From Rapid City to Sioux Falls

A long drive across long long roads - the longest yet so nothing much achieved today except the move Eastward.


The view was gently rolling to flat


with the exception of the glimpse of the Badlands to the South. (See above.) The roads were long and the temperatures soared to a high of 108F which is about 40C. This reading showed 104 I think.


Bypassed the Badlands as we were running out of time to get East and I was too chicken, Jerry, scared of the rattlesnakes and the heat. The GPS played tricks on us and tried to send us to Sioux City. But we outwitted the damn thing and asked at an information centre. We had a midway break at Chamberlain at Al's oasis. On Als menu he had a menu for whippersnappers.


Had to get that one on camera. Went and had a view of the Missouri River from Chamberlain


as you can't stop to take photos on the interstate.


I keep calling it the Internet. Arrived at motel at 5pm and much to Hunter's delight we have a water park in the motel.


So the first task was the crossing.











Tomorrow on to Minnesota to see Dan's cousin, Joyce. Ciao!


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Location:N Louise Ave,Sioux Falls,United States

Mt Rushmore and the Needles

A 99 degree day predicted in Raid City so the air conditioned car beckoned. We set out toward Mt Rushmore about 25 miles away (40 km.) It was an amazing sight as we approached and, as only the Americans can, it is staged very well.




There is a long walk up to a viewing platform, with the flags of each state along each side of the walkway




Here is Dan's birth state flag.




At the end of the promenade then you are right there in front of the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln carved by this gentleman




and finished under the direction of his son.




It is an amazing sight and was carved between 1927 and 1941. It took about seven years of work. Each face is 60 feet high about 18 meters.




And they are full sized pine trees at the bottom so pretty awe inspiring.




We saw rocks at the bottom with dynamite holes drilled in them so pretty good detail for a blasted face. I didnt notice much wildlife except for this little chipmunk.




Too many people around I suppose. The road to Rushmore was littered with animal petting farms and caged animal displays. Ughhhh. From Mt Rushmore we went to Crazy Horse memorial




which a man spent his life working on for native american chiefs to show that they had heroes, too. Crazy Horse was a Latoka chief




who refused to go to a reservation. He is famous for the words " my land is where my dead lie buried" . This sculpture was started on 1948 and is nowhere near finished even though they charge 27 dollars for a car load.




All the plans are done, and the sculptors family continue to work on it. There is no projected completion date. In this picture you can see how it will look when done.




There is a big complex there, non profit, and it is dedicated to the native american culture. Good displays and selling genuine Indian artifacts.




From there we paid another $15 to enter the state park of the Needles highway.




This is the reason that the Americans have such good facilities in the Parks. They charge for everything. The Devils Tower also cost $10 even though it is a national monument, and Rushmore $11.




So maybe NZ has to start charging to go to our special places. This road is narrow but people take care on the roads and are patient.




If you think this hole is bus sized then you are right - just!



No room for error. And our car made it, too. Stunning landscapes.







So tomorrow we move on possible to Sioux Falls or somewhere along the interstate as we approach Minnesota. Another big day of driving is ahead . Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:6th St,Rapid City,United States

Devils Tower

Breakfast in Cody in this setting. Bliss.




Hunter did not want to leave the K3 guest ranch.See here
She loved her wagon bed




and could hardly drag herself out to the outdoor BBQ breakfast cooked by our host, Jerry. It was something special for her.




We stopped at the information centre and saw a couple of whitetail deer on the grass. We were aiming to see the Devils Tower National Monument today and also take a big chunk out of our cross country trip eastward bound.




The first hour of driving was through rolling country, dry and reminding me of Waiouru country except where it was irrigated and that was productive and green.




The next hour and a half went up into the Bighorn National Park. Through stunning mountains with various geological ages noted along the way, to a high plateau at 9000 plus feet. Higher than Ruapehu. Rocks had been bent every which way on the drive up.




This was obviously a popular camping plain. Stunning views




before we descended onto the flatter but rolling country of Sheridan and Buffalo.




We had a break for lunch at Sheridan and thought of Mrs Bucket and her son. We ate leftovers from our meal out the night before (huge meals here). Then on the road again on the interstate - it is easy driving. You can go 75mph the equivalent of about 120kph. The land was dry and Waiouru- like again. Information centre at Sheridan gave a good history of the area. We were coming to the end of Wyoming,




Our detour to the Devils Tower was certainly worth the added two hours.




It is stunning, sacred to the Indians and you can see why they admire it so much. It is huge! The columns of stone that have fallen off




are about 2 m diameter so if you imagine how big each one is you can get an idea. It took 45 mins to walk around on rolling land and at 95 degrees F you can imagine how hot we became. Dan says that's about 35 degrees C.




Hunter and I both suffered from heat exhaustion and needed copious amounts of water and air conditioning in the car afterwards. We enjoyed seeing a fawn and mother on the walk




and large birds soaring on the thermals the whole time.




Another treat was to see the Prairie dogs which are protected at the monument Park.




The country around the tower is beautiful and lusher than along the interstate. It was very pretty.




From there it was another hour and a half and as we left Wyoming and passed into South Dakota I was pleasantly surprised by the relative lushness of SD, too. But it is hot. 91 degrees F at 9pm. I can hear Jerry Jordan telling me wait till I get in the Badlands..... Coming shortly, Jerry, I may not leave the car at all! At least there is a pool here at the motel. Tonight it was McDonalds - right over the road and too tired for anything else.Not many photos taken today. Just 96. A long eight hour drive plus a couple of stops on the way, has left me tired out but so happy we made it from Cody to Rapid City in South Dakota. Tomorrow Mt Rushmore.
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Location:Cleveland St,Rapid City,United States

Leaving Yellowstone

We woke to a cloudy and smoky looking day in Montana. I heard the staff at the motel wish for a big dump of rain to clear the air. It has been a drought up here for the summer. The elk were back for their morning munch of the motel shrubbery.


I was sad to leave Gardiner as the township was peaceful population 800 and mountainous and the motel was excellent. One more time through the North Gate and we made fairly good time as there were not so many cars around. Smoke was heavy until we hit a patch where it had been raining. It looked like the fire from yesterday was under control.


The Southeastern corner road in the park was easy compared to other parts I had driven and really picturesque following the Yellowstone River to the lake.


There were bison out having dust baths


and Dan thinks the birds on the lake were Canadian Geese.


Lake Yellowstone at the South was heavy with smoke


but as we moved Eastward to the park gates the air cleared.


We reached the Eastern Entrance.


Our trip to Yellowstone is over. Hunter is singing to music on her ipod all the way down the highway.


After a high pass


we travelled ever downwards through a gorge into Wyoming through some spectacular countryside and I started singing Rawhide.


Roll em up, move em on, get em out, move em out, rawhide ........keep em dawgies moving, rawhide! Real cowboy country.


We finally found somewhere to have lunch at the Wild Horse cafe, near Cody - this town named after Buffalo Bill, which was full of kitch Western stuff made in China but it had tasty hamburgers.


In there we found the nearest thing to a bear that we had seen so far.


A pomeranian puppy dog so cute we wanted to take home. He loved Dan.


And fell asleep but Hunter wanted a cuddle too.


Onward, past the Buffalo Bill state park lake which reminded me of central Otago lakes, through the three tunnels in the solid rock to the outskirts of Cody where our accommodation awaited at the K3 Guest Ranch.


There are pronghorn in the fields as we drive up.


On the drive rocks I see a most beautiful flower the plant looks like a weed otherwise.


This place is really themed for the wild west, is also in the country and Hunter has claimed the wagon bed. The host Jerry is a real hard case cowboy.


He has set up this lodge in really relaxing surroundings.


With many artifacts around us.





There are deer wandering in and out of his property - white tail and Mule deer. There are also deer on the edges of town


as we head into town for dinner, might have a margarita tonight as we plan the next Eastward section of the trip. Looks like rain may come.


Although Jerry the manager here says we have to be up for breakfast at eight right outside our room where he will cook a big Western breakfast on the BBQ. Hope the deer are still there.


Maybe just a small margarita.
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Location:Nielson Trail,Cody,United States