Twenty-Four MPH Winds Are No Joke! Rapid City, SD

 8.30.2023

Rapid City, SD

Mileage: 2766

Today was very windy on the open prairie.  We drove straight south which didn't help at all.  Once we got near Sturgis the terrain changed and hills blocked the winds some.  Thankfully, we made it safely to our home for 8 days.

Along the way I stopped at Discount Tire to get new tires for the truck.  Somehow I didn't realize before we left that our stock tires were nearing the end of their life.  With thousands of miles to go we felt it best to replace them!  Discount Tire was great, and there is a shop in Fredericksburg to do the complimentary rotations and any warranty work.  I also got truck washed since it had miles of backroads of dust on it.

We saw our first stoplight in about a week! 

We are at a KOA Holiday which means we have a pool and other amenities.  After dinner we enjoyed the pool and the hot tub before taking Comet to the dog park where he enjoyed being off leash and the many new smells.

And . . .we are back in South Dakota!

 8.29.2023

Buffalo, SD

Mileage: 2643

We are back in South Dakota.  Today was really nothing special.  I made some appointments, worked out in the RV, and drove a couple hours south.  We are in a bare bones RV stop.  It is literally a gravel parking lot with 20 spots.  It does have full hook-ups, so there's that.  We are incredibly in the middle of nowhere.

The washboard roads during our first trip into South Dakota did something to our hot water heater.  So, today I "took a shower" after boiling water in a kettle, putting it in a bucket, and adding cooler water to it.  It is a glamorous life.  Thankfully, our next stop is a KOA, so all of the amenities are there including a bath house.  We also have an appointment with an RV Tech for the water heater.  Hopefully, it is a quick fix!

And here is Comet resting in my chair while I share our adventures with you!  I made a grooming appointment for him once we get to Las Vegas, today.  Our cute little white dog is slowly turning gray.  

Tomorrow we make it to Rapid City where we have plans to see many things!

Chateau de Mores, The Town of Medora, and a Bit More of Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit

 8.28.2023

Medora, ND

Mileage:  Still in the same place

While Kenny Worked  . . . .

Chateau de Mores

Medora was created by a French Aristocrat who came to the area to try to revolutionize the meat industry.  While his attempt to transport fresh beef was ultimately unsuccessful the town survived, as did the hunting lodge that he built for his wife, Medora.  The family used the lodge seasonally for only three years.  It then sat vacant until it was donated to the North Dakota Historical Society.

It is a very large, fancy house for the area.  Several famous people including Theodore Roosevelt visited here.  The ND Historical Society is also making plans for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library to be housed here in Medora.

I then wandered around the town a bit.  The town is largely owned by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.  Many of the shops and restaurants are staffed by volunteers who submit applications each year to work here.  It kind of felt like a western Williamsburg.  Teddy Roosevelt even walks around town.  I saw him filming a commercial.

In almost every town we visited there is a Veterans Memorial.  Below is Medora's.

While Kenny was with me we went back to the South Unit of the National Park.  We saw Teddy Roosevelt's cabin.

We toured the small museum in the visitor's center.

We visited an overlook we skipped yesterday.  Visibility was much better yesterday.

We saw more wild horses.

We then took a short, steep, scary hike on Wind Canyon Nature Trail.  It was cool to see different rock formations.

We also saw the best views of the Little Missouri River we have seen so far.

Buffalo by the River.

There is a bison herd on top of the mesa.

It was a bit windy on top of the high peak, but we were happy to make it to the top!

Comet wants to say thanks for following the blog!!  We leave tomorrow and begin our journey to our next big stop, Rapid City, SD.