Thursday, May 25, 2006

May 24 and 25

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Up by 6am. On the road by 7:30. We had no special destination today. Had breakfast at a rest area near Glaskow. On the way, we passed a house where a guy made huge metal sculptures. The roadside was lined with dinosaurs, bears, eagles & such. Another interesting habit is for the farmers and ranchers to leave their worn out equipment sitting on their property right next to the road. It’s fun looking at the old tractors, wagons, harvesters, etc. Like a drive-thru museum. One of our favorite camping reference books is Don Wright’s Guide to Free Campgrounds. Not all “free” but very low priced. We found a County campground just south of Harve. The Beaver Creek County Park. There are 2 lakes on 10,000 acres. What a super find. As I type this, we’re camped about 10’ from the edge of a beautiful, clear lake. Just us and two other groups. One is a guy named Ted and his wife. Probably 70+ years. . Born & raised around here but now they live in Great Falls. They come back here every year to visit the cemetery where their family is buried. By appearances, I thing he built the travel trailer they pull behind their old Ford truck. Ted, his wife and their two dogs. Tomorrow we head towards Glacier National Park. Ready for some mountains after two weeks on the plains.


Thursday, May 25, 2006

On the road early as always. Dogs fed, two cups of coffee. Stopped at a historical marker along the way to Glacier and had breakfast. Only one campground in Glacier was opened; St. Mary’s. Tomorrow another opens. This is very early in the season. Going to the Sun Road won’t be plowed and opened for another few weeks. Saw a black bear today. Got lots of good pictures. Went down to Saint Mary Lake. It’s a beautiful shade of green and as cold as ice. Even Gopher wasn’t interested in swimming. Glacier is pretty but not dramatically different than the Rocky Mountain National Park. Of the two, we would probably chose the RMNP.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

MT Rushmore

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Crazy Horse MT seen from highway

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Devil's tower

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Ed at Nature Center at Fort Peck Mt.

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Carol hiking around Devil's tower

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May 21 to 24

Saturday, May 21, 2006

At 8:00 we walked to the Visitor Center to join in a guided hike in the French Creek Wilderness Area. Conducted by a very knowledgeable young woman. Learned the names of lots of birds, plants & flowers. Saw deer but no more buffalo. Later that day we drove to the Sylvan Lake area and camped there. Ed & Gopher took a beautiful hike around Sylvan Lake. Beautiful, clear, cold water. As always, Gopher went swimming. That evening it rained. Thunder at times.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Up at 6am. Still not used to this time zone. We all walked around Sylvan Lake then drove past the Crazy Horse monument on the way to Mount Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore was impressive but very commercialized. Ice cream store, restaurant, gift shops, etc. Not quite what we had envisioned. Went to Rapid City to do laundry. The first laundry stop since we did was at Johnnies house. Did food shopping at Wal-Mart then continued to the Devils Tower National Monument in far eastern Wyoming. The Devils Tower was the mountain that was the site of the alien landing in the movie Close Encounters of the First Kind. Arrived about 5pm. There is a large colony of black-tailed prairie dogs, a herd white-tailed deer, and lots of rabbits. It was a long day so mostly we sat around & read the Sunday paper.


Monday, May 22, 2006

Up early. We hiked around the base of Devils Tower on the Tower Trail. Had the place all to ourselves at 7:30am. A very beautiful hike. The Indians hold sacred ceremonies on the mountain. We photographed some of the “prayer bundles” the Indians tie to the trees. The prayer bundles are simply pieces of cloth wrapped around different meaningful items then tied to a tree and left there as an offering. Headed out for Fort Peck Dam & Lake near Fort Peck, Montana. The plan was to break this eight hour drive in half. We arrived at Miles City, MT around 2pm with the intent of camping at the Twelve Mile Dam Tongue River State Fishing Access Site. Not what we had expected at all. The water was all mud and about a foot deep. We stopped at a City park in Miles, had lunch, walked the dogs and decided to finish the long drive to Fort Peck. The part of Montana from the Wyoming boarder north to Fort Peck is the most barren and desolate place we have been on this trip. Low, barren hills, areas of badlands, mile after mile of monotony on narrow, winding roads. Not a fun type drive. On the other hand, this is true cowboy country. Huge ranches. Horses & cattle everywhere you look. Interesting to see. Arrived at the Corps of Engineers Downstream Campground about 5:30. Glad to be here. Such a beautiful place. Worth the long drive. There is a long nature trail leading to the Interpretative Center, and of course a HUGE lake, 246,000 acres with 1,520 miles of shoreline. 1,520 miles; not a typo. We have a campsite right on the clear, cold lake. The lake was formed by damming the Missouri River. Took a good long walk. We and the dogs are glad to be outside after an eight hour drive. Gopher is having a ball swimming in the lake. During our walk she spotted two white-tail deer. Good thing I was holding on, she about pulled my arm off wishing she could chase the deer. Staying here for a few days to explore this part of Montana before heading towards Glacier National Park.

Tuesday, May 24, 2006

The campground had a wonderful, paved nature trail. Runs for a few miles. We all enjoyed several nice walks. We walked to the Interpretative Center, a.k.a. museum. It has several displays concerning the building of the dam as well as fossils found during the dredging. Well worth the trip. Late in the afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm and flash floor warning for the area. We have a weather radio so whenever the sky looks threatening, we turn it on. They were predicting a possibility of quarter sized hail. About 5pm or so, the storm rolled in. We got lucky; lots of rain but no hail. Had a wonderful time here in spite of the storm.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Up by 6am. On the road by 7:30. We had no special destination today. Had breakfast at a rest area near Glaskow. On the way, we passed a house where a guy made huge metal sculptures. The roadside was lined with dinosaurs, bears, eagles & such. Another interesting habit is for the farmers and ranchers to leave their worn out equipment sitting on their property right next to the road. It’s fun looking at the old tractors, wagons, harvesters, etc. Like a drive-thru museum. One of our favorite camping reference books is Don Wright’s Guide to Free Campgrounds. Not all “free” but very low priced. We found a County campground just south of Harve. The Beaver Creek County Park. There are 2 lakes on 10,000 acres. What a super find. As I type this, we’re camped about 10’ from the edge of a beautiful, clear lake. Just us and two other groups. One is a guy named Ted and his wife. Probably 70+ years. . Born & raised around here but now they live in Great Falls. They come back here every year to visit the cemetery where their family is buried. By appearances, I thing he built the travel trailer they pull behind their old Ford truck. Ted, his wife and their two dogs. Tomorrow we head towards Glacier National Park. Ready for some mountains after two weeks on the plains.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Badland sSD

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Custer St Pk SD

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May 15 to 20

Monday, May 15, 2006

Left about 9am. Destination Summit Lake State Recreation Area near Tekamah, NE. Took I-29 through Iowa then Omaha, NE. Mostly farm land. Corn. Saw a corn ethanol making plant. Summit Lake is a large spring fed lake. Access was via a mile long washboard road. Lots of ducks, geese and other water birds. We were the only campers there. It was a beautiful place. Ate lunch and walked around. Gopher played in the very tall grass. She would crouch down then charge out like she was a lion. About 2:30 we decided to checkout the City RV park in Tekamah. It was part of a very nice park. Ball fields, playgrounds and such. Continued our drive north to Decatur, NE. Decatur has a beautiful City campground on the banks of the Missouri River. Very well maintained. Beautiful river view. Once again, it was just us. The park gets a lot of use from the residents for walking. The sun came out today. One of the few mostly sunny days we have had on the trip so far. The weather forecast is for warm & sunny the rest of this week.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Set out for Yankton, SD about 8am. This is a beautiful part of Nebraska. Rolling hills, corn fields & cattle ranches. The grass is a green as can be making for a striking contrast with the newly plowed fields. Got gas in Winnebago, NE, at an Omaha Indian reservation gas station. About 10 cents less than non-reservation stations. $131.41 for a 48.689 gallon fill up. Ouch!! So far, the cost of gas exceeds all other costs combined. We both agree it beats sitting at home every day. Went shopping in Yankton. Around here, the HyVee grocery stores are the best. A combination of a good Publix and a Whole Foods. Then to Wal-Mart for the other things we needed. Yankton is the only major city we will be around for several days so we stocked up. Camped at the COE campground, Cottonwood. A beautiful campground right on Lake Yankton which ,during the Lewis & Clark expedition, was the main river channel. Drove across the top of the Gavins Point Dam to visit the wonderful COE visitors’ center. Picked up a bunch of really informative literature. Met some other Florida people in the campground. They live in a small town in the Panhandle; don’t recall the name.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Up early. Used my new percolator coffee pot instead of instant coffee. Johnnie’s idea. Makes very good coffee. Clear & cool. Our destination today is the Snake Creek Recreation area near Wagner, SD. Got gas at a reservation station run by the Yankton Sioux tribe. $2.69/gallon compared to $2.81. They had a few RV spaces with electricity by the casino. Stopped at the Fort Randall Military Post near Pickstown, SD. Spent about an hour exploring the remains of the fort. The fort was established on June 26, 1856 to protect settlers and emigrants from the Sioux Indians. Fort Randall was just one of dozens of forts built in the new west territories. Continued on to Snake Creek. Our campsite backs to the Missouri river. The water is very clear now. Perhaps 2’ visibility as opposed to the very muddy waters to the south. The “Mighty Missouri/Big Muddy” is the longest river in North America. It starts in Montana and joins the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis, MO. Gopher took a good swim today. Should have been a lab. Today was the warmest day so far. The suns finally shining. Probably about 80* today with a very strong wind. This is prime tornado country. There is a sign on the bath house designating it as a shelter. The park staff will drive around and tell everyone if severe weather alerts or tornado warnings are issued. Tomorrow we continue north & west towards the Badlands National Park just south of Wall, SD. Had another very nice day. Carol retired two weeks ago today.

Thursday, May 19, 2006

Set out for the Badlands National Park National Park. Saw a pheasant along the road. More farms & ranches. Rolling hills all through southern South Dakota. Very pretty. On the way to the campground, we visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. It was a deactivated Minuteman II silo and control complex from the days of the Cold War. This site was deactivated as the result of the START treaty signed by Presidents Bush & Gorbachev in 1991. There are still 500 such sites that are still deployed, a reminder that peace still evades us. Camped in the Cedar Pass Campground in The Badlands National Park. $5/night. No utilities. By evening it was about half filled. The Badlands were described by conservation writer Freeman Tilden as “peaks & valleys of delicately banded colors-colors that shift in the sunshine…and a thousand tints that color charts do not show. In the early morning and evening, when the shadows are cast upon the infinite peaks or on a bright moon lit night when the whole region seems a part of another world, the Badlands will be an experience not easily forgotten”. It reminds us of the Grand Canyon in some ways with all the different bands of color in the cliffs & valleys. Very desolate place. When we walked the dogs we had to watch for cactus and prairie rattlers. Both the Lakota Indians and early explorers avoided the area. It was hot today; in the 90’s. Toured the new visitors center.

Friday, May 20, 2006

Got up at 6am. The plan was to drive the Badlands Loop Road as early as possible. Stopped at the scenic overlooks. Saw several bighorn sheep and a prairie dog town. One of the walks has several fossil exhibits. Very interesting. Continued to our destination for the day; Custer State Park south of Rapid City, SD. Along the way we stopped at the famous Wall Drugs in Wall, SD. Mom & Dad were there during their travels years ago. Went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart then on to Custer SP. Got lucky. This weekend is the Open House Weekend. Free admission, lots of interesting events scheduled. There were two buffalo wandering around the campground area. This is the first time we recall seeing wild buffalo. There is a heard of buffalo here in the 1,500 range. Each year the herd is thinned to 1,000 because that’s all the area can support during the harsh winter months. Our campsite is right on a small mountain stream. Gopher had a grand time splashing in the water. The weather is nicer here; in the mid-70’s.

Saturday, May 21, 2006

At 8:00 we walked to the Visitor Center to join in a guided hike in the French Creek Wilderness Area. Conducted by a very knowledgeable young woman. Learned the names of lots of birds, plants & flowers. Saw deer but no more buffalo. Later that day we drove to the Sylvan Lake area and camped there. Ed & Gopher took a beautiful hike around Sylvan Lake. Beautiful, clear, cold water. As always, Gopher went swimming. That evening it rained. Thunder at times.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Up at 6am. Still not used to this time zone. We all walked around Sylvan Lake then drove past the Crazy Horse monument on the way to Mount Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore was impressive but very commercialized. Ice cream store, restaurant, gift shops, etc. Not quite what we had envisioned. Went to Rapid City to do laundry. The first laundry stop since we dis was at Johnnies house.