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.

I've been freezing on the railroad, all the live long day

Lee thought it would be fun to take one of the oldest and narrow rail trains still operating. “Not quite” Let’s just say it would have been fun if hadn’t been so D__N cold. Because we hadn’t called ahead we were put in the open air car. What were we thinking. I do have to admit the scenery was beautiful and of course the company, no I am not even going to say the company was good enough to endure that cold.





Off to definitely warmer places, a WINERY. Now truly how can you go wrong in a winery. This winery wasn’t just any ordinary winery, it was a winery that made themselves famous on old fashion favorites with the areas agriculture. Dandelion and strawberry wine, who could resist.



I love my country and I love government workers, but what was this guy thinking. We got to Jewel cave. Now mind you I once was going to be a forest ranger, so I love them. So I say to the forest ranger for the benefit of my somewhat ill friend, “once we are inside how hard is this in walking through the caves.” He says, “after the first few stairs it is not too bad.” I know the government needs our money, but just don’t buy in to it, just say no. Maybe if you are healthy and young. By the time we got to the 5th set of stairs, 100 stairs a set, I started screaming in the cave for not the benefit of my friend, but for me. If you can look past that, it was an absolutely beautiful cave. Once we got our breath I did appreciate going.




We wound through the Black Hills until we got to Badger Clark's Home. We couldn't enter into it because it was "not quite" open for the season. So we peaked in the windows.


Keystone. Doesn’t all old western movies have certain towns in them, “we are going into Keystone.” With all the commercial stores and restaurants it’s hard to imagine this town being a small western town at one time. We enjoyed getting our shopping fix.

I found a replacement for the bunking bronc that I missed in Wall Drug.

Before returning back to our hotel we stopped at Mt. Rushmore for their nightly lighting ceremony. The weather had turned a little warmer and so we really enjoyed it.