon at 3:30, but the humidity was only 37%, so it wasn't bad. We sat in the shade of our camper (that's all the shade there is) and had a few cocktails before dinner.

Tomorrow will be a short drive, so we won't be in any hurry to hit the road in the morning.

Enjoy the pictures!

2013 - Sept 04 Home to Phillipsburg, KS

It's about 1000 miles from home to Hill City, SD where we are rendezvousing with about 19 other Aframes from Illinois and surrounding states. We covered 544 miles today, so tomorrow and Friday (arrival day) should be pretty easy days.

We found the Phillipsburg City Park on the Internet and stabbed around town until we found it about 6:00 this evening. What a deal! Ten bucks for an electric site and showers! Only thing missing is Wi-Fi, so I'll have to post this tomorrow.

We walked around the park this evening, then ran into a lonely guy who lost his wife last spring. Don lives across the street from the campground and he came over with hois dog, Suzie, to shoot the breeze and he did all the shooting. It was dark when he went home so Marsha threw a couple of TV dinners into the microwave and we made do.

It's cooling off nicely tonight, so we'll probably do without the A/C, but the forecast for tomorrow is 100 degrees. We'll be long gone and headed north by the time it gets that hot.

More tomorrow - maybe!

2013 - Aug 18 Indianapolis Red Bull Moto GP Race

Chad and I left his house at 7:00am and got to Indy a little before 11:00. We hooked up with my brother, Scot, who had ridden his bike from Columbus, OH to see the race.

The pictures tell the story. The weather was great and it was great for the three of us to be together for the day.

Events like this kind of get the old juices stirring again, but I think it would be better if I just stick too camping!