Pioneers East

Do you know how to drive your husband crazy, first say to him the word “Pioneer” when he is an anti-mormon, second say to him that he is going to sit in a car non-stop for 8 days with two of your best girlfriends, third tell him he is going to spend 5 of those days with people he hasn’t met and the best way, is tell him you are going to drive part of the way. I think we accomplished the crazy part…

Off to South Dakota to see our friends from our China trip, Lee and Karen. They live in Sioux Falls which I have never been to other than once when I slept through it. Lee was gracious enough to set our itinerary for the entire trip (i.e. bathroom stops).

We left on a Friday for Steamboat Springs and arrived just in time for dinner. I love dinner‼‼

This trip was full of “not quites.” (Explanation later).
Then we headed for Estes Park, little did we know it was too early in the season and it was "not quite" open, so regroup and back on the road past Winter Park and through Denver.

We stayed the next night in Kearney Nebraska. I once slept through this town as well, but not this time. We stopped and had some delicious steaks, and some majorly good drinks.

Before heading out we stopped at the Kearney arch which told about the pioneers going across the plains (especially the Mormon pioneers), and settling in the west.

Then through Nebraska and up through South Dakota.

We had made arrangements to meet Lee at around 6:00, we got to Sioux Falls early and we decided not to impose on Lee and Karen for dinner and headed for the KFC where Opal made a friend. We stopped at local bar to watch the NBA playoffs and then called Lee. He was not happy, he said you could have come here to watch the game. So we headed over to the house where they showed us to our bedrooms to freshen up.

After meeting up with Lee and Karen at their lovely home we went downtown to see the outside art exhibit. It was really fun and the weather was perfect. I couldn't help loving this little kid trying to play marbles with this Kimono Dragon.

Then because we didn't explain to Lee that we already had dinner, off to dinner,
even though we weren't into the food too much, the company was great.

The touch of a butterfly

The next morning I happen to mention to Karen that the spare bedroom was absolutely beautiful, at which time I was told that Lee and Karen had given up their master bedroom for Gary and I. If that is mid-west hospitality, I might visit more, to Lee and Karen’s detriment.

Sioux Falls is a beautiful town along the Sioux Falls river, do you get it. I am so funny sometimes. They showed us around their beautiful town from the Butterfly Exhibit that Lee volunteers in (might I say absolutely gorgeous), to the art museum (another absolutely wonderful) to the Sioux Falls Park and the art gallery (absolutely fun) and so much more.

O.L. Rolvaag Home

I think Lee covered Sioux Falls pretty well.

Who do you want to Nuck?

Once you drive I-90, you don’t soon forget it. Since I had drove this road along time ago, I insisted on visiting some of the spots I stopped at before, but Lee was gracious enough to put in a few other items. Travel with me from Sioux Falls to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Corn corn corn. One of my old haunts was the Corn Palace. We got there and we found out they were “not quite” ready to receive visitors for the summer. So we walked through the workers trying to get the exhibits up and running. I did buy corn jam which I had never heard of (I think it is still in my fridge).

Next on the highway was the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village and Thomsen Center Archeodome. My son had just done an indian dig down in Southern Utah and so when we got to visit this area I thought of him digging for those items that belonged to a civilization so long ago.

Next stop lunch. Did I say I like lunch‼‼!

Bad lands, what a blast. As soon as we got off of the freeway Lee was all excited about showing us the U.S. Nuclear Missile silos. Unfortunately, we did “not quite” understand that we needed to call in advance since they only take a certain number of visitors down them a day. All that way and all we got was a bunch of jokes from the military.

But the Bad Lands themselves were beautiful. We got there just prior to it storming on us, the skies had changed some of the rock formations to beautiful colors.

Then off to my next and most desired haunt, Wall Drug.

I had a picture of me sitting on a stuffed bucking bronc taken 25 years prior. So I wanted to relive that experience. To find out the horse was not there, it was being refurbished after many years and would be returning the next week, so we were “not quite” timely in visiting my friend. So here is my replacement.

How many miles and finally Rapid City for dinner, Did I say I love dinner‼‼

A few of us decided to stay at the bar to watch the NBA playoffs and the rest of us headed for Palmer Gulch Resort. Oh how the web didn’t give this place justice. It was a beautiful area from staying in the hotel to camping. Highly recommended.

Let's talk to the Big Men

Of course Lee had a schedule and I was happy to meet the schedule so off we went first stop. Mt. Rushmore, dah of course. In spite of the cold and wind, the place was beautiful. It had changed so much in 25 years. The visitors center and amphitheater had been built since I had been there and it added a lot to a place that I didn’t think was that grand way back when.






We arrived at the Sylvan Hotel in time for Lunch. Did I say I loved lunch?
You just can’t take me out…the lodge had this art shop where the local artist showed off his wares. They were cutout and painted gourds. I reached up to pick up one on the top shelf, and I say shelf again, was unstable, not me and the whole display came crashing down. Lucky for me it wasn’t glass, but gourds. I did no damage other than embarrassing myself.





We drove up through the Sylvan Lake Drive to a place called the Needles. Which would soon be my Christmas card photo for the next Christmas.




Woolly mammoth museum. Oh did I think this museum was going to be boring, I was so wrong

Could you get a little closer to the buffalo, Lee. Oh yeah lets leave the door open for better access for the buffalo to join us.

This was a cute hotel that once was Pres. Coolidge’s summer/game retreat. I could do summer here. It is now a beautiful hotel with a very delicious restaurant.

The evening couldn’t have been better than to finish off our day at Crazy Horse for the evening lighting ceremony. When I was much younger there was hardly a visitors center little alone the sculpture cut out of the mountain. I was excited, but it was “not quite” happening, two weeks early for the summer rush. We got to visualize it in our mind.

Back to the Palmer Gulch with six very tired visitors.