Western State 2012 - Day 34

July 8, 2012

We began the last leg of our journey today with about 211 miles to travel. We have been gone 33 days, and have traveled just a little more than 4,650 miles. This has been a dream come true for both of us. We have had the pleasure of visiting with family and friends and creating some very special memories. We have seen a fantastic and tremendous variety of landscape. We have experienced recent history as well as history involving the expansion and grown our country from the Lewis and Clark Expedition and forward. Some of these experiences have evoked emotions we were not prepared for, making the experience even more moving. We have enjoyed each other’s company beyond measure and, although we are sad to see the journey come to an end, we are happy to be returning home.

Along the way, things that we have seen have brought to our minds the words of many songs. One song, above all others, seems to summarize best our experiences over the last five weeks. These are words penned by Katherine Lee Bates, words that we all know so well.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
- For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
- Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
- God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
- From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
- Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
- Across the wilderness!
America! America!
- God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
- Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
- In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
- And mercy more than life!
America! America!
- May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
- And every gain divine!

“America The Beautiful”

By the way, in spite of the many human errors committed throughout our history involving mankind’s mistreatment of mankind, we are still feel fortunate and proud to be citizens of the Unites States – Americans!

Western States 2012 - Day 33

July 7, 2012

The heat is still hanging on this morning. We only had to step outside and immediately begin to sweat. The air was heavy with humidity. In spite of this, we headed into downtown Springfield to visit the Lincoln Museum before heading east to Ridge Farm, Illinois later in the afternoon.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is actually composed of two buildings that sit across the street from one another joined by an above-street walkway. Across from them is the restored Union Depot which is a beautiful building. Union Depot serves as a visitor center for historic Springfield and Illinois tourism. Upon entering the Gateway and purchasing our tickets we immediately moved into the Plaza, which is a circular area offering the opportunity to make discoveries about the Abraham Lincoln from his birth to his death. It is from the Plaza that we began our journey; and what a journey it was!

Union Station, which now serves as a visitor center, lies across the street from the museum. As statue of Lincoln sits on the southeast corner of the courtyard.

The Plaza of the museum is on a floor of marble. Around the perimeter are entrances to two theaters, the gift shop, two exhibit galleries, and replicas of a Kentucky log cabin and the White House in Washington. To explore Lincoln’s early life visitors enter through the cabin.

Wax figures of the Lincoln family who occupied the White House greet visitors. To explore Lincoln’s presidential years visitors enter the door of the portico.

The “Lincoln’s Eyes” presentation was about to begin in Union Theater, so we headed there first. The presentation was about 15 minutes in length and very well done. The multi-screen presentation. with tremendous sound and lighting effects, implements the use of scrims on which are displayed static as well as moving images. It was a tremendous way to set the stage for the remainder of the visit. The presentation tells the story of an artist and the things he discovered in the process of researching information about Abraham Lincoln and compares the popular image of the President with other, little-known facts so that visitors can capture the “real image” of Lincoln.

A life-size wax figure of Lincoln as a young teen awaits visitor to the log cabin.

Upon leaving there we worked our way through Lincoln’s development years by entering the replica of cabin in which Lincoln was born in Kentucky. The wax figures, the music, the displays brought his story to life right before our eyes. We learned that he particularly liked reading Aesop’s fables as a child. The wax figures depicting a slave auction in New Orleans (Lincoln made one trip down the Mississippi to Louisiana early in his career) made us begin to understand his position on slavery and the weight he would carry with him during the presidential years. When Lincoln was serving as an attorney in Springfield he was quoted as saying: “When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government — that is despotism. If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith tells me that ‘all men are created equal’ and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man’s making a slave of another.” (Springfield, Illinois, October, 1854)

We next went to the presentation called “Ghosts of the Library” in the Holavision Theater. The presentation is sponsored by AT&T. Again, the music and the excellent technological effects elicited strong emotions of events in Lincoln’s life as the “curator” took viewers on a tour of some of the Library’s archives. This presentation helped us prepare for the journey through the White House years.

After entering through the White House portico there is a display of Mary Lincoln and some of the dresses worn by her and wives of other political dignitaries of the time, some of whom who were not fond of her or of Mr. Lincoln. As we continued through the area we encountered the may political posters that were critical of Lincoln. We saw that politics was as cruel then as it is today. The tour includes a visit to a room where Lincoln and his cabinet are debating the release of The Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863. In this area one learns that Lincoln was trying to deal with slavery in an delicate and politically astute manner while driven by his strong desire to preserve the Union.

The impact of the war, the loss of a child (Willie) took their toll on the Lincoln and could be evidenced in the pictures displayed of him from the beginning of the presidency to his death. Near the end of the walk through this area we viewed the Ford’s Theater display with wax figures of the Lincoln’s. Next came the map of the train trip carrying Lincoln’s body from Washington to Springfield. By this point we were both dealing with the sense of loss as we walked into the final exhibit, a replica of Lincoln’s coffin lying in state in Illinois’ Capitol — a very powerful, moving experience indeed.

There are other things of interest on display including the “To Kill and to Heal” exhibit. As one of the most recent libraries and museums, it is a well-planned and executed display of artifacts. It is tastefully done and one well worth visiting even if you have to make a special trip to get there.

In the park across the street in front of Union Depot stands the bronze replicas of two chimneys that depict the racial tension of 1908 in Springfield which erupted into mob action. From this sprang the development of the NAACP organization. A bronze statute of Lincoln also stands at the entrance to the park, the pose giving one the perception that Lincoln is striding toward the museum and library.

The Old Capitol Building, as it is known today, was constructed in Springfield after the capital moved from Vandalia to Springfield. The building was completed in 1840. It is constructed of locally-quarried yellow Sugar Creek limestone. In the mid-1960’s it was totally disassembled and rebuilt. The fence that surrounds the building is a replica of the original fence. It was in this building that Lincoln served the state legislature, gave his now famous “House Divide” speech in it’s Representative Hall, and where he made his announcement to run for the Presidency of the United States. In 2007 Barack Obama used this building as a backdrop to his presidential announcement. 

We had an unexpected pleasure while returning to our car. On the sidewalk, while trying to stay in the shade of the buildings, we literally bumped into some friends from Yipsilanti, Michigan who are member of the GMC Eastern States Motorhome Club, Nick, Theresa, and Athena Chapekis.

After leaving Springfield we continued on to a small town south of Danville to spend the night with Larry and Peggy Stahl in Ridge Farm, Illinois. Larry and Peggy were family to Byron for many years before his divorce. They chose to continue to call him family and have welcomed Martha as well. Anytime we are in the area we stop in to visit and are always welcomed into their home. It was a delight to visit with them on our last night “on the road.” We also had the pleasure of visiting with two of their children, Glenn and Brian and some of their families. It seemed only fitting that since our trip began with visiting family that it should end that way as well. Family is important.

Western States 2012 - Day 32

July 6, 2012

Today was a travel day with about 320 miles to cover. Leaving the KOA just east of Des Moines, Iowa, our destination was the KOA southeast of Springfield, Illinois where we would spend the evening and then go to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

We made our way across Iowa and into Illinois in a sweltering heat wave with temperatures at 100+. This was a day to keep the generator running so the rooftop air conditioners could be kept running. There is no was the dash-mounted system could keep up with a cavernous motorhome interior.

In the portion of the drive from Council Bluffs to Newton it seems the road is either rising a few hundred feet of falling about the same amount. There is no flat ground until getting closer to the center of the state. From Newton on to Davenport the hills begin to become less frequent, the ascent and descent less radical, and the opportunity of driving on level ground more typical. The roadside even changes from short, prairie grass to the typical grasses and weeds found throughout Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee (hoping we didn’t leave any state out).

Crops were abundant across this section of the country, especially corn planted in huge fields. Whereas the typical field in our area of the country may be 40 to 80 acres, in central Iowa and westward it seems to take up a whole 160 acres or more. This is such a contrast to what we normally see. As we traveled east we also began to see more soybean fields as well as some wheat.

The big milestone was crossing back over the Mississippi River at Davenport, Iowa. Once we did this we felt like we were almost “home.” When crossing the Illinois river at Peoria Byron began recalling the state song he first learned in junior high school:


By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois,
 O’er thy prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois,
Comes an echo on the breeze.
 Rustling through the leafy trees, and its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois,
 And its mellow tones are these, Illinois.

Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,
 Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois,
On the record of thy years,
 Abraham Lincoln’s name appears, Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois, Illinois,
  Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois.

For those of you that don’t know, the Logan mentioned in the song served, as did U. S. Grant, in the Civil War. He later became a senator for Illinois and was instrumental in the establishment of Memorial Day and an official holiday in the United States.

Western States 2012 - Day 31

July 5, 2010

Another travel day — Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Newton, Iowa which is east of Des Moines.

After having the holiday off yesterday, Martha was hard at work today while Byron drove. Because it was another 300+ mile day, we left Sioux Fall without seeing the falls for which the town was named.

The cascading falls of Sioux Falls on the Big Sioux River. The city has developed a park. On the bluffs above the river are several Indian burial mounds. Sioux Falls is in Minnehaha County.

After traveling about 45 miles Byron saw a sign that simply read “Visit National Music Museum, Vermillion - Exit 26. Since this was a museum he hadn’t heard of did a search and came up with a phone number. After talking to the receptionist at the museum and finding we could park in the bus space in front of the library, we took a small detour from the I-29 by ten miles.

The Museum is in an old Carnegie library on the southern edge of the University of South Dakota. The town of Vermillion is but 10,000 in population though the enrollment at the University is 14,000. The school even hosts the state’s law and medical schools. Since this was a working day for Martha, Byron visited on his own. He didn’t mind so much because this place would surely hold his attention well.

The National Museum of Music is on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

He found out that the National Museum of Music (formerly called the Shrine to Music Museum) holds the world’s largest, most comprehensive collection of 15,000 rare and historic American, European and non-Western musical instruments and is well-known internationally; research scholars have visited from Berlin, Paris, London, Moscow, and New York. It holds many of the earliest, best preserved, and most historically important musical instruments known. On display in the climate-controlled environment are 1,100 different instruments in arranged in nine galleries. It also houses a small concert hall, library, and conservation laboratory. The collection includes a large variety of keyboard instruments, guitars, violins and other string instruments, clarinets and other woodwind instruments, brass horns, and an extensive collection of instruments from a variety of ethnic groups around the world. A writer for Forbes stated: “Bob Dylan’s and Johnny Cash’s guitars meet Stradivarius violins at this dazzling museum.” They even have a guitar that was autographed by B.B. King after playing a concert there.

Only a handful of instruments can be viewed in this photo which are in the gallery exhibiting a variety of keyboard instruments including pianos, harpsichords, clavichords, and a pipe organ built in Pennsylvania in 1826.

How about this exhibit of brass instruments? The double-bell instrument on the right is played by a choice of mouth pieces; one in a standard method and another with a resonator built into it.

After leaving the Vermillion around noon, we traveled on. Since we hadn’t seen a Cracker Barrel in ten days or so we decided to have our big meal of the day at the one in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The motorhome was comfortable while parked under a couple of trees in Vermillion but on the I-29 in the heat of the day it was necessary to have both roof AC unit running to stay pleasant. About 20 miles from Council Bluff we hit a bump that jarred the coach and the forward air conditioner cut off. Within minutes it started getting hotter. (One of the things about owning a used motorhome is the feeling of “what now” when something doesn’t work as you’d expect). Martha closed off some of the vents in the rear to move as much air forward as possible but it did not seem to help. Just before getting to the Cracker Barrel Martha spotted a Camping World and said: “I think we need to pay them a visit right after we eat.” Once parked Byron was able to determine that the circuit breaker had tripped. Needless to say, we were happy about that simple fix.

It is obvious as to why Council Bluffs is named what it is. To the east of the city a high, river bluff runs parallel to the river that divides Iowa and Nebraska. As we drove east on I-80 we climbed the bluff and started toward Newton for the KOA. The topology is interesting; large rolling hills where the corn fields are terraced. That is something neither of us have seen before.

Western States 2012 - Day 30

July 4, 2012

Our July 4th rocked, and we mean that literally. The weather forecast predicted wind; sustained wind of 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph beginning at 12 a.m. and going until 12 noon on July 4. We awoke in the early morning hours to wind howling and the motorhome gently rocking. We were very glad we were not in the popup camper across the way.

Our plan was to leave by 8 a.m. in order to reach our destination of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (363 miles) by early evening. The winds seemed to be somewhat calmer as we made our way onto I-90 East. Little did we know this was only a lull in the action. After reaching the eastern edge of Rapid City and moving out onto the plain, we encountered a very strong crosswind. Again, we learned another valuable lesson about motorhome travel.

The slide out has an awning that rolls out when the room is extended. This awning serves as a covering, like a roof. When not extended, the awning is rolled up by a tension spring. There is no way to lock it in place. Can you guess what happened? When one of the gusts hit we heard a bang. It sounded exactly like something hit the roof of the coach. From the rearview mirror Byron could see the awning unroll with each wind gust and retreat as the gust subsided. We actually think it sounded a lot worse than it was, but we didn’t really want to risk having the awning torn from the side of the motor home. We pulled off at an exit to check the situation. Another motorhome pulled off after us. Since we had no rope or duct tape there did not seem to be much of a solution. We didn’t know what the other couple was doing; we just saw the man crawling around on the roof. We decided to continue on at a slower rate of speed hoping that would help. However, with the north wind hitting us with hard gusts as we travelled directly east continued to make for a problem. Fortunately, I-90 turns southward and goes into some hills. This changed the situation so we could continue with less fear.

As stated above, we learned to carry rope or duct tape with us and when strong winds are predicted, tie the slide out awning in place so can’t flap wildly in the wind.

We reached Wall, South Dakota about 10:30 a.m. and decided to stop as we had been seeing billboard advertisements for Wall Drug for miles. We had developed quite a hunger as every billboard announced food items such as donuts, homemade pies, fudge, coffee for a nickel, and the one item that made Wall Drug famous, the offer of free ice water.

The main entrance to Wall Drug.

Byron was ready to have something to eat.

The story is told that Ted and Dorothy Hustead purchased Wall Drug in 1931. After making the decision to give the store five years to become profitable, they were very discouraged at the lack of business. Within a few months of the five years and business not having improved at all, they were about ready to give up. One Sunday afternoon Dorothy attempted to take a nap but returned to the store within the hour. It was not too hot to sleep. It was too noisy with the jalopy car traffic on 16A. Dorothy suggested that they advertise free ice water to travelers passing by who were hot and thirsty after having driven across the prairie. The next week they advertised the free ice water and gave away free ice water and sold ice cream cones all weekend. Now the store draws up to 20,000 people on a good summer day. Of course, the store has expanded while making use of a western theme. In fact, the store is arranged like a boutique mall with each department being a distinctly separate area complete with a separate store front.

Upon entering the store immediately the smells of fresh baked donuts and pies makes ones mouth water. We enjoyed a piece of cherry pie and cup of coffee before purchasing some rope to tie the awning in place in the event we encountered more strong gusts.

After leaving Wall but before getting to Mitchell we stopped at a rest stop and overlook at Chamberlain. The “wide” Missouri River can be seen in the distance. The elevation of the overlook is about 1700 feet. The elevation at the river is about 1400 feet. The stop also had some information on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

When we were pulling out the motorhome that had stopped behind us at the exit was pulling into the lot. We saw duct tape on the awning. Smart folks.

Upon leaving the Badlands and protected grasslands area of South Dakota, we were truly amidst fields of amber waves of grain pretty much as far as we could see. After several more miles we encountered large cornfields along with soybean fields. The green was a welcome site compared to all the brown and dust we have seen. We enjoyed several patriotic programs on the radio throughout the day, and the tunes of “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful” wove themselves through our minds as we traveled across this beautiful state.

An unexpected but pleasurable stop was in Mitchell, South Dakota. Mitchell is home of the world’s only Corn Palace. The first Corn Palace was built in 1892 as a place where settlers could display their agricultural bounty on the exterior of the building to prove the fertility of the soil and attract immigrant farmers to settle in the area. Each fall the settlers conducted a festival to celebrate the agriculture and productivity of the people.

In keeping with tradition, each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with using corn cobs, shucks, and other elements of the crops. Throughout the summer, 3,000 bushels of rye, oat heads, and sour dock (corn) are tied in bundles and attached to the sides of the building to form murals. When the corn crop is ready, approximately 275,000 ears of corn are sawed in half lengthwise and nailed to the building following corn-by-number patterns created by local artists.

The present Corn Palace is the third Corn Palace that was built and has become known as “a folk art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota.” The interior of the building is used as a center of community activity hosting basketball games, stage shows, trade shows, and other activities. The decoration on the interior remains the same because it is some of the original artwork done.

We don’t recall seeing any photos of the inside of the Corn Palace so felt it was appropriate to insert one here. The murals over the stage and to either side are halves of corn cobs dyed to various shades in color. Exhibits by local vendors were set up on the basketball floor.

The Mitchell Corn Palace decorated in the 2012 theme. Each year a different theme is utilized.

Of course we could not leave without a couple of caramel popcorn-shaped into ears of corn. They also have other flavors of popcorn and popcorn balls as well as the usual gift items for sale.

We arrived at the KOA in Sioux Falls in time to set up the television and watch “A Capitol Fourth” on PBS. This has become a tradition with us and a good one at that.

From the foothills of the Black Hills to the prairies of eastern South Dakota — we’ve see changes in the landscape from conifers to deciduous trees. We have seen a log of beauty we have in the United States. We have been blessed.

Western States 2012 - Day 29

July 3, 2012

Our visit to Sturgis/Rapid City, South Dakota would not be complete without a visit to Mt. Rushmore. We deliberately saved the best for last. The Independence Day celebration at Mt. Rushmore is spread out over two days, July 3 and 4.

The four presidents as viewed above the Avenue of the States at the entrance to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. The flags of the 50 states and six possessions are displayed on 14 pillars.

In the past, fireworks were used for the 4th of July celebrations. They have not been part used for several years due to dry conditions for the last few years and the possibility of fire being started from a falling piece or stray spark. Selected musicians and dancers are present at the National Memorial over July 3rd and 4th as well as actors representing the four presidents carved on the mountain. Some of the special programs are held in a theater in the museum but evening activities are always held in the amphitheater at the base of the carvings. There’s also a 14-minute video that plays every 20 minutes that gives a good overview of the development of Rushmore. It’s narrated by Tom Brokaw.

Photos can hardly give an idea of the large proportions of the carvings. This photo gives you a clue. The people, at the lower portion, are standing on the observation deck of the museum.

The evening programs consist of honoring our veterans, a flag-folding ceremony and other recognitions and musical performances. The concert this year was presented by the USAF Brass in Blue ensemble from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. This was quite an impressive group of ten brass players, a percussionist, and a vocal soloist. They delighted us with a variety of music for more than one hour. The finalé was the playing of the National Anthem as the sculpture on the mountain was lit and the flag retreat (lowering and folding) performed by the Ellsworth Air Force Base Honor Guard.

The four trumpets, two horns, euphonium, tuba, and two trombones from Brass in Blue performed in the amphitheater at the base of Mt. Rushmore for more than an hour. Their program closed with The National Anthem as the presidential images were lit.

This proved to be another one of those moments where emotions catch you off guard. The National Park Service has done an excellent job of making this a patriotic and inspirational venue.

Mount Rushmore at night. Viewing it is a great way to cap off a visit to the National Memorial.

Western States 2012 - Day 28

July 2, 2012

There are so many things to do we had to make some choices because, unfortunately, everything has an entrance fee or, if it is free, they expect a “donation” to help fund their attraction. In addition, we are staying near Sturgis which is at least 20 miles from some major attraction either northwest or south of us.

Our choice attraction for today was a trip to the Crazy Horse Memorial just southwest of Mt. Rushmore across Harney Peak by 16 miles. Crazy Horse was a Native American born in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1842. He is known as a War Chief and defended his people and their land. Crazy Horse would agree with another chief’s statement: “The made us many promises but only kept one; they promised to take our land and did."

Our photo of the carving shows the current state as of July 2. The outline painted on the rock show the location of the horse’s laid-back ear, the location of the eye and the jaw as well as where the location of the forehead.

The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation was started to “protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians.” The exhibits were interesting and filled with many artifacts. Martha felt the laser show at dark was not as nearly impressive as the laser show at Stone Mountain, Georgia. In our opinion the attraction may be slightly overrated.

Another obligatory photo – the mountain carving in the background and the sculpture from which the memorial is modeled in the foreground.

When considering the fact that it took 50 years to carve the face (dedicated in 1998) and seeing what remains to be done odds are that this will easily turn into a 150-year project. For sure, this will be an ongoing project far past the lives of the children of Korczak Ziolkowski, the original sculptor. Of his ten children, seven continue to work on the project or in the running of the supporting attraction one mile from the base of the memorial.

Also on display at Crazy Horse are several dozens of Ziolkowski’s sculptures. Some are in bronze and others are in stone. This one, “Fighting Stallions,” stands in the courtyard near the new cultural and educational center which is under construction. If you look closely you'll see that the whole weight of the sculpture is balanced at to point, the hoof and the tail of one horse. From what we learned at Santa Fe this is, in itself, an interesting accomplishment.

As we have traveled through the Black Hills we have scoped out campgrounds in anticipation of returning here in a few years. For those that might be interested in making the trip by motorhome, we have selected Happy Holiday Campground as our choice. It is convenient to many of the attractions but not back in the steep hills. It is well kept and, more importantly, it has shade.

Tomorrow culminates our time here in the Black Hills. We will celebrate Independence Day on July 3rd at the Mt. Rushmore where the Independence Day celebration that runs for two days. Wednesday we will begin the final leg of our journey home which will include a stop at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Before then we have the Badlands on the agenda as well as Sioux Falls, South Dakota and St. Joseph, Missouri. Since Byron has been to Sacramento, our stay in St. Joseph will mean he has been to the beginning point and terminus of the Pony Express Route.

One more thing — for dinner we had corn-on-the-cob prepared in the simplest of methods. Cook the corn with shuck, tassels, and all in the microwave allowing two minutes per ear. Remove after cooking (be sure to wear gloves) and cut the butt end about three-quarter of an inch from the end with a knife. Be sure to cut all the way through the shuck. Lift the ear by the other end and squeeze the cooked ear from the shuck. The tassels and shucks should remain intact and the ear ready for butter and salt. It sure beats cleaning the ears and boiling them in water which, be the way, really heats up the kitchen. You can learn more about the process by watching a video on You Tube.

Western States 2012 - Day 27

July 1, 2012

We chose a local Presbyterian Church here in Sturgis as our place of worship today. The church has about 300 member half of which were present on Sunday. What a lovely place and what lovely people!

This was the second Sunday that we have attended a service where we sang from a hymnal; no words projected on the wall and we both agree that it added an element of reverence to our worship experience – it didn’t subtract from it. As Byron says, there’s educational value in seeing words in juxtaposition and it supports reading more coherently. They followed a standard liturgical format in which the congregation read responsively during much of the ordinary parts. We also sang three hymns that were composed in the last half of the 20th century so the music was rather contemporary. The only “older” him that we sang was “This Is My Father’s World” and even it’s second verse was modernized in the 1990’s.

We still continue to find that it’s a small world in which we live. One of the couples we talked to at the church lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the same time Byron’s parents lived there, on a street within three blocks of Byron’s parents. The gentleman worked at the VA hospital there. Byron’s dad always played golf at the VA hospital’s course. Then, at the chuck wagon dinner show last night, the gentleman next to us is a chaplain at a hospital in Nebraska. He had grown up in Georgia and knew where Winterville (Martha’s hometown) was just east of Athens, Georgia. His grandparents had lived in Athens.

On our way to Fort Hayes for the dinner and program we went by Chapel in the Hills. The chapel itself is an exact reproduction of the Borgund Stavkirke of Laerdal, Norway. The chapel was built in 1969 as the home for the Lutheran Vespers radio ministry. Today, visitors from all around the world find the chapel to be a place of beauty and inspiration. According to information at the visitor center the structure is within ¼-inch the size of the original church building in Norway. It was in a lovely park setting at the back of a Rapid City neighborhood. Vesper services are held each evening at the Chapel during the summer months. The services are open to the public.

The “stave church” is made totally of hewn wood. On three sides of the perimeter there is a covered area where, in Norway, parishioners would wait in inclement weather for the doors to be opened. Christian symbolism is architecturally expressed in the interior design. A construction technique is that the foundation is made of stone with the base and four staves of Douglas Fir. In Norway another hard type of fir is used.

On the grounds they also have a log cabin that was originally built by a Norwegian prospector who came to the Black Hills in search of gold. It now serves as a one-room museum depicting the type of furnishing used 150 years ago in Norway. There is also a barn-like structure with a sod roof. This building was originally assembled in Norway. It was disassembled and brought to the US. It serves as the gift shop for the chapel.

Wood carvings of Ole and Lena await visitors to the small museum.

We were told that in Norway building similar to this one are used as barns. Note the sod roof.

For those of you who have seen Dances With Wolves, we got to visit the two-building movie set at the Fort Hays Chuckwagon Dinner and Show. The movie was actually filmed 16 miles East in Caputa, South Dakota but the set was moved to the present location on Mt. Rushmore Road in 2003. The dinner was a typical chuck wagon menu consisting of BBQ beef or chicken, baked potato, applesauce, beans, biscuit, and a piece of spice cake. Not bad but not the best we have had, either. The show was a mixture of old cowboy tunes, jokes, and some early rock-n-roll. We enjoyed the music but were surprised at the low quality of the sound considering, especially, the number of years the show has been running. Understanding the lyrics of the singers was almost impossible. They did have a good little fiddle player, though. She’ll be a senior this year in high school. Was the expense worth the dinner and the entertainment? Not exactly. However, getting a glimpse of many photos and brief videos that recount the making of the Costner movie was very interesting. After reading over things we’d like to go back and see the film again.

Headquarters building for the Fort.

The Supply House used in the movie. Today it is — a gift shop.

On our way back to the motorhome we took a detour through the downtown area. In talking about Saturday’s walking tour we realized that we didn’t see all of the statues of the presidents. Sure enough, by the time we counted up we had missed seeing 12 of the statues.

Richard Milhaus Nixon as he appears in bronze on one of the street corners in “The City of Presidents”.

By the way, Rapid City is named after the fast-flowing creek that runs through it.

Western States 2012 - Day 26

June 30, 2012 - Saturday

Today we got an early start in order to ride the 1880 Train from Hill City, South Dakota to Keystone, South Dakota and back. The narration provides historical and contemporary information on various landmarks along the way. It’s even possible to see Mount Harney, the highest peak between the Atlantic coastline and the Rocky Mountains. (The Black Hills are a separate region of mountains from the Rockies). Some of the cars are enclosed but two were open air cars. For our trip the train was led by a diesel locomotive instead of a steam engine. The temperature was about 80 degrees on most of our trip; not bad considering what our friends and family are enduring further east and south.

An open-air car in the Hill City station of the 1880 Train of the Black Hills Central Railroad.

Rounding one of the many turns and heading up hill on the trip between Hill City and Keystone.

Sitting off to the side of the depot is a display of three railroad trucks. The one in the background dates from the late 1800’s. The one in the middle is from the early 1900’s and can be compared to the wheels and axle in the foreground. The middle truck ran on what is called “narrow gauge”. The others are “standard gauge”. Many narrow gauge systems existed around the 1900’s in mountainous areas because the narrow tracks were more easily laid for the many turns necessary and narrow spaces of the cut-throughs.

After leaving the train, we rode down Hill City’s main street and then headed toward Mt. Rushmore. We did not go into the park today as we are saving that for Tuesday, July 3, when the Air Force’s Brass in Blue will be playing. We wanted to get a glimpse of the sculpture and check out the area on our return to Rush-No-More RV Campground. We drove along a wooded highway, ascending rather sharply on a 10% grade. Suddenly, after rounding a curve, there before us was the mountain and the figures. It was quite an impressive site as first we saw Washington, then Jefferson, and then the nose of Lincoln. Finally, as we drove past the entrance we came to a clearing in the trees where we could see all four rock carvings clearly. We continued on to a point were we could see the profile of Washington from the west side. After that, we turned around and headed back to our motorhome for a late lunch.

Seldom have we seen a photo of Mt. Rushmore from the perspective of the whole peak; this photo captures that view.

Washington is all that’s visible from the western side of the peak at the Profile Turnout.

Later in the afternoon we headed back into Rapid City to walk Main Street and view the bronze Presidential statues on the street corners. They statues are spread around the downtown area.

Rapid City has become known as the “City of Presidents” due to a renaissance project begun in 1999. Each year four statues were placed and dedicated until all 42 were in place in 2010.  President Obama’s statue will take its place once he has finished his term(s) in office. Rapid City is the only location in the world where all 42 Unites States presidents can be seen in life-sized bronze statues.

Martha with Bill Clinton.

In addition to providing the statues on the street corners, the project also funded the purchase to serve as the Presidents Information Center. The interior design of the building is based on the Oval Office in the White House. The draperies depict an earlier design. A Presidential seal is in the center of the carpet. There is a scroll-like wall hanging providing information about each president as well as smaller versions of the bronze statues seen on the street. They are called moquettes. The Center also has mugs available for purchase. Each mug features one president.

Byron with Ronald Reagan.

Each sculpture is unique and provides some insight into the personality and the presidency of its subject. For instance, Carter is holding a jacket draped over one arm and his tie loosened around his collar. Eisenhower is shown in his military uniform standing with one foot on a map of England and another foot on the Western Europe. Kennedy is shown with his son, John-John while Lincoln is show with his son, Tad. George W. Bush is posed with his right hand out and thumb up and holding his dog under his left arm as if walking to the presidential helicopter, Marine 1. Jefferson is holding the Declaration of Independence. The display certainly makes walking in the downtown area a fun and educational event. However, be advised to visit the Center first for a copy of a guide. The guide provides the location and, more importantly, some commentary on each statue.

On our return to the campground we had the view of a beautiful sunset before us. The sky turned to shades of pinks and purples with the plains shrouded in what appeared to be a mist rising from the ground. All-in-all, it was another great day.

Western States 2012 - Day 25

June 29, 2012 - Friday

Though we are parked 25 miles northwest of Rapid City near Sturgis, South Dakota, Rapid City provides a good reference point for seeing how far we’ve on this portion of our journey through some of the western states.

Total mileage from Kaibab on the North Rim to Mt. Rushmore near Rapid City is about 1,275 miles. That boils down to covering about 100 miles a day. That’s a fast pace for the 1860’s but a slow one by today’s standards. For vacationing in a motorhome it’s fast enough.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Thar’s varmits in them thar hills”? Well, it’s a true statement out here, plenty of wildlife — especially rattlesnakes. Beware when hiking, a good pair of sturdy boots and a big stick would be wise when getting off a wide path. That has been the message we’ve received from Billings, Montana to Rapid City: “Stay on the trail and keep your eyes and ears open.” We stay on the main trail and haven’t seen anything like that yet. Thank goodness!

Deadwood and Lead

Today we struck out for Deadwood and Lead (Leed), South Dakota. Deadwood was a lively gold-rush boomtown in the late 1800s built along the floor of Deadwood Gulch. Deadwood is best known for its legendary figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. There was one less known personality, but familiar to Byron, and that was Poker Alice. Poker Alice was an Ivers (Byron’s mother’s maiden name) and a cousin to Byron’s great-grandfather. In Southern Missouri she was not married while building a reputation as a “wild woman”. She had quite a reputation as a Faro (card game) dealer and brothel owner. She followed her clientele during the Black Hills Gold Rush to Deadwood and married a guy with the last name of Tubbs.

Deadwood has gradually been restored due to a percentage of the gaming receipts being allotted to restoring the town’s buildings to their original condition. Tourism is big business in the Black Hills and the Deadwood town leaders have made use of that lure. Gaming establishments abound on this it’s solitary main street but there is a lot of other interesting history as well.

Our first stop was the restored train depot and then a visit to the Adams Museum, both of which were quite interesting. We learned that the though Deadwood had a reputation of being rough that it also had quite a cultured society. It was also home to several Chinese immigrants at one point being second only to San Francisco 125 years ago.

This small locomotive, which ran on rails less than two feet apart, was used by the Homestake Mining Company hauling ore from the mine hauling up to 700 tons in a 24-hour period.

Except for the Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, the buildings on Main Street in Deadwood have all been restored. Their next project is to restore the back sides of the buildings and bury the utility lines.

We then made the short drive to Lead (pronounced as Leed), which was founded during the gold rush of 1876. Lead was known for having one of the richest gold veins unearthed. It was here that George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst, amassed his fortune through an investment in the Homestake Mining Co. The mine was in operation until 2001 and goes 8,000 feet into the earth.

Our one stop here was the Black Hills - Fort Pierre Railroad Roundhouse to view a 35-minute multimedia presentation showcasing the history of the Black Hills Gold Rush through video, music and a 3-D map. It was quite an interesting presentation.

Western States 2012 - Day 24

June 28, 2012 - Thursday

We continued our journey East today. Our destination was Sturgis, South Dakota which is 25 miles northwest of Rapid City on the northeastern edge of the famous Black Hills. As we traveled eastward in Wyoming we saw evidence of more recent rain than was seen from Bozeman, MT to Sheridan, WY. The vegetation is a little greener and more plentiful. We even saw a few ponds or small lakes. We were getting out of the mountainous area and into the rolling hills and even some plains. It is easy to tell where the rivers run out here because that is where you see lush, green vegetation and trees along the banks.

The rolling plains of Wyoming. I-90 often runs parallel to the BNSF railroad or the Yellowstone River.

Our historic stop for the day was Devil’s Tower, northeast of Gillette, Wyoming. Devil’s Tower is a huge mass of rock that rises 867 feet from its base and 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Approximately 5000 climbers come from all over the world each year to ascend its height. The first recorded ascent was made by William Rogers and Willard Ripley on July 4, 1893. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devil’s Tower the first national monument in 1906. At the base of the tower on the grasslands below, prairie dogs make their homes in the ground and run playfully to and fro with some dens being very near the highway.

Devil’s Tower as seen from a pull-out a few miles from the formation. It is sacred to several tribes most of whom state that bear claws formed etched the sides of the rock.

The expanse of the boulder field at the base of the Tower is truly amazing. The path through this field is not on solid ground but a walkway paved on fill dirt and rock poured over the boulders. When viewing the location on Google Earth the large shadow it casts is easier to see than the top surface of the formation itself.

Devil’s Tower as viewed from the Visitor Center. Trees are all around the perimeter of the boulder field.

Park visitors from the vehicle in front of us got the attention of one, curious prairie dog. They were actually smaller than we imagined; less than half the size of a ground hog.

After levying Devil’s Tower we continued toward our home for the next six nights; Rush-No-More Campground just south of Sturgis, SD. It is a nice campground in spite of the fact there are no trees for shade. Byron noticed that very few of the campgrounds in the area have trees though trees are abundant in the Black Hills area. We have learned that our first question from now on will be: “Do you have shade trees?” Out here it seems you either get dust and shade or grass and no shade.

Western States 2012 - Day 23

June 27, 2012 - Wednesday 

Today was another short travel day. Our destination was Sheridan, Wyoming as we make our way towards Rapid City, South Dakota. We had about 130 miles to travel today so we stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument just South of Hardin, Wyoming at Crow Agency. The monument is a memorial to the battle fought on June 25, 1876 between the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the United States Army under the lead of Col. Custer.

Little Bighorn Battlefield

This was a battle about a people trying to preserve their home. As Sitting Bull asked, “What would you do if someone was trying to take your home.” Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment was defeated but the Indians finally retreated when they learned of the approach of more soldiers lead by Colonel John Gibbon from Fort Ellis in Montana and General Alfred H. Terry from Fort Lincoln in Dakota Territory. Following that day, most of the Indians returned to their reservations and surrendered a few years later. The most powerful statement we read this day was “Power is in peace.”

Monument to Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The monument sits atop Last Stand Hill.

Western States 2012 - Day 22

June 26, 2012 - Tuesday

This was a slow day. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it was a regular work day for Martha and a “fiddle around” day for Byron, who made a run to Pierce RV in Billings to see what the dealership was like. Second, it was hot. Since we had been in upper elevations for more than a week we got used to temperatures no higher than 78. Here at the lower level it got between 95 and 100, depending on which way you stood.

Like fools, we took off for a discovery adventure to Pictograph Cave State Park — in the middle of the day. Martha was ready for a break and she was caught up on reports to complete.

The park was about six miles from the Billings KOA where we were parked. It is situated along the rimrocks about 1,500 feet above the river valley. It is a cluster of caves where, over a period of five thousand years, historic American Indian counterparts left behind a legacy of painted images and artifacts. The walls of the caves are sandstone. These caves are actually more like shelters and were probably only used for temporary purposes since they only go back into the rimrock from 60 to 90 feet.

It is a bit of a steep climb up the concrete walk to the main cave of Pictograph State Park. Archaeologist feel that the rims of the rock indicate that this area was once under water. Oyster beds are imprinted in the sides of the sandstone.

Western States 2012 - Day 21

June 25, 2012 - Monday

Today was another traveling day. Our objective was to go from West Yellowstone to Billings, Montana. Martha put in a couple hours of work before leaving. Since she always checks the coverage maps with regard to Verizon and Virgin Mobile’s mobile broadband coverage, she knew we’d not have service for 90% of the first 90 miles.

Google Maps takes the route into the west entrance of Yellowstone, up to the Mammoth area, and then eastward to the northeast entrance which is near Livingston, Montana. While it may be the shortest route in terms of mileage, it isn’t the fastest way to get there. One can only average about 38 mph when driving in the park. At times, it isn’t that good. There are reasons. First, the maximum speed limit in the park is 45. Second, there are twist, turns, and steep hills to deal with in addition to a few rough sections of roadway where our federal dollars and low park fees haven’t covered maintenance. Third, it is necessary to keep on the lookout for the animals, which also means watching for stopped or very slow vehicular traffic of the human kind.

Our route took us up US 191 to Bozeman and the east on I-90 to Billings. Basically, it is downhill all the way. West Yellowstone is at an elevation of 6,650. For the 90 miles to Bozeman there is a descent of 1,850 feet to an elevation of 4,800 feet. From Bozeman to Billings through Livingston the descent isn’t as steep. The difference is 1,625 feet stretched over a distance of 120 miles. The drive, however, is beautiful all along the way.

The Gallatin River near Bozeman, Montana. It is fairly shallow and rocky and ideal for trout fishing. There are rapids all along the way.

Western States 2012 - Day 20

June 24, 2012 - Sunday

The Morning Hours

Since we didn’t have to cross state lines or a time zone change, we decided we might be on time for church today. We decided to not have ice cream today and, instead, stop at Ernie’s Deli and Bakery for a cinnamon roll while on the way to the 10 a.m. service. Instead of a cinnamon roll, we opted for a large sticky bun with pecans. Our eyes changed our minds. They were delicious but rich! Big, too!

From what we saw there are four churches in West Yellowstone; Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, and a non-denominational church. We went to First Baptist of Yellowstone. It is a small church but a church with a big heart. Martha’s daughter, Ashley, spent the summer of 2006 working in Yellowstone through a program the church calls “Innovators.” It is a college outreach summer program. Students from all over the country apply to be are a part of this program. They work during the week and do ministry outreach on the weekends. First Baptist is the home base for this group. The church’s sponsors remembered Ashley so, in a way, we had a connection to this church beyond just a place to visit. The pastor asked that the resident members in attendance stand. Then he asked all those visiting for the first time to rise. It was obvious that visitors outnumbered residents. There were visitors from all over the country and even a couple from Scottsville, Kentucky who know many of the people Byron knew when he was Associate Pastor at Scottsville Baptist Church in 1971-1975. Of course, they struck up a lengthy conversation after the service.

Western States 2012 - Day 19

June 23, 2012 - Saturday

We were slow to get started today, but eventually headed out around noon sporting our new Yellowstone t-shirts. Our destination for today was the Tower-Roosevelt region with a stop at the Artists Paintpots.

We drove through a lot of mountains today, at one time being at 9000 feet, so high we could reach out of the car window at some places and touch the snow we had been looking at from a distance for a few days. Of course, again, there were the bison and elk along the way. At Tower we walked the short distance to Tower Falls which is a 132 foot drop. We made our ice cream stop for today choosing Painted Buffalo Chip for today’s flavor Yesterday it was Moose Tracks, tomorrow we will see. We then drove a few miles to Roosevelt Lodge in the northeast area of the park. Along the road we saw a black bear, and at the lodge we saw a trail ride/chuck wagon supper group heading out across the plain for an evening of fun.

On our way to Tower-Roosevelt area we stopped by Gibbon Falls

on the west side of the Park.

Western States 2012 - Day 18

June 23, 2012 - Saturday

“The hills are alive with the sound of music
 -With songs they have sung for a thousand years

 -The hills fill my heart with the sound of music,
 -My heart wants to sing every song it hears…” – Oscar Hammerstein II

It seems that everywhere we have traveled, some song comes to mind. This is the song that played through Martha’s head as we traveled the 35 miles north to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. We entered the park mid-morning under cloudy skies and cool temperatures driving along the beautiful Madison River amongst new pine trees. The park was touched by fire in 1988, but the trees are once again replenishing themselves. It was not long before we caught a glimpse of elk frolicking in a distant meadow and then were among a buffalo herd grazing near the roadway. We have seen so much new life on this trip, baby elk, baby buffalo, baby cows, baby horses, new growth of vegetation.

We stopped to take more pictures of wild life, laughing at how many pictures we have already taken. We were here in 2005 and have pictures from then as well. There is just something about seeing these animals in their natural habitat that draws you to stop and take a picture.

A buffalo (bison) calf tries hiding behind a tree.

Western States 2012 - Day 17

June 22, 2012 - Friday

“On the road again –
-I just can’t wait to get on the road again…
-Seein’ things that I may never see again…
--------on the road again” – Willy Nelson

Today was another travel day with about 265 miles to go to our next destination – West Yellowstone, Montana. We both had to agree that this was probably the prettiest drive of our trip so far. The route took us straight north through northern Utah into southeastern Idaho. The further north we went the more water we saw and the greener things got including the mountain sides. Idaho is such a pretty state.

Looking southward from the KOA in Bringham City one can see the Great Salt Lake about six miles away. Irrigation fields are in the foreground and a stretch of I-15 is in the distance.

Western States 2012 - Day 16

June 20, 2012 - Tuesday

Today marks the halfway point of our trip. We have had a pleasant two days here in Brigham City, Utah. We have seen a lot of God’s beautiful earth and a lot of variety. The mountains and the desert have a beauty all their own but Martha says “give me the green, green grass of home.” West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are great places to visit, but we both agree that we don’t want to live there — it’s generally dry and a bit dusty for us. However, the northern half of Utah is a good bit different.