Last Day in Hill City

One more lazy day here in Hill City before we leave for Deadwood, South Dakota tomorrow. Kathe and Jim drove to Custer City today and spent the morning at the 1881 Custer County Courthouse and Museum,  It served as the county courthouse until 1974, and since then it has been preserving and displaying Custer County history.


Kathe enjoyed the Victorian furniture and clothing, especially all of the lace wedding gowns on display.  Jim spent most of his time down in the basement where they had a large
collection of shotguns, pistols, and rifles from
the 1800's and 1900's.  Upstairs the historic courtroom features the original cherry wood furniture and judge's chambers.  Jim couldn't resist playing judge and sitting on the bench.


The next place on the schedule today was the National Museum of Woodcarving.  Here there were thousands of woodcarvings by Dr. Harley Niblack displayed.  Dr. Niblack spent over 70,000 hours of his life carving and creating miniature and life sized figures and animating them.  Three of his animated scenes appeared in the Smithsonian Institute.  During 1954 and 1955 he helped design and build the animation at Disneyland.  It was a very, very strange museum.





Later in the day we drove the Iron Mountain highway which runs through Custer State Park and offers some spectacular view of Mount Rushmore in the distance.  As you pass through the tunnel, you have a clear view of the Mount Rushmore framed by the tunnel walls and the trees in the distance.

Crazy Horse, Crazy Day

This is going to be a short post.  I got into some really sticky stickers trying to chase a bird in the grass tonight,  I had to have another bath because my hair was so sticky,  I think I will be bald by the time we get home.

We woke up early this morning and the sun was a red ball on the horizon because of all the smoke in the air.  By 7:30 it was clear again, so we drove to Mount Rushmore to get the "perfect" picture in the morning sun.  Jim was happy with his final picture and even happier that he made it back to camp in time for the pancake breakfast.

Later in the morning Kathe and Jim drove toward the town of Custer to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. They have been working on this sculpture since 1948 and when it is completed it will be the largest sculpture in the world.  To give you an idea of the size, all 4 of the Presidents on Rushmore would fit on the forehead of Crazy Horse. It will be 563 feet high when completed.

They went to lunch in Custer at the famous "Purple Pie Place" and ate blackberry pie with homemade ice cream.

After lunch they took a drive in Custer State Park on the Needles Highway.  There were several small tunnels carved in the rocks that you could drive through.  They waited to see if one of the tour buses would squeeze through the tunnel which was only 8' wide and 12' high.  He made it!

Black Hills

Here I am this morning as we entered the Black Hills of South Dakota!  The road getting here was a little curvy and steep.  Lots of hairpin turns and a 7% grade downhill.  I was glad when we finally reached the Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City.  We pulled out the lounge chairs enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  There's lots of green grass and large Ponderosa pines.  Jim is happy because they have a great bike path here and an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast every morning.






After we got settled into our site we had lunch and it was time for my nap.  Kathe and Jim were too excited to nap so they drove down to Mount Rushmore to take some pictures.  Of course, afternoon is not the best time to take pictures and Jim was unhappy that there were shadows on the faces of the Presidents on his pictures.  Guess they will have to come back at dawn tomorrow and miss the pancake breakfast!




Every 10 minutes they show a film in the Visitors Center that explains how the sculpture was accomplished.  It was amazing to watch the workers set dynamite and blast away the face of the mountain and then sculpt using pneumatic drills and hand chisels, all while suspended by cables in bosun chairs.

Lusk at Dusk

Today we drove from Cheyenne to Lusk, Wyoming, taking the scenic route up State route 85.  Along the first 50 or 70 miles we passed many large cattle ranches and then as we got closer to the Nebraska state line we started to see acres of corn fields.


We pulled into the BJ Campground in Lusk this afternoon around 2:00.  The park is very small, only 22 sites, but the owner greeted us with a smile, and a question.  She said, "Why the heck are you staying here 2 nights? There's nothing to see here except the Stagecoach Museum, and that will take about an hour.  I'm not kicking you out, but you should leave tomorrow and spend more time in the Black Hills."







Lusk was as once a stop on the Cheyenne to Deadwood City stage line, but today, if you blink you will miss it.  So, we are taking her advice and leaving tomorrow morning.

Jim took a bike ride this afternoon while Kathe toured the Stagecoach Museum.  Here are a few pictures from the Museum.  Their claim to fame is the original stage coach from the "Black Hills Line".  It was built in 1860.  Most of the Museum looks like some one's attic with tons of stuff like old clothes, dishes, an iron lung, guns, and my personal favorite, the two headed calf.

Historical Cheyenne

Hey, this is supposed to be "Annie's Vacation."  Yesterday it was all we, we, we! Well, what about me, me, ME?  What did I do while they were off sightseeing?  I had a great time that's what.  I ate, I slept, I played ball, and I went to the dog park.  Best of all, I spent my day in the air conditioned coach and they were out sweating in the heat!  It was over 100 degrees both days in Cheyenne.


Kathe and Jim returned to the Depot Museum today to see the model railroad exhibit they missed yesterday.  It was the an incredible display of small Wyoming towns linked together by rail.  The model maker created the tiny wooden buildings from photographs taken in the 1930's.  It was all built on HO-N3 scale and it filled a 20' x 30' room.

The railroad buffs at the museum suggested that they drive to the city park to see the "Big Boy" 4884 articulated steam locomotive.  There are only six of these 139' long, 4000 series steam locomotives still in existence.  It weighs more than 1,000,000 pounds and holds 22,000 gallons of water.

Next, Kathe and Jim went to the Cheyenne Days Frontier Museum where they have one of the nation's largest collection of horse drawn vehicles.  This museum is dedicated to the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo which began in 1897 and claims to be even bigger than the one in Calgary.

The last stop today was the Historical Governor's Mansion.  It was built in 1904 and was the residence used by Wyoming's Governors until 1976.  The Colonial Revival mansion has been completely restored and reflects the different decorating styles of several periods of history. Jim liked the fallout shelter in the basement from the Cold War era.  Kathe's favorite room was the 1937 kitchen.

Sightseeing in Cheyenne

Today we traveled up the I-80 from Rawlins to Cheyenne and arrived at the A B Campground in time for lunch.  We encountered gusty winds and got a kick out of the signs warning us, "Gusty Winds the Next 5 Miles", the only problem was those signs were posted every 5 miles for the entire 150 miles.

We are very close to the Colorado state line here and there is smoke in the air from the wildfires. It's also causing unusually hot and muggy weather.

After lunch we went into town and boarded the Cheyenne Trolley for a tour of the city and a short history lesson.  The trolley took us all around the city and the driver pointed out the many museums and interesting sights that we might want to visit while in Cheyenne.  We're thinking about going to Frontier Days Old West Museum and the Historic Governors' Mansion tomorrow.

After the Trolley ride we toured the Cheyenne Depot Museum and learned about steam locomotives and the history of the Pacific Railroad in Wyoming.  The Depot has been beautifully restored in part from the city wide project called, "These Boots Were Made For Talking."  Local artists painted 21 giant cowboy boots that are placed all around the city.  The boots were sponsored by local businesses and auctioned at a fundraiser which raised nearly $100,000.  We saw several of them today, they really are spectacular.

Weally Windy Wyoming

As I write this we are having a thunder storm and it's really windy and rainy.  I am wearing my "Thunder Shirt" which is helping a little with my anxiety.  Jim has pulled in the slide out so that the slide topper doesn't rip in the wind while Kathe continues to write about my day.

I know that when they strip the bed it's wash day!  This means that they do the laundry and I get a bath.  It's not  so bad, Kathe sticks me in the kitchen sink and can usually wash and dry me in about 20 minutes.  After that I have to fix my hair the way I like it, cause she never gets it right.

After my ordeal, I took a nap and they went out sight seeing.  Today they went to the Wyoming Frontier Prison.  The pictures looked terrible, so I am only posting a funny one.  The prison was built in 1900 and was state-of-the-art for the time.  It had 104 cells, no electricity or running water, and inadequate heating.  More cells and facilities were added as needed, including hot water which was not installed in 1978.  The hour long tour took them through the cell block, the cafeteria, showers (cold), death row, the gallows, and the gas chamber which was built in 1937.  The prison was in operation until 1981 when a new prison was built on the other side of town.

Later that day Kathe and Jim toured the downtown main street murals of Rawlins.  The 12 murals were created by local artists and highlight the history and natural beauty of south central Wyoming.

Windy Wyoming

It was a very windy ride today on route 80 from Rock Springs to Rawlins, Wyoming.  In addition to the strong winds, we had about 20 miles of road construction and hundreds of big rigs whizzing by us with nothing but barrel construction cones separating the lanes.  The scenery was over 100 miles of dry desert with an occasional cow or oil rig thrown in.  We were very glad to get settled into our site at the KOA in Rawlins even if the wind was blowing at gale force.

After a quick trip to the dog park for me, Kathe and Jim went to Penny's Diner for lunch and came back smelling like hamburgers.

While in town they found out that the area around Rawlins has quite a lot of history.  So, armed with brochures from the front desk, they set out to explore.

Between 1843 and 1869 about a half million emigrants passed through this area on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails.  Many thousands stopped to chisel messages on Independence Rock which is located about 45 minutes out of Rawlins.  We drove out to the rock and while many of the messages are still visible, it wasn't possible to get close enough to photograph any of them.  Still, it was an impressive sight.





We also spent time at the Mormon Handcart Historic Site in Alcova, Wy.  It was a really interesting museum with the purpose of commemorating the passage of the thousands of Mormon emigrants who traveled from Iowa City to Salt Lake City pulling their belongings in handcarts.  There was a film which told the story about one group of 500 who suffered great hardship and death when they were caught in snowstorms and freezing weather.  Hand carts were used because many of the emigrants couldn't afford the cost of oxen and wagons.

Rock Springs, Wyoming

It was another long driving day today.  Kathe says we can't get where we want to go unless we stay on schedule, so we were up this morning at 7 so we could be on the road by the crack of 10 AM.  No one moves too fast in morning in this group.


We drove 217 miles today, mostly through ranch and farmland until we reached the high desert area of Rock Springs.  Highway 80 is a
major route for the big rigs, and
we saw plenty of them speeding past us at 75 mph.

Rock Springs was once a stage stop on the Oregon Trail before becoming a major coal mining area. The main attraction here is the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.  We took the car out to the Gorge this afternoon, but unfortunately the light was too flat to get any really great photographs.  Here are the best of the bunch.

The RV park is very crowded and the rigs are spaced about 6 feet apart.  It's also very, very windy and they advised us when we checked in to screw on our ball caps and not to open our awnings.  I saw a doormat fly by us and Jim's sunglasses blew right off his face. That's windy!

On a happy note, the dog park is wonderful, complete with GRASS and gopher holes.

Here I am enjoying a rawhide bone tonight while Kathe transcribes my blog.

Frustrating Day

It's getting very frustrating here at Deer Creek.  I have been chasing chipmunks, squirrels, and birds now for three days and have yet to sink my teeth into a single one. Every time I almost catch one, that damn red string around my neck snaps, and I get pulled backwards!  I hope to to have better luck outsmarting Kathe and the wildlife when we move to Rock Springs, Wyoming tomorrow.

Kathe and Jim went for a hike down around the Lake this morning before driving into Heber City to explore the town.  After spending about an hour visiting the Heber City "Daughter's of the Utah Pioneers" Museum they decided that it was time for lunch at Dickie's Barbecue.

After lunch, they stopped at the Heber Valley Rail Station for a look at the Heber Creeper, the train that travels along the Lake from Provo to Heber City.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in lounge chairs reading in the sun watching for stupid chipmunks.

Deer Creek State Park

Kathe shot this picture of a dog riding on a motorcycle in the park this morning before we left Cedar City.  When they stopped for the picture the dog put his arm around his driver and posed for us.  Talk about a dog's life

We arrived here at Deer Creek late yesterday after a hairy ride through Provo and up highway 189 which was under construction and seemed like a roller coaster ride for miles and miles up the mountain.





Our campsite is a large one and we have great views of the lake from our windows.  There was a little problem with the water last night but we should have it turned back on by today.  Just means that I won't have to have a bath for a few more days.  We're saving water, don't you know.

The campground has posted to be beware of bears, I haven't seen any of those, but I am having a wonderful time tracking the ground squirrels and chasing away the birds.  It was in the 80's during the day and down to 45 last night. Perfect!


Jim left for a bike ride this morning as we discovered a trail that runs along the entire west side of the Lake.  I asked him to take some pictures for my blog tomorrow.

Hot dog! Jim's cooking steaks tonight!

Exploring Cedar City

This blogging stuff is a new trick and I'm a middle aged doggie so things are a little disorganized sometimes, but be patient, I'm learning.

Today we explored the area around our campground.  We went to the Frontier Homestead Museum here in Cedar City and then to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in the town of Parowan. We saw the original motor home (see the picture) and lots of neat old stuff, from farm equipment to household goods used by the early settlers here in Utah.  After that, we drove scenic byway U-143 and up the 13% grade (in the car) to explore Brianhead Ski Area.

Looking forward to dinner tonight at Lefty's Hideout and Cantina.  Hope they remember to bring back a doggie bag.  

Cedar City

Well, I can finally relax.  We drove about 160 miles today to Cedar City.  The altitude is over 5000 feet so it much cooler here and there are lots of trees and grass.
We're going to spend two days here.

I can report that they have 4 (count um) dog parks.  My favorite is the one in the corner by the brook because there are so many trees and lots of shade.





Kathe and Jim drove up to Cedar Breaks National Monument and took a short hike on the ridge of the canyon.  It was about 10, 000 feet high and very cool up there.  Kathe says she almost needed oxygen!

Then, it was back to camp and time for cocktails and treats.  

My First Day on the Road

Somebody pimp my ride! Please!

I rode safely all day in this crate except for a few potty breaks.

Today we saw desert and more desert.  Jim drove 313 miles while Kathe ate 314 Pepperidge Farm goldfish.

We checked into the Thousand Trails Las Vegas Resort and it was 112 degrees.  Good thing we have air conditioning.

Just chilling tonight and tomorrow it's on to Cedar Breaks, Utah.

In the Beginning

My people are taking me on a another vacation and so I think I'll start my own blog to tell you all of the exciting things that happen along the way.  If I can figure out how to take pictures on Jim's cell phone I can show you how much fun we're having.

Today, while I slept they loaded up the coach with lots and lots of stuff.  I saw two cases of dog food and a big bag of treats, so I know I'm coming along this time.

When they went to the book store and brought home 7 Louis L'Amour and 2 Clive  Cussler books and Kathe packed 3 needlepoint projects I knew this was going to be one long trip!

Annie