NIAGARA FALLS - PART II

We decided to drive back to the falls, and check out some of the sights from Goat Island. This island sits in the middle of the Niagara River, between American and Horseshoe Falls. The viewing areas on the island put you at the edge of Horseshoe Falls, which receives considerably more water than the American Falls. It's just hard to put in words, what you feel, watching the tremendous amount of water going over the edge at these two huge waterfalls. We had a nice lunch, overlooking Horseshoe Falls, then walked over to tiny Luna Island which is just above the American Falls. The picture above, showing the people in yellow rain coats, was taken from Luna Island, looking down on the Cave of the Winds Boardwalk. We didn't particularly feel like paying to walk down below the falls and get soaking wet, so we just watched all of the folks getting soaking wet. They even provide sandals, because otherwise, your shoes would fill with water. It was a nice sunny day, and with this drive out to Goat Island, we hit most all of the vantage points from the American side of the river. We didn't feel like we needed to go through the hassle of crossing the border, we'll be doing that in a few days, when we cross from Maine into New Brunswick. Today, we leave Niagara Lazy Lakes RV Park, and I plan on taking back roads across most of New York.

THE ERIE CANAL

Construction of the Erie Canal began in 1817, and by 1825, the almost 400 mile long canal was open for business. Without looking at a map, it's hard to visualize what this very famous canal did, in terms of opening up what was then, the frontier west. The fact that most all of the canal was built with hand tools, makes the completion in about 8 years, almost unbelievable. The original canal was 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. Over the years, it has been enlarged, and improved several times. Today, it's mostly used by pleasure boaters, as it's commercial use has diminished considerable. Yesterday, we took a 2 hour ride on part of the original pathway of the Erie Canal. We traversed 2 locks in Lockport, N.Y., raising about 60 feet going west bound, and lowering back down on the return trip. It was a nice boat ride, with a narrative of the canal and surrounding area. Prior to the cruise, we toured the Erie Canal Visitors Center & museum, and learned quite a bit, especially from a period dressed, living history actor, who portrayed the engineer, that designed and built the original "flight of five" locks in Lockport. We must have been living right, because just as we were pulling back into the dock, it started to sprinkle, and by the time we got back to the motor home, it really let loose. Today, we're going back to the falls, and look for some different vantage points.

NIAGARA FALLS

We all know about Niagara Falls. A place for honeymooners to go, a natural spectacle, the place the Erie Canal was built to go around, and so on. When we were planning this trip, I knew this was one of the things that I wanted to see. And yesterday, we saw Niagara Falls, from different angles, and up close and personal. It was a beautiful day, and our plan was to check out the falls, and see what else we might stumble across in the area. When we got there, it was pretty impressive, to say the least. I've seen a few waterfalls, many, a lot higher, but never anything with the raw power of so much water cascading over a cliff. When you consider that 4 of the 5 great lakes drain over Niagara Falls, it's a little easier to comprehend what you are seeing. We paid the $13.50 each for a ride on the famous Maid of the Mist boat, and it took us past the American Falls (pictured), and right into the middle of the Canadian, or horseshoe falls. There are actually 4 boats. Two each, on both the American & Canadian sides, and each pair does a round robin, with a boat departing about every 15 minutes. Having been a business owner, I often look at these operations from that perspective. On average, each one of the four boats, depart about every 7 1/2 minutes, and conservatively, each boat had well over 100 people on board. In an 8 hour day, those 4 boats gross $86,400! Even with high overhead, I'd be willing to bet that the Maid of the Mist operation is very lucrative. The fact that they have been in operation for over 150 years, tells the story by itself. It was a very cool experience, and well worth the $27. On our way back to the RV park, which is about 15 miles, we stopped at a brand new Wally World, and picked up some groceries. Today, the weather is overcast, and I think we'll drive to Lockport, which is on the Erie Canal. I've always been fascinated by this 400 mile canal, that was dug almost entirely by manual labor.

RV'ing IS AN ADVENTURE

We left the Kenisee Lakes Thousand Trails, on a pretty nice morning, and started our 180 mile drive to the Niagara Falls area.

Our second toll road experience was upon us quickly, as we entered a 20 mile section of I90 that cost $11.90 when we got to the other end. Lots more of these toll roads in our future. When we got to a point, E/B on I90, at exit 45 in PA, I saw a sign that said "Niagara Falls Area Information", so I pulled off the freeway, to check out the things to do at Niagara Falls. As it turned out, that was probably the best move of the day. When I got out of the motor home, I immediately smelled that distinct odor of engine coolant. As I got to the back, at the engine compartment, I could see a green liquid dripping on the ground. That was the bad news. The good news was that I was off the freeway, I didn't lose all of the coolant, and the engine didn't overheat. The other good news, the leak was from a coolant hose that was fairly accessible. At 11:45, I called Good Sam, our emergency road service provider, gave our location, and what the problem was. After about an hour, with no call back, I decided that the outcome with Good Sam, was not going to be very pretty. At the information center, I ascertained that there was a NAPA Auto Parts store within a few miles, so I disconnected the Jeep, and went after a hose & some coolant. Even though it wasn't the exact replacement hose, I bought it, cut part of it off, and was about done with the job when the phone rang. This is now a little over 2 hours after my initial call. The Good Sam person said, so & so mobile repair will be at your location in about 45 minutes. I politely said thank you very much, call them back and tell them to cancel, that I was almost done with the repair. I mean come on, how long does it take to make a couple of phone calls, and get some help headed in your direction. Fortunately, I was able to fix the problem, and we arrived at the Niagara Lazy Lakes RV Park where we had a reservation through Resort Parks International (RPI). This is a nice quiet park, with 30 amp electric & water for $10 a night. We'll be here about 3-4 days, which should be long enough for us to see the sights around the Falls. We have a broad band Sprint connection here, so I posted a few more train pictures from a couple days ago.

MOVIN ON

We spent a good part of yesterday, getting ready to hit the road today. I washed the jeep, (it rained a little later), Patty did some laundry, I gave Sami the dreaded bath, and I watched a pretty good NASCAR Brickyard 400. Since the NHRA race from Sonoma didn't start till 9:30 pm, I recorded it, and today, my big challenge is not to learn who won, so I can watch it tonight. It sure is nice to skip through all of the commercials. We have a reservation at an RV park near Niagara Falls, and our drive should be about a couple hundred miles. From this point on, all of the north east is new territory for Patty and I. We have traveled most everywhere else in the U.S., but not the New England states, nor the Canadian Maritime Provinces.
We had a pretty good thunder storm last night about bedtime, and our fearless, non-lap Beagle, suddenly began looking for a lap. When I went to bed, somehow, she ended up beside me, as the thunder and lightning continued. This morning, it's partly cloudy, and hopefully, our drive won't be in the rain.
I'm only going to take a half step up on my soapbox, when I say that I'm really beginning to worry about how our government is spending us into bankruptcy. With so many existing programs like Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid that are running out of money, why in the world are they continuing to print and spend money on new programs, like there's no tomorrow. I believe there is a need for health care reform, but the proposals that are being rushed through Congress, will create a new set of problems, not to mention adding billions to the already bloated federal deficit. My son Mike, sent me this link..............
http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.com which is an online petition to try and stop some of this madness. Not that it will do much good, but I felt a little better when I added our names to the hundreds of thousands who have already signed on. Thanks for listening.

A TRAIN IN OHIO

In the little town of Jefferson, Ohio, there is a small tourist train that operates on weekends, on about 6 miles of track between Jefferson and Ashtabula, Ohio. We were among the first to arrive at about 12:15, as the train crew was preparing for the first run of the day. There's a couple of sayings that are often very true.......One, is it helps to be "in the right place at the right time", and second, "timing is everything". I approached Keith, the conductor and asked where we might buy tickets, and he pointed me toward a small building that they were just opening. We engaged in some small talk, mostly about trains, and he offered that they do allow folks to ride in the engine, from time to time, and asked if I was interested? He now had my full attention, as I said "absolutely", anticipating what might be much more that just a train ride. He asked, "do you want to ride both ways"? I replied that the return trip would be perfect. That way, Patty & I could ride together going out, and I would ride in the engine on the way back. He said "it's a done deal, I'll come get you when we get to the other end". Well, now I'm worse than a kid in a candy store. I'm looking at my watch every 10 seconds, wondering why the time is dragggging by soooooo slowly. Finally, the train departs, and it's a nice 30 minute ride through the woods, with a couple of river crossings. At the Ashtabula end, the engine disconnects, and runs around the train, from the front to the back, picking me up in the process. My thoughts at that moment were that I had died and gone to heaven. I've ridden in the cab of a Shay, geared locomotive in British Columbia, and in the cab of #28, a steam locomotive in Jamestown, CA, and now, I was about to ride in the cab of a 1941, Alco, diesel electric, 600 horsepower locomotive. For a train nut like me, it doesn't get much better. I took a bunch of pictures, which I will post later when I have a better Sprint connection. What started as a routine, tourist train ride, ending up being a memorable 30 minutes in the cab of a vintage, diesel locomotive, that I will remember forever. Thanks guys, at the Ashtabula, Carson & Jefferson Scenic Line Railroad.

LAKE ERIE

Yesterday, I said that I wouldn't be loading any pictures, because our Sprint connection is not very good. Well, I decided to try one anyway, and it only took 20 minutes to download! This photo of Patty is at a State Park Beach on the shores of Lake Erie, about 45 miles northeast of Cleveland, and about 15 miles north of where we are parked. Our weather cleared up to partly cloudy, and mid 70's, very nice. There are only 2 Thousand Trails (TT) in Ohio, and this one, even though a little hard to find, is very nice. Kenisee Lakes TT has 100 full hookup sites, and 3 lakes on the property. Unfortunately, to Sami's dismay, there are not a lot of Peter Cottontails, running all over the place. Nearby, the small town of Jefferson has a tourist railroad that operates on weekends, and we may have to check it out this afternoon. Jefferson is a very typical small town, with the old courthouse, and a downtown area made up of mostly brick, 2 or 3 story buildings. One of the things we both commented on, as we drove around the area, is it seems that people take a lot more pride in their property. Almost without exception, the yards have freshly mowed grass, the flowers, and particularly the small vegetable gardens look like they belong in Sunset Magazine. Looks like a nice place to live..........in the warmer months. I'm quite sure that the scenery here in January, is just a little bit different than it is now.

MORE REFER PROBLEMS

When we left Duncan RV Repair in Elkhart, IN, yesterday, I thought the refrigerator was back to 100%. Well, not quite the case. Even though I thought the problem was because the 2 cooling fans were not working, and verified by Duncan, evidently, there is something else wrong. We started out in the morning with the refer temp at 39, and the freezer temp at 00. By the time we arrived at the Thousand Trails east of Cleveland, the temps were up to 53 and 13. So, even though I had it turned up to high on propane, it wasn't cooling at all during our drive east. After plugging in to shore power, I switched over to A/C, and this morning it had cooled down to 40 and 00. It's a bit perplexing in that it will go for days, cooling properly, then we have one day like yesterday when it doesn't cool at all. To be continued.
Our drive from northern Indiana to northeast Ohio yesterday, was about 275 miles, and rather than take the I80 toll road, I took the back roads, US20 and US6 to a point west of Cleveland, where I drove the non toll freeways, US2 and I90, the rest of the way. We drove right through downtown Cleveland, and surprisingly at about 3:30 pm, not one traffic jam. The weather was cloudy, and we hit stretches of rain, which of course, did a number on my nice clean motor home! This area has received a lot of rain lately, and at check-in, we were told not to park on the grass due to the very wet ground. As I write this, I hear some thunder in the distance, but no rain right now. My Sprint connection is verrrrrry slow here, so, no pictures for a few days.

GOOD RV SERVICE

When you own an RV, no matter whether it's a trailer or motor home, there are a few things that are inevitable. The first certainty is that it's going to depreciate faster than a falling rock. The second given, is that with all of their complexities, something(s) is going to fail, and need to be fixed. When it comes to your basic stuff, I can usually handle most things, that only require a wrench or screwdriver. When it comes to things like refrigerators, especially when there are still warranties in effect, well, that's when I take the motor home someplace else. Thus, the reason for our stop at Duncan RV Repairs, here in Elkhart, IN. The staff at Duncan have been most pleasant, and our tech, Dan Snead has been a pleasure to work with. The ladies in the office, Angela and Alice, have spent a lot of time on the phone with the refer manufacturer Dometic, and with our extended warranty company, Monaco Extended Care. Duncan had to make two trips to Dometic, which fortunately, is located here in Elkhart, because Dometic sent the wrong parts. Our experience with Duncan has been extremely positive, and I will be glad to recommend them in the future. When you combine good service with a spacious place to park, that includes electric and water hookups, and a dump station, you have a recipe for repeat and referral business. The other photo is a building that resembles a huge barn. When we were here not quite 2 years ago, this Farmers Market had just opened. The building is worth stopping to see. Huge timbers make up the basic construction, and the inside is filled with many Amish vendors, selling everything from homemade crafts, to beautiful Amish handcrafted furniture.

Maybe it's a sign of the times, but we were disappointed to notice that there weren't nearly as many shoppers as there were a couple of years ago.

Today, we head for a Thousand Trails Preserve that's east of Cleveland. Should be about a 250 mile drive.

AMISH COUNTRY

Our motor home went into the shop at 9am, so we loaded some stuff, and the traveling beagle into the car, and drove the 20 or so miles to the Amish town of Shipshewana. During the summer, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Flea Market & auction is filled with thousands of people. As Flea Markets go, this one has a lot of the cheap stuff from China, but there are a lot of local vendors who sell their arts and crafts, plus a large contingent of folks selling locally grown produce. After strolling through a few of the aisles, we headed over to Yoders Meat and Cheese store, where we always buy some of the Amish butter cheese which is yummy. The photo of the house above, is an Amish farm that is owned by a family we met 6 years ago, when we were traveling the Drag Race Circuit. Back in 2003, we got a tour of the house and farm, and it was fascinating to see how innovative the Amish are, when it comes to living a very normal life without electricity. The photo of the bulk store shows the Amish preferred means of transportation, a horse & buggy. Patty went into the store, while I watched families come and go in their buggies and on their bicycles. We got back to Duncan RV Repair in the mid afternoon, and found that there were indeed a few things wrong with our problem child refrigerator. This latest episode revealed that both fans and thermal switches, that are supposed to pull air past the coils, were defective. We also discovered that Monaco didn't baffle the cabinet correctly when the coach was built, so Duncan pulled the refer out of the cabinet, and rebuilt the back wall to the proper clearances, so that air is forced over the coils, hopefully,

cooling them a lot better in the process. It's a wonder that the refer worked at all. As it was getting dark, we took Sami for a walk, and surprise.......we watched fireflies darting around the field next to where we are parked. This took us back to a weekend in 2002 or 03, when we had the Harley Drag Race Merchandise trailer at a Harley Dealer near Columbus, Ohio. Back then, we also experienced fireflies for sort of the first time, and it was fascinating then, as it was last night. Oh, the little things in life, right? Today, the new parts are supposed to be installed, and we should be out of here tomorrow. Notice I said supposed and should.

RV PARTS

Northern Indiana, more specifically the Elkhart area, has been considered the RV capitol for a long time. At one time, the vast majority of towable, and motorized RV's were manufactured in this area. That's probably still the case, but, several large companies like Monaco, have shut the doors for good in Elkhart. Monaco is re-emerging from Chapter 11 in Oregon, but as of this date, has no plans to re-open in Indiana. Yesterday, while Patty did the laundry, I drove down the street to one of my favorite stores - RV Surplus & Salvage. If you are building an RV, this is the place you want to patronize. The business is housed in a huge warehouse, that has almost every part imaginable for an RV. I just like to browse through the multiple rows of parts, and I usually find something that I pick up as a spare, or something that will improve what I already have. Yesterday, it was mostly fasteners that I added to my collection. Even though it's a lot of added weight, I carry enough tools and parts, to fix just about anything that might need fixing.
This morning, the sun is shining brightly, and our appointment is at 8:30. While the motor home is in the shop, I think we'll take a short ride over to the Amish community at Shipshiwana, where there is a huge flea market, and some specialty stores that you won't see anywhere else.

WAL MART

One of the best resources for RV'ers, is the RV friendly policy of Wal Mart, which allows RV parking at their stores. Normally, the only exception to this Wal Mart policy, is the passing of local ordinances, prohibiting over night parking. Where those local laws are in effect, Wal Mart usually posts signage, letting RV'ers know that they can't park in that particular store over night. When moving from point A to point B, Patty and I stop frequently at Wal Mart, and usually spend a lot more money in the store, than we would pay to overnight at an RV park. As with any issue, there are two sides, and understandably, the RV park owners normally aren't big supporters of Wal Marts policy. This issue has been debated till the cows come home, but the thing that bothers me, is those RV'ers who abuse the privilege. Over the years, we have seen people set up camp in Wal Mart parking lots, leave trash, not pick up after their pets, and just generally try and screw up the privilege for everyone else. We always try and patronize Wal Mart (not hard to do), and leave the area cleaner than we found it. During the trip from South Dakota to where we are now, in northern Indiana, we stopped for the night at 3 Wal Marts, and appreciated the fact that they allow RV's to overnight in their parking lots. I spent most of yesterday afternoon, cleaning the outside of the motor home, while Patty worked on the inside. Of course, it seems that whenever I do that, or plan on BBQ'ing, the skies open up and dump enormous amounts of moisture in the area. Well, that's exactly what happened, soon after I started my routine. So, the remainder of the afternoon, was spent doing some reading and not watching NASCAR, since the Sprint Cup boys had the weekend off.

DETOUR

Before we pulled out of the Wal Mart parking lot, I entered the Elkhart, IN address into the GPS (aka Matilda), and it showed 173 miles. Since most of that would be on I80, it seemed like another short driving day. Wrong! The Chicago area is notorious for heavy traffic, so a mid day,
Saturday drive through the area, seemed like it might not be too bad. Wrong again! Shortly after paying the $1.65 toll in South Chicago, E/B traffic comes to a complete stop. We crept along for a couple of miles, then read on a programable freeway sign, that there was an accident about 3 miles ahead. At the speed we were traveling, that was about an hour before we got past the accident scene. After looking at the map, and checking the GPS, I exited the freeway, along with hundreds of other vehicles, and shortly, found ourselves in another traffic jam, caused by everyone getting off the freeway. To make things worse, I unknowingly put us right back in the Chicago Heights area, that I talked about in yesterday's blog. With the door locked, and all available means of self defense at my disposal, we crept along, narrowly avoiding telephone poles and other obstacles present, on the too narrow for a big motor home streets. As we crept toward one intersection, I saw several people soliciting the cars stopped ahead. Fortunately, we caught the light, so that we didn't come to a stop where they were located. Driving through this area was like De Ja Vu all over again. I commented to Patty, "we have no idea what this world is like". I snapped a picture of the sign, during this escapade through the inner city. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against blind people. In fact, I have the greatest empathy for any person with a disability. It's just that you don't see a sign like this very often. We finally made it into the Duncan RV Repair facility in Elkhart, and parked in the space they had reserved for us. To recover from yesterday, today is probably a NASCAR & NHRA day.

JUST DRIVING

Yesterday was an uneventful, just drive down the freeway day. As we get closer to Chicago, I've noticed that the traffic on I80 is getting a little more congested. I pulled off the interstate in Peru, IL at about 3 pm, and parked at a super Wal Mart. This is a little earlier than I like to stop for the day but, I didn't want to hit the Chicago traffic at 5pm on a Friday. There are a couple of ways around Chicago, if you don't mind going farther south, and traveling on back roads. I remember one year we were pulling the H.D. trailer to the race in Joilet, IL, which is southwest of Chicago. I looked at the map, and decided that instead of dealing with all of the traffic, and paying the toll, I would take a highway through South Chicago, that paralleled I80. Boy, was that a mistake! Not only was the road terrible, it passed through some of the worst ghettos that I had ever seen. When we got to the race track, I was thankful we didn't have a mechanical problem. During that experience, I discovered that dealing with heavy freeway traffic and toll roads, is not nearly as stressful as driving through what looked like a war zone.
Today will be a short driving day, and the traffic shouldn't be too terrible in the Chicago area. Even though our appointment at the RV repair facility isn't until Tuesday, they have assigned us a space in their private RV park, so we'll have hookups for a couple of days.

CORN, CORN, CORN

Yep, you guessed it, we're in Iowa, and the fields of corn go on forever. I've driven across Iowa a few times, but I don't remember seeing this much corn. Maybe it has something to do with the recent uptick in ethanol production? When we crossed the border from South Dakota into Iowa, we stopped at the Sergeant Floyd Visitors Center, to see if there were any attractions that we might want to check out. This visitors center is named after the only member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition to die during the Corps of Discovery's journey of 1804-06. Sergeant Floyd died from natural causes, and is buried near the visitors center. We left the visitors center, traveling south on I29, then east on I80 to a little east of Des Moines, where we stopped at another Wally World in Newton, IA. Other than what we might stumble across on our journey east, our next destination is Elkhart, IN. We have an appointment on Tuesday, the 21st, to have our Dometic Refrigerator checked out. Even though I removed some carbon from the propane burner, it was still not cooling properly while we were parked at the 3 flags RV Park. However, the last couple of days, it has maintained good cooling temperatures, even while traveling. That's usually my luck. When something is broken, it fixes itself when you have a technician look at it, then goes bad again after you leave. We'll probably spend a little time in the Elkhart area, since that's Amish Country, and we have enjoyed our time there in the past.

A LINK TO ELVIS

We bid goodbye to the Three Flags RV Park in Blackhawk, S.D., and set the cruise control for E/B I90. Our first stop for the day, was only about an hour east of Rapid City, at the famous Wall Drug, in Wall, S.D. There had been several times that we passed the little town of Wall, but had never stopped. As you approach Wall from either the east or west on I90, you will see countless billboards, advertising the many virtues of Wall Drug. Since this trip is not about hurrying from point A to point B, we decided it was time to stop and check out Wall Drug. Over the years, this tiny Drug Store has expanded from offering free ice water in the early 1930's, to now offering everything imaginable to the traveler, and occupying most of an entire, square city block. It took us a couple of hours to walk thru all of the different venues inside Wall Drug, and I almost can't believe that we didn't buy one single thing.
Our next stop was in Murdo, S.D. at the Pioneer Auto Museum. Back in 2002 & 03, when we were running all over the U.S., following the NHRA Drag Race circuit, I remember our friends, and co-workers, Charlie & Carol from TN, telling us about this museum in central S.D. ,
that had a little bit of everything. Well, indeed it does, in about 23 different buildings. Mostly old cars (about 250), and just a lot of memorabilia, including a 1976 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, that was registered to Elvis Presley, at his Palm Springs residence in CA. The photo was taken in the back courtyard area of the museum. We continued east on I90, stopping in Sioux Falls, S.D. for fuel at the Flying J (2.48.9), and an overnight at Wally World. Today, we'll drive south on I29 to I80, then east across Iowa. Perhaps there will be some attraction along the way, that we'll have to stop and check out.

CRAZY CARVINGS

The better part of our last day here in the Black Hills, was spent at the Crazy Horse Memorial.

The last time I visited this mountain carving was in the mid 80's, and there wasn't much to see, or do. Now, the head of Chief Crazy Horse is visible, and at the visitors center, there are all of the things you would expect, like a theater, gift shop, restaurant, and a first class Native American museum. We luckily timed our arrival with a blast on the mountain, where they blew away 1,800 tons of material. The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, was invited by the Lakota Sioux to carve a memorial near Mount Rushmore, to show that the red man had great heroes too. He started work on the memorial in 1949, and after his death in 1982, his family has carried on this "worlds largest sculpture". The project is funded entirely from donations, entrance fees, and profits from sales at the visitor center. It may be 50 more years before this carving is completed, but when finished, it will be truly spectacular.

We drove back toward Rapid City on Iron Mountain Road, where there are 3 tunnels, all carved so that they frame Mount Rushmore. I took this picture looking thru the tunnel, with the presidents in the background. These past 5 days in the Black Hills have been like a walk down memory lane, and except for a couple of thunderstorms, we have really enjoyed this break in our travel toward the east coast. Today, we'll stop at Wall Drug, a little east of here, and probably won't do a lot of miles.

GUNSLINGERS & A GOLD MINE

One of the attractions of the Black Hills, is, no matter where you drive, the scenery is outstanding. Due to the many thunder storms during the summer, (one last night), the hills are always green. The name black hills was given to this area by Native Americans, because from a distance, the dominate tree, the ponderosa pine looks more black than green.

We drove the back way to Deadwood, passing by a lot of familiar scenery that hasn't changed much in the last 16 years, since I last drove these back roads on my Harley. Deadwood however, has changed a lot, due to the legalization of gambling several years ago. It was a famous, old west, frontier town, best know for it's lawlessness, and the place where "Wild Bill Hickok" was murdered in one of the town's saloons. The town's most recent notoriety is based on HBO's series entitled Deadwood. We drove around town, but didn't get out, other than to take this one picture of main street. There's lots of tourist type shops, and gambling, but neither appealed much to us, so, we drove to the nearby town of Lead, (pronounced LEED), where the Homestake Gold Mine was the site of a gold discovery that started the gold rush to the black hills in the early 1870's. There is an enormous deep pit that the picture doesn't do justice, and they are still doing underground, hard rock mining at about 8,000 feet under the surface.

Today is our last full day here in southwestern South Dakota. Tomorrow, we'll start a dash across SD, IA, IL, and spend a few days in northern Indiana.

PRESIDENTS & A RAILROAD

We spent yesterday in the southern black hills, stopping first at Mount Rushmore, then over to Hill City to ride the 1880 Train. The last time I was at the presidents mountain, was probably in 1993. Back then, you drove into a huge parking lot, and walked up to the viewing area, where there is a visitors center, and information about Borglum, who, was the guy who created Mount Rushmore. Now, there is an entrance station, with 4 lanes, and a $10 charge to park in the huge parking lot. I waited in line, and when we got to the gate, we discovered that our senior pass, which is good at all National Parks, was not good at Mount Rushmore. Maybe, now that I have this senior pass, I've developed a feeling of entitlement, or maybe, I'm just so ticked off at our federal government right now, paying this $10 bucks was like the last thing in the world that I was willing to do. I abruptly asked the attendant, "how do I get out of here", and with instructions, we drove back onto the highway. The photo of Patty and I, was taken at a turnout, near the backside of Mount Rushmore, and shows the profile of President Washington.
Hill City and the 1880 Train is only about 9 miles from Mount Rushmore, and is a 20 mile round trip, from Hill City to Keystone. I had ridden this train back in 1985, during my first visit to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Back then, the train didn't go all the way to Keystone, and was struggling to stay in business. Now, the tracks have been extended into Keystone, and the 7 passenger cars were full. It was nice to see a small, isolated tourist train, doing well in this difficult economic time. The steam engine, an articulated saddle tanker, is the only one of its kind in the world, that is still operating. We enjoyed the train ride, the scenery, and viewed a lot of deer and wild turkeys along the route. Today, I think we'll take a ride up to Deadwood, and see how much it has changed, since I was last there, about 16 years ago.

STURGIS

As I mentioned yesterday, the small town of Sturgis, S.D., becomes ground zero for the biker world, during early August each year. It was a little strange, not having the Harley, as we drove around this small town of about 5,000, and visited several locations that brought back many memories of my annual pilgrimage to this biker mecca. It has been about 16 years since I last participated in the rally, and a lot has changed over the years, especially the addition of several huge saloons. The annual Sturgis motorcycle rally is one big party, and my friends and I participated in a lot of the craziness, particularly in the Glencoe Campground, where we pitched our tents each year. The upper left photo is of the short track, where the action is fast and furious. One of the main reasons I loved to attend the rally each year was the many forms of motorcycle racing (drags, hillclimb, short track, and 1/2 mile) that takes place in the area. We drove into the world famous Buffalo Chip, where it has been described as the worlds best, and most outrageous party. The stage pictured, is where music goes all night, and the sideline action is often the most entertaining. The "Chip" is about 4 miles out of town in rolling prairie, and is a combination campground, and small city, where all the essentials, like food, drink, showers, and other vendors provide for thousands of bikers. We also drove thru Glencoe Campground where the improvements from 15-20 years ago were noticeable, especially the addition of hundreds of RV hookups. I remember checking at the gate in 1990, (50th anniversary rally), as to how many motorcyclists had checked into Glencoe, and the answer was over 17,000!

We topped the day off by visiting the Fort Meade Museum, just outside of Sturgis. Fort Meade was established as an Army post in 1878, to protect the miners and pioneers that were establishing themselves in the Black Hills, after gold was discovered a few years earlier. George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry was based at Fort Meade, prior to his demise at the battle of the Little Big Horn. The fort today, is part of the Veteran's Admininstration Hospital Network, and a training center for the National Guard. There was a pretty spectacular thunder and lightning storm late last night, and the weather looks a little unsettled this morning. We'll probably head toward Mt. Rushmore today.

THE BLACK HILLS

We arrived at the 3 Flags RV Park, about 5 miles west of Rapid City, in the early afternoon yesterday. The east bound drive on I90, was like a jog down memory lane, especially when passing thru the little town of Sturgis. For 9 years straight, (1985 - 1993), Sturgis, S.D. was my home for about a week in early August, during the Black Hills Motorcycle Classic. We are about 3 weeks ahead of the rally this year, but I'm sure we'll see some activity, as preparation is made for the upcoming arrival of several hundred thousand motorcyclists.
After we got situated here in the RV Park, Patty caught up on the laundry, while I read my first USA Today in about a week. When I took Sami for a walk, I soon discovered that this park, which is situated in the rolling hills, is full of little critters that have big ears, and white rear ends.
When she saw the first one run away from us, everyone in the park instantly knew that there was a beagle on the premises. The howls & barks usually continue well after the rabbit is out of sight, because she still smells the scent. Each walk here, will be an adventure.
There is some thunder storm activity in the area this morning, so, not sure what direction we will go. There are several attractions in the area, that I want to check out, that I never did when here on the bike.
As we venture farther east, and change time zones, it will appear that my posting times are earlier in the morning. The blog will stay on Arizona (Mountain Standard) time, so, if we are in the Eastern time zone, and the post says 4 am, it really means that I posted at 7 am. Didn't want anyone to think that I was an insomniac.

WILLIAM F. CODY

Posted, are a few more pictures of Yellowstone, taken 2 days ago. Patty is standing in front of "The Dragons Mouth" cave, that sends waves of steam, and a deep rumbling sound from within. When we passed thru Yellowstone in the motor home, we drove by Old Faithful, but didn't stop. Our one attempt to watch a geyser erupt, was a stroll along a boardwalk to Steamboat Geyser. The photo shows a little bit of water coming out of the ground, but that was about it. The sign posted at the viewing area stated that this particular geyser erupts in a very spectacular fashion, sending plumes of water 300 feet in the air. Unlike Old Faithful, Steamboat Geyser erupts anywhere from 4 days to 50 years! Patty and I decided very quickly, that waiting around for this hole to do its' thing, might not be our best investment of time.

Yesterday, we left the Yellowstone RV Park, and drove about 20 miles east to Cody, WY, where we visited the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The last time Patty and I visited this magnificent museum, was in 1986. It is truly one of the premier historical displays, found anywhere in the country. The firearms collection is said to be the largest on display, anywhere in the world. The museum is separated into 5 areas, that include sections on "Buffalo" Bill Cody, Native Americans, and early pioneer life on the plains. We walked thru all the displays, and it took several hours. You could easily spend an entire day, if you took your time to read many of the display narratives.

It was mid afternoon when we left Cody, and we drove east on US16 to Greybull, Worland, then over the Big Horn Mountains to Buffalo, WY, where we stopped for fuel (diesel - $2.54), and spent the night behind McDonalds. Today, we have a reservation at a Passport America RV park, for 5 nights, near Rapid City, SD.

BACK TO YELLOWSTONE

We drove the 30 miles back to the park yesterday morning, and spent most of the day, traveling around to many of the scenic wonders in this first U.S. national park. The photo of Sami, with Yellowstone Lake in the background, is from the eastern entrance. This AM shot shows the lake very calm, with little wind. When we left in the afternoon, the wind was blowing fiercely, with water spraying across the road in several locations. This time of year, there are an awful lot of people in Yellowstone, and every parking lot was either full, or close to capacity. We spent time on both sides of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and there are more photos that I will post tomorrow. Where the Yellowstone River cascades over the upper, and lower falls is truly amazing. We walked down to a viewing area that is perched right above the upper falls, and the tremendous amount of water rushing over the falls, just a few feet away, almost takes your breath away. The Canyon Village Visitors Center occupied some of our time, where we learned in more detail about Yellowstone's history, and the fact that most of the park is a super volcano, that has had 3 major eruptions in the last several million years. Except for the afternoon wind, it was a day of sightseeing delight. Today we head for the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY, where we'll spend a few hours, then on to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

YELLOWSTONE N .P.

One correction from yesterday........we didn't rejoin I84 at Idaho Falls, but rather I15. Upon leaving I.F., we traveled north on US20 to West Yellowstone, and the west entrance to the park. When we came around the corner at the entrance station, there must have been at least 100 vehicles waiting in the 4 lanes. The posted fee per vehicle was $25, but with the senior passport, (one time fee of $10), the fee is $0. This kind of stuff really excites Patty. I think that's why she gets a kick out of shopping at goodwill, and other thrift stores. Shortly after entering the park, we stopped for lunch next to this river, where I took the picture. We drove thru the park, taking in all of the magnificent scenery as we headed for the east entrance. About 25 miles east of the park on hwy 20, we stopped at Yellowstone RV Park, where we will also stay tonight. Today, it's back into the park with the jeep, for a complete day of scenic wonder. Since we'll be gone the entire day, Sami will be a reluctant passenger.

SOUTHERN IDAHO

Before pulling out of the RV park in Caldwell, ID, I took off the back refrigerator cover, to check the burner assembly. I found a chunk of carbon that had fallen down from the chimney onto the burner, and it was distorting the flame enough to be a problem. This morning, it has cooled back down to within a few degrees of where it should be, so, I hope that issue is corrected. We drove east on I84 to US26, where we got off the freeway, with the intent of taking the back roads thru craters of the moon national monument, and back to I84 in Idaho Falls. When we got to Shoshone, ID, the ugly "Road Closed" sign appeared, and we had to take a detour, but still made our way to the Craters of the Moon visitor center, where I snapped this picture. I knew the photo wouldn't do the landscape justice, but, if you kind of get the picture of what this prehistoric lava flow looks like. We ended up on US20, which took us thru the small town of Arco, ID. About 20 years ago, Patty and I stopped in Arco, in our first motor home, on our way back from the Sturgis motorcycle rally. This was the first U.S. city that was lighted by nuclear power, and there still is a lot of nuclear research done at the nearby National Laboratory.
At about 5pm, mountain time, we pulled into the Wally World supercenter in Idaho Falls, where we almost always spend way more money, than we would for a space at an RV park. It's almost uncanny how Sami seems to know that it's 5pm (dinner time), no matter what time zone we happen to be in. Today, we will drive thru Yellowstone, from the West entrance, and we have a reservation at an RV park that is about half way between the East entrance, and Cody, WY.

ALMOST A GROUP

I don't claim to be much of a photographer, and this picture proves it. I tried to get a group photo of everybody staying at Bob & Diana's over the 4th weekend, and almost succeeded. I didn't wait long enough with the group, because someone said "I heard it click", so I got up and was headed back to the camera. The second attempt had an even worse result, and it was getting hot out on the deck, so this is it. Sorry Brenda, you should be visible behind the guy who got up too quick, and blocked your view. Right after this poor attempt at photography, we left Enterprise, and made it as far as Caldwell, ID. The temps were in the mid to upper 90's, so we checked into an RV park, and turned on the A.C. I traced the problem of no turn signals on the jeep to a couple of blown fuses in the motor home. Right after leaving Bob & Diana's, I was having trouble with the tow bar locking into the full length. Phil and Tristan happened to be riding their bicycles toward town where we stopped, and helped me fix the tow bar. The fix was extending the safety cables, but before we had stopped, the coiled electrical cable got pinched, which shorted out the fuses. Thanks Phil and Tristan for the help, and thanks again Bob & Diana, for the super hospitality.
This morning, I noticed that the refer isn't cooling, so as soon as I'm done typing, I hope to see what's up with that. That's part of this lifestyle. There's always something to adjust, or take care of. We should get close to Yellowstone today, and hopefully, some cooler temperatures.