6:15 AM
Good Morning...time to work.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Badlands Sunrise
Woke early and caught the sunrise at our boondocking site near the entrance to the Badlands National Park.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Wall Drugstore and Badlands National Park
Day 4 of the RV Trip to South Dakota. We left Hot Springs and made it to Wall, SD to check out this kitschy tourist destination.
We didn't buy any souvenirs but did get Martha on
the big Jackalope
Just a few miles south of Wall, SD, within the Buffalo Gap Grasslands, we found a spot to do some boondocking:
Overlooking the Badlands just north of the boundary
to the Badlands National Park
After work, we motored into the park to look for sunset picture locations. The Badlands National Park is quite scenic, if what you see is rugged rock formations but not much that we could find in terms of coloration on those rocks:
The view from Conata Basin Overlook
These Bighorn Sheep weren't looking too good
but they seemed to be happily feeding alongside the road
photo courtesy Martha
From Panorama Overlook
Panorama Overlook
At the Panorama Overlook
My assumption that the dipping sun would add colors to the rocks at Panorama Overlook proved wrong. So we geared up and raced back towards Conata Basin Overlook for hopefully better sunset views.
Racing to Conata Basin Overlook
photo courtesy Martha
Conata Basin Overlook
photo courtesy Martha
Pinnacles Overlook
Monday, October 16, 2017
Murals, Mammoths and Fall Colors
A work day for me today, so no long rides with my sweetie ....
However, we did cover several subjects during the short rides that we took this afternoon after the day's work was complete!
First thing we did was ride into the nearby town of Hot Springs and collect all the murals reported by their tourism map. You've already seen the one that featured the sidecar, here's there rest:
The setting sun went away, leaving clear skies and dulling colors to illuminate our path back to our campground.
However, we did cover several subjects during the short rides that we took this afternoon after the day's work was complete!
First thing we did was ride into the nearby town of Hot Springs and collect all the murals reported by their tourism map. You've already seen the one that featured the sidecar, here's there rest:
Minnekahta Avenue
Bison by the police station
Water scene on the side of Evan's Plunge, a local water play facility
Old pioneer scene next to a BBQ joint
Military mural at the Foreign Legion Post
Explorations of the town of Hot Springs done, we headed towards the Mammoth Museum, site of the largest concentration of Mammoth remains discovered in the whole world, with 58 Columbian and 3 Woolly Mammoths found so far.
Martha at the museum's lobby
A closeup of the large area currently under excavation,
very extensive works, all viewable in air-conditioned comfort
A replica for folks to visualize these magnificent beasts.
Another exhibit, besides the Pygmy, Columbian and Woolly mammoth displays; was the flat faced bear remains. I found those more fascinating....guess I'm more of a bear guy than an elephant guy!
A comparison of the skulls of the largest bear species vice
the flat faced bear....
A nice bone display with a picture as a guide/visual aide
"How would you like to encounter one of these while riding?"
The museum visit done with, we motored on south towards the Angostura Reservoir Recreation Area. Folks, this is a great place, with nice RV campgrounds, water facilities for boats, nice trees lining the reservoir and providing some nice Fall Colors!
But first, some Fall Colors we had seen before and now stopped to take pictures of at the Allen Ranch Campground, also a nice place for one's RV.
At the Angostura Recreation Area, we found a nice spot for what turned out to be a mild and pretty much cloudless sunset. Still, as the sun set in the western horizon, it lit up the nearby Fall Colors quite nicely.
The setting sun went away, leaving clear skies and dulling colors to illuminate our path back to our campground.
Not many miles covered today, but still a good afternoon/evening's worth of riding.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
RV Trip: Hot Springs, SD - Day 1 and 2: Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway
Saturday, October 14, Martha and I rode Umarang with Scarlett in tow, through the eastern outskirts of the Metro Denver area in thick, thick fog conditions. It was so thick at times, I couldn't see farther than 100 feet ahead...we were searching for a spot to pull over and wait it out and it started clearing fortunately, just north of Longmont.
The rest of the day was spent in windy overcast conditions mostly, it even rained and snowed lightly on us a few times as we transited Wyoming on I-25, heading eventually for the turn eastwards into South Dakota....basically taking US Highway 18 into that state.
We got to the KOA at Hot Springs, South Dakota shortly after 3PM and settled into glamping mode.
Sunday was a much better day in terms of weather. Sunny and though it started in the high 30s, would soar to 60 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the riding.
First it was a quick run into the town of Hot Springs where we met Martha's friend from Nurse College, Trish and her husband John for breakfast.
After breakfast, it was a visit to their nearby property on which they're working to eventually build a house and small horse ranch.
At around 11AM we set off going north on US385 to State highway 87 and eventually junctioning with US Highway 16A, a.k.a. Iron Mountain Road; a very twisty and scenic road with rollercoaster-like ups and downs with tunnels and views of Mount Rushmore.
Wonderful road, Iron Mountain Road, the tunnels that were blasted for it were designed to always frame the Mount Rushmore Monument's Presidents.
The rest of the day was spent in windy overcast conditions mostly, it even rained and snowed lightly on us a few times as we transited Wyoming on I-25, heading eventually for the turn eastwards into South Dakota....basically taking US Highway 18 into that state.
We got to the KOA at Hot Springs, South Dakota shortly after 3PM and settled into glamping mode.
Sunday was a much better day in terms of weather. Sunny and though it started in the high 30s, would soar to 60 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the riding.
First it was a quick run into the town of Hot Springs where we met Martha's friend from Nurse College, Trish and her husband John for breakfast.
After breakfast, it was a visit to their nearby property on which they're working to eventually build a house and small horse ranch.
At around 11AM we set off going north on US385 to State highway 87 and eventually junctioning with US Highway 16A, a.k.a. Iron Mountain Road; a very twisty and scenic road with rollercoaster-like ups and downs with tunnels and views of Mount Rushmore.
We saw many Bison, some really close to the side of the road
that we were on!
photo courtesy Martha
photo courtesy Martha
Signage at a campground near the start of
Iron Mountain road and some Fall Color
Wonderful road, Iron Mountain Road, the tunnels that were blasted for it were designed to always frame the Mount Rushmore Monument's Presidents.
View from Scovel Johnson Tunnel
View of Mt Rushmore from C. C. Gideon tunnel,
he designed the Iron Mtn Road and the Pigtail Bridges
(Bridges that went under themselves)
Doane Robinson Tunnel
Scarlett and I, going and coming...
photo courtesy Martha
photo courtesy Martha
photo courtesy Martha
Near the entrance to Mt Rushmore Monument
Profile view point near Mt Rushmore
After fueling up in Hill City, we got onto the Needles Highway. Had to pay a $10 fee but it was worth it. See the film at the end of this posting.
We did also have an encounter with two adult mountain goats and their two kids. Sorry, didn't get a good pics of the kids, they had their noses burrowed into the ground, not sure trying to get at what.
Tunnel on the Needles Highway
This guy came a bit too close for comfort
and so we left!
photo courtesy Martha
A view of Cathedral Spires from the Needles Highway
Near Wind Cave National Park
photo courtesy Martha
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