Greetings from South Dakota [UPDATED]
June 8th, 2006 @ 18:27 by NormMonkey
From the vacation-in-south-dakota department:
The Badlands. The Black Hills. Deadwood Gulch.
Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Turns out that it’s loads of fun, though! I’m sitting here by the pool writing this as the rest of the monkeys my family go swimming. I’ll go get my fill of pool in a few minutes, and then some hot tub, too.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post, originally written beside the pool of our campground in The Black Hills, is updated from beside the pool of our hotel in Grand Forks just south of the border. We’re on our way home and my family, crazy shoppers that they are, are gonna hit the Grand Forks stores for all they’re worth — just as they’ve done for all the stores we’ve passed by or through, it seems. I start to go slightly insane when I’ve been subjected to more than a couple hours of shopping so I’m gonna blog right here for awhile an’ then go swimmin’.
DAY 1: GETTING THERE
Flew to Winnipeg. Briefly sat beside some guy reading a book about The Simpsons, but grabbed the opportunity to take an emergency exit seat when it cropped up, and ended up beside a Montrealer going to a conference in Fort Garry (part of Winnipeg for those playing along at home). I think it was his first time flying — he had lots to say about the little things of being a passenger in a commercial airline: the slight nose-up angle at cruise level, how high we were flying, flaps and gear noises, etc.
Got into Winnipeg, went for dinner with my mom and aunt, then off to my cousin’s place for the evening. And to meet my niece in person for the first time. She’s a cutie.
My Niece and Nephew
My Cousin’s Place
Our HQ
DAY TWO: THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Traveling are my mom, aunt, cousin and her hubby, my nephew and neice, and yours truly. We loaded up the camper trailer and got underway. Fifty meters later we pulled over to figure out why the trailer brakes weren’t working. Took us forty-five minutes of fuse-pulling and head-scratching to figure out that one of six connectors, a clamp which slides onto a prong, was loose (bent too wide). Worked fine after closing it up.
Stopped at Culver’s for lunch. Culver’s is apparently all over north/central United States but not so much near the East Coast. Then we drove to Dilworth (yeah, Dilworth — great name, eh?) to do some shopping. I discovered that not all Interstates intersect with highways using the familiar clover-loop, but we were back on track six miles later. Then we scooted on down to P&D’s place in Breckenridge, MN for a great BBQ dinner, a trip to the park for my aunt, nephew and myself, and our first night’s sleep.
The Simplest Toys Are Best
Me and My Nephew at The Park
At P&D’s, our first night’s stop
DAY THREE: SIOUX FALLS
A leisurely wake-up and great breakfast at P&D’s, then back on the road again to the first campground, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park (one of many, apparently) in Sioux Falls. After we got the camper and my tent set up, we took my nephew down to the playground for a bit. Following that we rented a four-wheeled pedalbike which holds two passengers and two mules manly pedallers. Going downhill is a lot more fun than its inevitable opposite. Turns out it’s easier to just get out and push. Somebody tell the Flintstones.
Somehow, the passengers seem happier than the pedalers
Then dinner, followed by a tractor tour around the campground with Yogi and Boo-boo. Finally, sleep. I slept in my tent on an inflatable mattress which, by the morning, didn’t seem particularly good at holding air. The tent passed the rain test with flying colours.
Kids in a Basket
Yogi Bear’s Campground at Sioux Falls
DAY FOUR: RAFTER J BAR RANCH
A long drive across South Dakota was interrupted with a stop at a gas station (in Lyman?) parking lot for lunch (ain’t camper trailers fun?!) and another stop in the tourist trap known as Wall Drug (seriously, there were over 100 roadside signs - they started at Sioux Falls and I’m willing to bet they’re out as far as New York, or maybe Spain). Verdict: you might as well just go to the shops in Keystone, it’s all the same stuff unless you’re a veteran and you want your free coffee and donuts (as advertised by at least 10 different signs). Finally we got to our campground. We set up camp, cooked up dinner, went for a walk around the camp to check things out, and settled in for the night. Once again, the tent passed the rain test and the mattress failed the holds-air test.
Our HQ in The Black Hills
The Monkey Plays With Fire
Big Monkey Teaches Little Monkey How To Be Silly
DAY FIVE: TOUR DAY ONE
Started the morning with a trip to Rapid City where I picked up a sleeping bag and ground mat. Went to Keystone for lunch and a run down the President’s Slide. Unbelieveably, my mom went down the slide, too. Made it to Powder Lodge in Keystone for our tour group and waited an hour and a bit due to a communication issue in scheduling. Tour day one: the 1880’s train ride, the Gutzon Borglum museum, a chuckwagon dinner & show, and finally the lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore. Got back to camp and crashed ’cause tour day two starts early the next morning. Sleeping bag performed well, though I could’ve used more padding between me and the uneven gravel below.
The 1880’s Train
Food ‘n’ A Show, Cowboy Style
Mount Rushmore At Night
DAY SIX: TOUR DAY TWO
Started the morning with The Reptile Gardens, then Bear Country USA, followed by Mount Rushmore, then Crazy Horse, a trip to Custer Park and then a trip on Iron Mountain road (lots of hairpin turns, elevation and narrow tunnels — my kinda road, but a little challenging for a tour bus). Back to camp for dinner. I headed down to the pool for a swim and some hot tubbing, then back to the tent for sleep. This time I folded up some comforters under the sleeping bag and all was well.
My Cousin and Nephew at Reptile Gardens
Bear Cubs Like To Be Fed
My Lands Are Where My Dead Lie Buried
DAY SEVEN: DEADWOOD GULCH
Deadwood is basically a gambling town with tourist-trap style stores. It’s where Wild Bill Hickock got shot, and we saw a re-enactment of the shootout in thes street. That was after we lost some money but just before we left. Then we went to Sturgis ’cause my cousin-in-law (cousin once removed? Whatever) likes Harleys. My cousin and her family headed over to Rapid City for more shopping. My aunt, mom and I headed back to camp to make dinner and relax a bit.
Shootout In Deadwood Gulch
DAY EIGHT: JEWEL CAVES
After breakfast we headed off to Jewel Caves for a bit of spelunking, tourist-style (read: no crawling through seven-and-a-half inch holes, although you can do that tour if you want (and you can fit!). Nonetheless the more active among us did an hour and a half tour through the caves, after an hour’s wait due to getting there at just the wrong time.
Then back to camp for a late lunch / dinner, and down to the pool where I wrote this blog. I discovered that second-day pizza re-heated on the BBQ is much better than the fresh stuff straight from the box. From now on when I order pizza I’m shoving it straight in the fridge and barbequeing it the next day. This evening the tent barely passed the rain test, letting in one or two drops.
So Many Cool Formations in Jewel Caves
DAY NINE: BACK TO SIOUX FALLS
Starting early in the morning, we drove straight through to Mitchell, stopping only for gas. Had lunch at Culver’s again. Went shopping at Calaberas(sp? — like Canadian Tire on steroids), then Menard’s and also Tractor and Supply Co. Went to quickly visit the Corn Palace. The building has a facade made entirely out of corn — it’s been around for over a century in one form or another. Inside you will find all art forms involving corn. Aw, shucks, it’s just stuff they cobbled together, or so I ‘ear (the colonel told me so in a husky voice).
Anyways, we returned to the same Jellystone Park in Sioux Falls where a windstorm kept us company ’til the morning. Watched some DVD before going to bed. Tent passed the crazy-wind test.
Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD
DAY TEN: TO GRAND FORKS
Yesterday was go-east day. Today was go-north day. We headed up to Grand Forks, stopping in Fargo for lunch and shopping. Checked into the hotel, and now my family are out shopping again save my mom and I who are sitting out here by the pool.
C’mon Inn Hotel Decor
Tomorrow is the last day. We’ll be heading back to Winnipeg and I’ll catch my flight home if all goes well, and then it’s back to good ol’ Ottawa. I hope the weather has improved in my absence.
UPDATE: One last update to put up pictures of this cool hotel, C’mon Inn (seriously).
