Hot Springs, SD Quilt Show

While wondering the streets of Hot Springs, SD I came across a quilt show in the old Evans Hotel. The hotel was build in the 1890s and suffered a fire in 1979 and was rebuilt. It is now a senior apartment home. The quilts were beautiful as usual. I thought of you all when I saw them.
Hot Springs has 35 of these sandstone buildings on the national register. The VA hospital is one of them. The train station is another and is the smallest of its kind.

Evans Hotel

Visitors Center

Stairs from Downtown up to the VA Hospital

VA Hospital

Bear Country USA

June 22 found us going to Wal-Mart in Rapid City to replenish our groceries and stopping on the way back to Hill City at Bear County USA. This is an unbelievable drive through a Wildlife Park. They had elk, mountain goats, big horn sheep, mountain lions, buffalo, and bears (226 at last count) and many more animals. We saw more bears that day than ever before. All the bears had been hand raised so they were not aggressive and just watched as we went by. The babies were last on the tour in their own pen. There were about 25 babies and so cute you wanted to pick them up and hold them.

1880 Train

On June 20^th we rode the 1880 Train between Hill City and Keystone, SD. What a fun trip to do on a cold (55 degrees), wet day. We sat in a windowless car so we could take pictures. The scenery was great starting in the Hill City valley and climbing into the hills through the mining area. They mined gold, silver, tungsten, lead out of this one mine (but not much of any of these). Arriving at Keystone, the engine was backed down a side rail to the end of the train, hooked up, for the return trip. In picture 6 is a house build into the rocks. As you can see we had our coats on and blankets to keep warm.

Custer State Park

We spent June 17th driving the loops of Custer State Park. Needless to say George Armstrong Custer spent some time in this area before the Little Big Horn. There is the city of Custer and the state park. We entered the park on State Highway 87 and came through the Needles area which contained tunnel 4 - 10'7" tall and 10'6" wide. Not too bad except I was driving and wondered if I were going to scrape the mirrors on the truck. We came by Sylvan Lake Lodge and lake and headed for the Wildlife Loop but first had to go through the Spires area but another tunnel. This tunnel is #5 and the narrowest of the seven tunnels we drive through at  12'0" tall and 8'4" wide. Chauncey watched on his side giving me instruction and I drove very slow and managed to escape scrapping the mirrors. The rest of the tunnels were a breeze and I did not worry too much. This stretch of road is called the Needles Highway Scenic Drive. Don't be mislead by the name highway. We continued on until we came to Wildlife Loop Road. The road descends into a valley that stretches for miles. First we passed Prairie Dog Town with lots of prairie dogs playing on top of their burrows, next we went through buffalo pens (no buffalo), past the Wildlife State Visitors Center and next had to stop to see the burros. All a long we see Pronghorns and are taking pictures. Deer were in the tree line. We had to drive several miles before we came upon a heard of buffalo and sat still for maybe 15 minutes as they crossed the road and disappeared from over the hill.  We came to Iron Mountain Road and only three more tunnels to go through and several Pigtail Bridges. We turn onto 244 and come by Mt Rushmore and snap a picture through the windshield.We have been driving more then four hours and haven't gone 50 miles. The mph in the park is 35 but no one could drive that fast because of the turns and ups and downs and blind curves and tunnels and Pigtail bridges. Enjoy the pictures.

Gentle Stream

Not all buffalo are perfect

Part of the resident burro herd

Mule deer

Dude ranch

Mount Rushmore

Prairie Dog

Pronghorn

Hill City Campsite

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It is 60 degrees today and some rain. Everything here is a bright green. We are loving it!!!!!

We are now on our 2011 trip. We left Texas after visiting Taylor (to eat at the Sirloin Stockade), Brady (to visit friends), Canyon (to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park), and Spearman (to visit cousins); Texas was very, very hot before and after we left.

Our object was to go far enough north to be in cool weather.

We stopped in Hill City, South Dakota in the beautiful Black Hills on June 14th.

Just look at our campsite.

The chipmunk is taken from the front door. Our campsite is about 100feet from a dead end circle. We have woods one side with cattle and logging trucks and the other is our patio and fire ring. We used our dutch ovens to cook a meal of King Ranch Chicken and Apple Crisp desert.

Campsite

Logging Next Door

Cooking for Dinner

Just Waiting

Spacy Campsite

Cats Watching Cattle

Little Friends

2011 Trip

If you have received this email and do not want to be included in our trip, please email me and I will remove you from our list.

It is 60 degrees today and some rain. Everything here is a bright green. We are loving it!!!!!

We are now on our 2011 trip. We left Texas after visiting Taylor(to eat at the Sirloin Stockade), Brady (to visit friends), Canyon (to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park), and Spearman (to visit cousins); Texas was very, very hot before and after we left.

Our object was to go far enough north to be in cool weather.

We stopped in Hill City, South Dakota in the beautiful Black Hills on June 14th.

Just look at our campsite.

We visited Custer State Park where we say some animals and great scenery.