We got to Custer State Park and tied in with our Sparta friends - John and Marianne Blaauw. They are park volunteers and managed to get us a site near them. The Park is 7,100 acres and the 7th largest State Park. John and Marianne are a wealth of information and we are so lucky to have them as personal guides. Also, we have deer outside our site daily with a nice buck.
We went to Rapid City Firehouse Brewing for supper. What a nice town, old fashioned, neat, clean, mining college area. I'd highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.
Yes, you hope there's no oncoming traffic when you go thru.
Unfortunately, there is a female buffalo down the road that is old and skinny and just can't seem to get up anymore. They know she's very old and at the end of her life cycle and her calf was very small we were told - probably due to mom's poor health and/or milk. They took her calf recently to be cared for somewhere and then let nature take it's course. (We drove by later about 8:15 pm and it looks like she has joined the big buffalo herd in the sky.)
They are the only animals you're allowed to feed and they don't seem to care for potatoes.
On Saturday Homer and I hiked the Cathedral Spires Trailhead. Homer did about 2.5 miles and I only did one as I thought my heart would jump out of my chest and my lungs would explode! Homer could have done more. We forgot our walking sticks and my bifocals don't help. I'm just out of shape and making excuses but never was good at breathing well with elevation.
We went for a ride and thru some neat one lane tunnels at what they call "The Needles."
In a little picnic area there was this big boy just laying around doing nothing. You don't want to get too close as people have lost their life by being gored.
Later we drove with John and Marianne as our guides to Buffalo Gap, then Hot Springs (had a beer at the American Legion to cool off ha ha) and Wind Cave (gravel roads) which is a National Park. Saw lots of buffalo along the way and we were held up in a traffic jam.
Prairie dogs are in abundance and a hoot to watch.
You know the difference between a donkey and a Burro? A Burro speaks Spanish! :-)
On Saturday we went to Custer to see the Studebaker Car Show. Very interesting if you like old cars, but I can always shop when I've seen enough. I have to admit, I really enjoyed this show and Homer ALWAYS love the cars, boats, trains and planes stuff.
Below is how someone had their travel trailer rigged up. Very interesting!
These guys were by the Lodge Store parking lot this afternoon.
So we'll be out for pizza or a burger tonight and back on the road tomorrow, maybe to Yellowstone or wherever else the road takes us, hopefully to daughter Jean's by Tues.
