The Black Hills & Mt. Rushmore

Thursday morning @ 7:30 the girls rolled out of their beds in Crosby and into our bed in the beast for the trek to Minot to retrieve Clark, then to the Black Hills. Only got a couple of strange looks when we pulled into the airport to get Clark - one from the local Barney Fife. We enjoyed some beautiful countryside on the way. More Badlands (we stayed on the tar), prairie grasslands, and now the Black Hills. We saw the world's largest cow. Don't worry, you can't fool our Sarah twice. When we told her we were coming up on it she said "It probably isn't real." Took a picture anyway. For you cow aficionados out there, it is a Holstein.

RV tip of the day: Always empty your fresh water system, including the hot water heater, at the end of a trip - and sanitize said system prior to your next trip. Failure to do so results in skunky water.

A word about the beast. I know I've been griping & moaning about this thing, but I must admit it is pretty reliable not to mention forgiving of its two knucklehead operators. We drove the giant metal box in 107 degree temperatures on Thursday. That's actual air temp - no idea what the heat index was. It ran like a charm and kept us cool.

We grilled at our campsite for dinner and visited with a guy from Ohio who frequents our Buckeye Corner stores. Nice, relaxing evening. Great thing about this part of the country, the temps drop quickly when the sun sets. Typically by about 30 degrees.

Yesterday morning, Scott & I grabbed our coffee mugs, hiked to the top of the hill behind our campsite & viewed Mt. Rushmore from a distance. About a 20 min hike up. Pictures to prove it. Note to self: time to get back to the gym.

Every American should visit Mt. Rushmore. It is majestic. North by Northwest is one of our favorite movies, so we were sure to eat in the restaurant with a view of the mountain. Just think, we were in the same room where Cary Grant once stood. Oh yeah, a bunch of US Presidents have been there too. Photo of the girls standing at the top of the amphitheatre which is built below the monument.

We met an old gentleman photographer who was hired to photograph the Mt. Rushmore carving beginning in 1935 when he was 15 years old.  He also took photos in 1948 of the last 9 Native American survivors of the Battle of Little Big Horn. Had our picture taken with him.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson is credited with the first ice cream recipe in America? That is how they get you to buy the $6 ice cream cones at the monument. Old Tom must have been quite the dude. I wonder if he put the outhouse seat down?

We visited the Crazy Horse memorial, also a mountain carving, which has been under construction for 50 years. It will be cool if they ever finish it.  Mt. Rushmore fits in his head to give you an idea of the size.  Attached is a photo of girls standing by the sculpture model with the real thing in the distance. Model is 1/34 scale.

Drove the 14 mile Needles Highway (in a rented Ford Explorer). The rock formations soar above the narrow, winding road with no shoulder and steep drop offs. There are several one lane tunnels cut through rock. See photo of Scott & Maggie standing in a tunnel.  There is much we didn't see. We are coming back.

We pulled out of camp @ around 4:30 MDT, dropped off the rental car @ Rapid City Regional Airport, and began the trek east. Clark decided to listen to Annabelle (the same gps that got us lost in scoria land). We ended up on a 2-lane running parallel to I-90. The good news is, we drove through the SD Badlands.  More breathtaking views. The last photo attached is a small sample of what we saw as we drove along.

Made it to White Lake, SD last night and stayed at the Siding 36 campground. Gotta love RV folks. No one in office and no honor box to pay. I called the number after we got back on the road early this morning and gave my new BFF, Rhonda, our credit card info. If all goes well, we should be pulling into Chateau Mo around 9 tonight.

Our Time in Crosby...and Minot

As usual, our time here has flown. We pack up tomorrow and leave early Thursday morning. We will be picking up Clark at Minot International Airport at 10:30 am. It is a two hour drive in a "normal" vehicle. We are thinking of leaving Crosby around 5:30 am to make sure we get there in time. It has been warm (mid to high 80's) and humid here. Supposed to be 93 here tomorrow. Our little house on the prairie (did I mention it is really "our little house at the edge of town?") is sans air conditioning. That's French for I sweat while I'm sleeping even if I'm not having a hot flash. We have had fun at the Crosby pool -open from 1-5 and 7-9 every day. $3/person for afternoon session, or $2 for evening session. You can also buy a family season pass for $75. Last Wednesday Donna, the girls, and I went to Minot. Sarah got her ears pierced at The Icing store at the mall (same place Maggie got hers pierced 2 years ago). Not sure why they weren't impressed with the repeat customers from Indiana. Anyway, then LaDawn and Emma joined us at 10 North Main, a restaurant owned (in part) by Josh Duhamel, for dinner. The silent partner is hot, and so was the restaurant. They have an oak-fired grill and the a/c was not able to keep up. As always (yes, I frequent the joint hoping for a sighting) the food was delicious. We completed our day on the town at Minot State University. No, we didn't go binge drinking. The kids were with us. We saw "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." Really cute musical with a bunch of Neil Sedaka tunes. If you don't know who Neil Sedaka is, stop reading this post immediately and go Google him. We attended the wedding of the son of one of Scott's high school buddies on Saturday. Lovely wedding. You know how someone always has to try to upstage the bride? Well, this time it was me. Fell flat on me arse on the sidewalk after leaving the church. Nice. Clark was a block ahead of me, so there was no opportunity to bring him down with me. Fun reception, nice people, good dancing. The girls have had lots of fun riding their four-wheelers. Yesterday, Maggie was doing a little trick riding while Sarah recorded her . . . up until the moment after Maggie was thrown from the thing like a rag doll. At that point, all you can see is Sarah's finger and the ground and hear Sarah screaming Maggie's name. Like my parents before me, I was nowhere to be found while all this was going on. I keep telling them not to do stupid shit like we did when we were kids, but they won't listen. Back to the reason for this blog. After turning heads at the airport, we are heading south to the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore. We were going to hit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD but will have to do it another time. I'm sure by now you are beating back your feelings of jealousy, so I better sign off. More after we meet up with Clark as he provides me with most of my material...

Deja Vu

After taking a few days off from my own personal Operation Desert Storm, I decided to attack the remainder of the dust in the Beast.  Virtually everything has been removed from the inside and cleaned.  Remaining tasks on the inside when I began this morning:  vacuum the thick layer of dust remaining below each stack of drawers in the bedroom, wash the windows, cut new shelf lining to fit cabinets.  Re-stock.  Remaining tasks now:  Let the dust settle and clean the entire thing all over again.  Tip:  Never ever use a shop vac to vacuum fine dust.  Why?  It just blows it back out of the exhaust and all over everything.  You may be thinking, how dumb is she?  Everyone knows that.  After searching the 4,421 emails in my Inbox, I can confirm that I never got that memo.

It isn't all bad, though.  Clark has been full of useful observations and suggestions (usually as he backs out of the driveway to head to the farm or is getting ready to "get on a call").  Here are a few (my responses in bold):  Get air filters for the engine and generator shipped here and I'll have Kendall put them on when he works on the tires.  Check.  There is red dust all over the a/c vents in the ceiling.  No shit Sherlock.  "We" should probably lubricate the slideouts with that silicone spray in one of the storage bins. "We" doesn't mean "me!"

Anyone want to purchase a motor home?  How about free to a good home? . . . Ok, ok, how much do you want to take it off my hands???

Happy Independence Day!

Several severe thunderstorms moved through Crosby last night. Hailed. See photo. Will be calling insurance adjuster to check our brand new roof and gutters. As I sit in our living room writing this looking out at one gutter run, I don't think the news will be good. Good news is it is sunny & cool this morning. I think high is 80.

Scott is nowhere to be found. Assume he is at the farm checking on the crops. Hoping it didn't hail out there.

History lesson from Maggie: Early in the morning on this day in 1826 Thomas Jefferson died after asking on the night of the 3rd: "Is it the 4th?" A few hours later, John Adams, not knowing of his friend's passing, also died. John Adams' last wishes were that Thomas Jefferson take charge. 

LaDawn, Lynn, Hannah, Emma, Shane, Carrie, and Charli are all in town for the holiday. Hoping to get a game of golf in at the Crosby Country Club, then a cook out.

The red dust has a name

At the risk of harping on a bad experience, turns out the dust that infiltrated the RV is called scoria. All the folks around here nod their heads knowingly when I share my tale of woe. Not to worry, though, our own US Dept of Labor considers scoria to be a "nuisance dust with no adverse effects to the lungs when kept to reasonable levels." It can leave deposits in the eyes, ears, and nose. I can attest to this.

The Beast is being cleaned in stages. Ouside is done, except for storage compartments, which are caked full of the stuff. The bedroom in the back, which took the worst is almost finished, as is the toilet closet, shower, and bathroom sink. Still have the front section to clean. Then I need to find someone to come clean upholstery and carpets. Yes, it is that bad.

Horseback riding, then golf

Sunday morning brought pancakes made by Maggie served with wild chokecherry syrup, bacon, and eggs. Then, against the best available advice, Scott and Shane decided to go horseback riding. Thankfully, no one was hurt. See attached photo.

We visited the Marquis de Mares interpretive center and the Chateau. I almost didn't make it to the Chateau. Word has it that Scott paid Shane $2,500 to "lose me." Everyone was in the car but me (who had one leg in) when Shane put her in gear and started to roll. So there I was hopping along trying to jump into the car as Carrie yelled for him to stop. Interestingly, Scott was sitting right next to me and didn't utter a word....I think the rumor must be true.

Anyway, more cool history in Medora. The Marquise (you might recall from an earlier post that her name was Medora) is my new role model. She could do it all! Throw a fancy party, then go shoot some game.  See family photo taken on front porch of the Chateau.

We were then off to Bully Pulpit for a 2 pm tee time. Beautiful course built into and around the Badlands. A few photos attached to whet your appetite for playing this course. Sarah and Charli hit a few strokes on the front 9, then Carrie took them to the family fun park for a little swimming and play on the world's largest inflatable water slide. Maggie drive the golf cart and was my caddie.

Left for Crosby in the midst of a thunderstorm. Arrived in Crosby @ midnight without incident.

Medora Musical

Saturday night we went to the Pitchfork BBQ and Fondue for dinner. Actually, the guys took the kids while Carrie and I finished cleaning up the dust mess. Scott brought food back for us. We enjoyed an adult beverage with dinner and then headed to the amphitheatre for the Medora Musical.

This is good old fashioned clean family fun. The musical is in its 48th season. The amphitheatre is built so the backdrop is the badlands scenery. Breathtaking! They are also celebrating the 100th birthday of Harold Schafer, the guy credited with reviving the town by renovating the Rough Riders Hotel and starting the musical. His mandate was that the show be outstanding clean family entertainment that showcased 'high energy song and dance; the history of North Dakota and the Badlands; humor; American patriotism; cowboys and horses; western music; and a little bit of religion."

They also have Featured Attractions which I would call special guests. Last night our own Hip Hop dance crew from Kokomo, Indiana, Breaksk8 performed. They have been featured on America's Got Talent, America's Best Dance Crew, and Disney's Shake It Up. The girls got to meet them and get posters signed. They also met some of the cast.

Attached photos are of the Badlands (from Saturday's disasterous trip), parts of the musical, the girls with the cast, and getting posters signed by the Breaksk8 crew. Really nice guys. So great with all the kids there.

RVs are not for off road travel

After our wonderful morning, we decided to go to Elkhorn Ranch, one of the 2 ranches once owned by Teddy Roosevelt. After all, it was on the way.

Turns out the ranch is just that, privately owned with no buildings to see, no desk where he sat. Nothin but the badlands (which are beautiful) along a clay dirt/gravel road. While that is disappointing, the real problem was that we sucked in lots and lots and lots of red dust. To make matters worse, we got lost. So there we were, driving along the bottom of the badlands in a dust-filled RV wondering if we were going to be eligible for an I'm Still Alive episode before the day was over.

We finally made it to Medora, covered in dust.  Red dust. My sister in law, Carrie, helped me clean the beast as best we could while Scott and Shane took the kids to the pool. The pool water now has a pink hue to it...

I have attached a photo of the bottom of a drawer in the back of the RV with a message written in the dust in case you think I'm exaggerating.

Tip for the day: Never, never, never drive an RV on a gravel road for an extended period of time.

Will fill you in on the Medora Musical tomorrow.

North Dakota RV Adventure, Day 4

Interesting night last night. Golf ball size hail pounded on us for what seemed like an eternity beginning around 2 am I think. Thankfully, girls slept through it. No broken windows or mirrors and everything seems to be working.

Made a run through Wally World in Williston for a few provisions. Ever hear the story of the guy driving down the highway in an RV and stepping away from the wheel to grab a snack? Imagine that in a Wal-Mart parking lot. No damage to life, limb or property.

Took a detour to check out the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Area. Beautiful! Lewis & Clark were here! Fort Buford, the site where Sitting Bull surrendered, is there so we stopped in. Stood in the very room where the historic event took place in 1881. See photos, which include girls sitting in a handmade canoe.

A word (or several) about oil. As you know, I come up this way a few times a year. The oil boom continues to change the landscape here. There are makeshift mobile/motor home parks everywhere. Truck traffic is frustrating. I don't feel the same safety for my kids. The quiet is gone. But maybe the saddest thing is this beautiful landscape is dotted more and more with oil wells. Signs of prosperity, for sure, but not aesthetically pleasing. I'm all about energy independence, but it sure comes at a price. Does anyone see the irony in me writing this little speech while riding in a vehicle that gets 7 mpg???

On the way to Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch, then to Medora. Going to the pitchfork bbq and Medora Musical tonight. Golfing at Bully Pulpit golf course tomorrow. Supposed to be a beautiful course, which is good. We will need a distraction from my golf game.

North Dakota RV Adventure, Day 3

The pressure of a blog... Ok, here goes.

We saw some pretty cool things yesterday. I drove so Scott could work. This allowed me to enjoy the rolling hills and farms in Wisconsin, the beautiful lakes in Minnesota, and the strong North Dakota headwind we were greeted with. Once we got past the lunchtime drama, it was smooth sailing. Open roads and pretty countryside.

We stayed at the Prairie Village Campground in Jamestown, ND. At first I thought I heard some banjos playing, but I was mistaken. We walked to the Prairie Village - some photos attached, including one of Sarah in the slammer, the girls posing under the world's largest buffalo, and the girls posing in front of the buffalo herd. The light one posing in the background is White Cloud. She is an albino. She also has an albino calf, photo attached. These are the only two known albino buffalo living in the world. They have a spiritual significance to Native Americans. As for the world's largest buffalo, Sarah thinks there is a truth in advertising violation. She feels she was led to believe it was real.

We took the scenic route (on purpose) to Minot to pick up our 1998 Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Expedition with 118,000 miles on it so I have something to cruise town in when we get to Crosby. We arrived in Williston around 4:30, just in time to plug the RV in at Williston State College and attend their 50th anniversary athletic banquet.  Scott's mom and aunt joined us and his aunt drove the Expedition back to Crosby. As I write, the girls are sleeping, it is storming, and Scott is partying with old friends.

Tomorrow we head to Medora for the weekend. That is the last leg of this adventure.

Lunch

We are stopped at a rest area between the twin cities & St. Cloud having a little lunch. Leftover tacos and turkey sandwiches.

I have been driving. Apparently, Clark doesn't appreciate my lane placement and speed suggestions. After driving in 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic through the twin cities, I decided to try my hand meandering through a suburb looking for just the right gas station. I seem to held up a young, blond biotch in a black Mercedes trying to get to the back of a long line of traffic waiting at a light. Clearly, no one has coached her on the fine points of The Law of Gross Tonnage.She waved a nicely manicured finger at me. Sarah wanted to call the police. I told her not to worry. That lady is going to burn in hell for eternity for flipping mommy off.  Ahhh, I'm bringing out the best in those around me today!

Better hit the road...

North Dakota RV Adventure, Day 2

We are on the road again. Slept pretty good last night. Might have had something to do with the two 24 oz Bacardi O & Cokes I enjoyed.

The case of the giant cow statue has been solved. See photo.

Made a pot of coffee, then opted for breakfast at McDonalds. Tip of the day: Always park in the lot with the big trucks. I'll leave this one up to your imagination.

We are happy to report that all systems are working ... at the moment. The refrigerator is cooling nicely, house hvac is keeping up and, yes, the shitter smell is under control. Unfortunately, Maggie seems to have been affected by the whole smell problem of yesterday. She is opting to relieve herself in nasty truck stop bathrooms. Even with the smell, that one's a toss up for me.

GPS (with corrected time zone) shows us arriving in Jamestown, ND around 4 pm CDT. Should give us plenty of time to set up camp and still see the world's largest buffalo. I hope it isn't like the world's largest boar at the fair.

Going to test the new Coleman collapseable camp grill tonight. Burgers, brats and beans. Could end up with another odor problem....

All settled in - 1st night

Well, we only got honked at once (by a semi) and a toll booth ran into our mirror. All in all, a good day.

I have to admit a navigator error. The Garmin does not adjust for time zones, so we made it to the KOA an hour earlier than we thought.  Not much to look at today. Illinois looks like Indiana. Flat, dry farmland...

Tacos for dinner. See photo for details.

This KOA is like the Conrad Hilton of KOA's (admittedly this is only the 2nd one I've ever seen). Pool, playground, convenience store (which sells adult beverages), free WiFi, etc. We are thinking of moving here.

I can sense you are wondering about the shitter. I cannot tell a lie. It stinks to high heaven...but only when you flush. We are trying to get to the bottom of it. Really bad pun, I know. I pumped Scott full of gin & tonic before he went in for a major tank rinse. Will give you a status report tomorrow.

The girls climbed on top of the Beast tonight & reported they saw a giant statue of a cow. We are in Wisconsin.Will investigate in the morning.

Attached are some photos from the day.  A quick call out to my peeps - the Lids Ladies. You created this monster!

North Dakota RV Adventure, Day 1

Clark stepped behind the wheel at about 3:10 pm EDT and we are on our way. GPS says ETA at Madison WI KOA is 8:37 pm CDT. It's 3:39 pm. So far we only almost hit the left rear corner of a semi once. We also tested the rumble strips on the shoulder of the highway. They work.

The girls are drawing at the table and I'm wishing I had gotten a big bottle of Xanax from Dr. McCallum.

Attached is a photo of the beast and one of Clark in action!

The Beast is Ready!

You might say getting ready for the 2012 Maiden RV Adventure was an adventure in itself. After obtaining my certification in RV ownership (involved watching a bunch of YouTube how to videos) the fresh water system is sanitized (we hope) and the water pump primed. I, for one still intend to drink bottled water. Has anyone ever died from showering in bad water??? Ok, so we left the really important stuff, like the propane system check, up to Camping World. Unfortunately, Clark didn't check for plumbing leaks. Toilet sprays water when flushing. So, Dad took the beast back to Camping World for a quick fix of some vacuum thingy. Those guys are great..so is Dad! Beast now parked in front of Andretti Manor in the Burg. Mom & Dad got the thing leveled & the frig is cooling. Thinking of filling it with PBR. Oh yeah, I don't drink beer. Maybe some Bartles & James....

But first a quick trip to Nashville

This blog was born on a drive with the Lids Ladies to Nashville. Julie gets the credit for the blog name. We are currently brainstorming various red neck tonics to put in the frig. Wild Turkey, Boone's Farm, Red White & Blue are just a few of the suggestions. Anita is driving. I'm proud of her. Using the accelerator and ranting at other drivers like I do.

....

Sorry, I got a little distracted. I was trying to figure out where the heavy bass was coming from. You know the kind. You are sitting at a stop light & the guy next to you has the base turned all the way up rocking to his rap. Turned out it was Beth. Who knew?