Day 4 - The Adventure Continues (even if we don't want it to)

I am actually writing this on day 5 as day 4 was another long one and I was tired when we finally rolled into the KOA in Buffalo, WY.

Day 4 was an immediate hit, that is we were hit hard.  At about 3 AM, while obviously at the campsite, were were awakened by the RV rocking and rolling back and forth.  The weather said it would be windy, but we did not expect it to be like it was.  The wind was howling and continuous, at least that is how it seemed.  We slept on and off after that although it seemed to give a reprieve for a little while.  I finally got up around 6:30.  I checked things out and the RV was still there and so were our neighbors, which consisted of about 6 other idiots, I mean adventers, who also were with GAH.

We cleaned up and stowed away our gear and took off about 8:30.  This is when we understood that the wind was just playing games with us.  As soon as we hit the highway, we learned that the Fujita scale for tornadoes never drove interstate 90 through South Dakota.  The winds seemed beyond gale force.  The RV was pushed and pulled all over the road (its 2 lanes) and it was all I could do to hold onto the steering wheel.  After about the first 10-12 miles, I noticed the front bump out looking like it was no longer flush against the side.  I pulled over at the next exit and sure enough, it had pulled out about 4 inches.  What to do.  Being the ever resourceful lad, and realizing that crying will make me look really bad here in self sufficient land, I pulled myself together and repeated the process from Saturday.  I pushed the section as I had Chiara hold the button and it reluctantly retracted fully.  I then had her hold the button to close it and pushed mightlly (hey, its my story and I can used the adjectives I like), and I was able to push it all the way in.  I then had to reset the blocks of wood, which I think I had done incorrectly before.  This time I figured it out and got them wedged in tight.  It was back on the road again, and this fix is still holding.  But as I noted, The morning drive was white knuckle as it took all I had to keep the unit in my lane.  One option I used was to slow down.  So while other cars and big rigs were going 80 +, we were at 55-60 MPH.  It helped but it was still a hold on for dear life.
At least today, the trip would be more than just driving.

We arrived at Bad Lands NP about 9:40 and drove right in with my Senior Pass,  Funny how they did not question whether I looked old enough to have such a pass.  Must have been a new ranger or something.  Well, anyway, we drove in and you are immediately hit by how different this area is compared to the the rest of the state.  These very unusual mounds, and mountains look like big piles of mud and stuff, as the coloring is gray and various shades of brown.  They are not very high, but there are many peaks that look like a replica of the Apls.  We got out and and took the walk was at the first major viewing spot.  (Still working on the pictures and trying to load them).  When you get closer, you notice a greater variation of shading and it can run from lite rust to darker gray, depending on the sunlight.  It was very interesting and you wonder how it came to be formed.  The rest of the state, outside of the Black Hills, was flat and had no such formations.  It is like someone just dumped the Bad Lands here just to be different.  Anyway, were drove through the park as it is about 40 miles long, just south of Rte 90.  You go through different areas.  Initially, the formations rise out of the ground. As you go further in, the land becomes level.  As you continue, the formations are more like canyons, where we are above them, looking down.  Then, back to the formations rising from the ground.  The road has many curves and some switchbacks, but is rather easy to drive.  At the end of the road where you leave the park, just after the ranger booth, we say the Prairie Dog colony.  There were hundreds of these creators picking out of their burrows to see what was going on.  They are very flighty and will scoot back into their hole at a moments notice.  Still, they are cute little characters and they move very fast.

We were now off to our second major attraction, Mt Rushmore.  The drive took about 90 minutes.  We stopped for lunch before proceeding, so we arrived there around 2:15.  The road is well maintained, once you get away from Rapid City, SD.  It curls its way through the up the Black Hills for about 20 miles.  There are a few tourist trap spots along the way but for the most part, you are driving through wooded areas.  When you get about a mile way from the monuments, you can see them in the distance, looking out on the land.  It is an interesting view.  We drove up to the gates and paid our fee.  As it turns out, they do not accept passes that get you into other parks.  The entrance cost is $10, but I got away with $5 being 62 or beyond.  We drove up and parked in the wrong area (this was for buses), but it fit us so well, we just took the space.  We grabbed our cameras and walked into the park.  From the entrance, you proceed down a corridor where there is the gifts shop, a book store and the office where you can rent headphones and listen to how the monument was built.  As you walk further, you come to the avenue of the states.  All 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam are represented.  There are granite columns that line the walkway and four flags are on each one of the columns 4 sides.  You then walk out onto the promenade and get the full view of the monuments as the tower over you.  It is a magnificent site and you can only marvel at how this was accomplished.  Lots of dynamite and someone smart enough to have a vision turned into a reality.  And then there are the actual workers who sat on wooden seats about 8 inches wide hanging from two ropes suspended over the precipice with no safety nets or belts.  Not my cup of tea.  But, if you have the chance, it is something to see and worth the trip.

We are now on to Yellowstone.,  I hope to get in by mid afternoon so we will have more time to settle in the see the sites.  That's all for now.  See you at my next moment of verbal diarrhea..