Road Trip

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho a long descent from the mountains of Missoula with a beautiful lake: Lake Coeur d'Alene A satellite city of Spokane, Wa., Very pleasant in summer, cold in winter. I did run into a Supremicist Type, prison mentality so they are still around but they are around everywhere, extremist views, theirs and their opposites have always existed, very unprofitably. ___________ Irrigon, Oregon - Just south of Walla Walla Wa., across the Columbia River White Pelicans - Columbia River - Irrigon, Oregon My neighbors, the Goats. A very agricultural community.

I counted 49 soldier markers along the escape trail (Route) from Last Stand Hill and the sign at the Ravine indicated 28 soldiers died there which ended the fighting. I guess the trail 600 yards, high grass and very hilly There were about 40 or so soldier markers on the hill itself. The battle was strung out in several locations over several square miles, an hour in duration. The Rangers give good discussions, all say there is much that remains a mystery and many inaccuracies to the stories. This Ranger ended with "The Indians won the battle but lost the war." Deep Ravine Yellowstone River, Billings Montana

Spending a few days here. The links give the descriptions below. https:// www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2008/09/japanese-artist-creates-peace-sculpture-tribal-connections-interpretive-site-devils-tower-na The new Tribal Connections site at  Devils Tower National Monument  interprets Devils Tower as place that is sacred to many Native American tribes. The site’s central feature, the Wind Circle sculpture – also called the Sacred Circle of Smoke -- was created by internationally renowned Japanese artist  Junkyu Muto  as the third in a series of seven “peace sculptures” planned for significant sites around the world. Two other peace sculptures have already been erected – one at the Vatican in 2000, and the other at Buddha Gaya, India (where the Buddha attained enlightenment) in 2005. The sculpture erected at Devils Tower therefore extends the artist’s special recognition of sacred places... The artist designed it to evoke the image of a puff of smoke fr...

Leaving South Dakota so I took one last trip to the Mt. Rushmore Monument, Glad I did. Washington Profile From the CCC Viewpoint Least Chipmunks are everywhere - cute but their fleas may carry disease Turkey Vulture - The whole flock came by the creek in back of the RV Park, quite a sight, I didn't look dead so they left me alone

This narrow, winding, scenic road with overlooks of the Black Hills and narrow, low tunnels  opening to unique views of Mount Rushmore Memorial was a great little road trip. Scovel Johnson Tunnel -  the narrowest and lowest - 10' 9" Wide x 11' 0" tall according to the Custer State Park Newspaper (vol 40 2019) View of Mount Rushmore Memorial on exiting a tunnel (I forget which one). The entire road travelling east to west is designed to dramatize the approach to the Memorial. That is the direction I took and would recommend. Center Lake - Custer State Park "Pigtail Bridge" in the rear view mirror of the RV The RV could just about fit through the first tunnel and care had to be taken on some of the switchbacks. I was the largest vehicle on the road but a somewhat larger vehicle could make it as well. I understand full size buses have done so - probably with some grease and a shoehorn and a better driver than I am. The Lazy Daze is 10...

Crazy Horse is representative of many of the plains and other North American Indian tribes some warriors as young as 14 or 15 who took part in the battles for this land. Model and Monument https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Horse_Memorial Since actually going there and paying the $12 entrance fee (single person) I have a much more positive attitude about all of this. Controversy surrounds all of History, even the history we are living and writing about right now. The Wikipedia article I linked to above will not read the same in a few years. History repeats itself in that fashion at least. Opinions about facts change, they evolve to fit the image of the world we live in today. When I learned and later practiced law I would sculpt the facts into opinions favorable to whichever side of the controversy was paying me to do so. That's the job and everyone knows it. Within the limited confines of Court and Case it produces Decisions from which we can move on. I ...

Begging Burros Buffalo Bath Chipmunk (This is at my RV site outside the park - on 20.aug A pair of shikes made a pass at him - several passes, - they missed) White Tail or Mule Deer? Turkey Vulture - I think, they were gathering. But some white on the wings - may be something else/.  There was a Pronghorn as well but too far for a good pic.

Minuteman II in Silo (Unarmed) Site Delta 9 The simplicity of the football sized fenced in silo and the simple road in is startling when you think of the Weapon of Mass Destruction within and the reality of life in today's world. _________________________________________________________________ The Pinnacles Overlook, Badlands National Park - I-90 Exit 109, Route 240 and about 8 miles south. I think its the best view of what the Badlands are.You see the Upper Prairie and the Lower and this "Wall" of fast eroding fantastically shaped soft sediment in between. The Loop Road is about 40 miles or so to Exit 131 with lots more scenery, and some camping options - including some RV sites - reserve ahead it was full. Be prepared for the wildlife including mousqutoes and flies as well as Bighorn Sheep, Birds, etc.

The town of Wall is named for the Geological Formation that is the Badlands Most Iconic Scenery.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall,_South_Dakota Its Exit 109 on the I-90, the same road in the opposite direction will take you to the Pinnacles Overlook in the Badlands in about 8 miles. Park fee was $25 - so be ready for that Wall Drug and Wall Crawl MC Rally Wall Drug is one of South Dakota's premier tourist destinations. Its location is perfect and its just a huge store and restaurant, kind of fun to walk around in with some good stuff, good food, and some tourist trinkets. The family owns the town pretty much and probably a whole lot more by now The MC Rally I just saw signs about and a lot of Bikes driving through the Loop Road through the Park. It seems to extend the Sturgis Rally and there is a Badlands Harley Dealership in Wall. Minuteman Missle National Site This is something of a museum of the cold war. There is a movie and exhibits showng the st...

Bighorn Sheep Western Meadowlark

From the Northeast to the Pinnacles Entrance about 40 miles: Will fill in discussion later: Nimravid - False Saber-Tooth Cat 34million yrs

Don't know how I erased the original post, but to re-post: Here are the girls: And here are the bikes: And here are some more girls: 9.aug.19 - The Badlands Soft sediment rapidly eroding loaded with fossils also called the White Hills located about 100 miles east of the Black Hills (Granite covered with dark Ponderosa Pine) Unique shapes are formed from the erosion of the sediment. Hadn't seen anything else quite like it. Awe inspiring, even if "Badly So" There is a 50 mile "Wall" you can drive along on the "Loop" Apparently, the nearby town of Wall derives its name from this feature. Prarie Dog - I was about 8 years old when "The Vanishing Prarie" came out. Still remember the family outing. - Just found out... apparently it was at first banned in New York because it had footage of a buffalo giving birth. The ban was removed in short order but it gives some idea of the moral order of my upbringing.

Sunset on the Great Plains Sunset on the Great Plains from the RV. Beautiful. But you want to be indoors for this as the mosquitoes are particularly active after a bit of rain. I'm waiting for the Brakes to be checked on Thursday.  I'm waiting for the Title for the RV. I'm waiting for Sturgis. I'm deciding whether to get a South Dakota Driver's License. I'm deciding whether to head East to The Adirondacks or West to the Oregon Coast. I'm playing more guitar and the left hand injury is getting better. See the vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQb3aMTHKck I'm resting in the sense that I'm staying in Rapid City for two weeks. Probably drive 100 miles East, over to the Badlands after that But I'm also tired from compounding and waxing the RV. The pictures did not come out bright and shiny enough to justify all that work. I'll work on that. It looks good, it has rust patches, dents and other problems ...

$32 round trip about 2 hours of very scenic history - it was highly recommended to me back in Deadwood and I will pass on the recomendation.

Dungeness Wildlife Refuge - 19.may.19  The day before I bought the Lazy Daze RV. Bald Eagle Olympic Mountains from the Straits of San Juan De Fuca _____ Actually, the trip could be said to have begun when I left my old apartment in St. George Utah on April 30 and spent some time in Bend Oregon and Boise Idaho looking for an RV or a van or some kind of home. But those pics are not to be found so far. The best of that part of the trip was the wilderness around Mount Hood near Portland Oregon. As soon as I had the RV I went down to  Sequim Bay State Park with Dean, the previous owner who then showed me how to get started with it. Thanks Dean. This was before I started the blog and the pictures were not saved. Images from along hwy 101 and Hwy 3 (there was a fatal accident and I had to retrace my route) to Portland Oregon where I drove through the downtown streets at midnight trying  unsuccessfully to find a bank atm and Wilsonville Oregon which had ...

Mount Rushmore Revisited The RV is now registered and plated and with the enormous crowds expected for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, I thought to return to this monument to what the United States really is all about.  In the ideal. The right of the individual to be self-governed and to be free of forced servitude to others. Never guaranteed, never perfect, ever under attack, always requiring the individual to enforce that right. The Presidential Trail around the right side of the Grand View Terrace brings you to the Sculptor's Studio shown here where models by Gutzon Borglum are displayed and a Park Ranger gives a talk on the conception and construction of the monument The many, many steps of the Presidential Trail takes you much closer to the monument and a greater appreciation to the dedication of all who worked to bring the conception to life here.  I climbed the trail twice today, once early in the morning with no one else in sight, later in the d...