09-17-21 Friday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 17 Hampton Inn Scottsbluff NE

09-17-21 Friday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 17

Hampton Inn

Scottsbluff, NE

Return: Yes

                                          

           

We both slept well last night. We were totally exhausted when we hit the bed.  This morning's cool air smelled so fresh. It was a quite morning except for the occasional moooo.  

                                                                                 

Well...today turned out to be another stressful day. 

Barry called a few places to see about taking the RV in. One place couldn't take us but he gave us the name of another place and we were successful. The owner of the place was so nice and wanted to get us in. He said he didn't like travelers to be stuck. We got the RV ready so nothing falls once we get on that B U M PY gravel road again. We took the Jeep off the back to help with the RV on the road and I would follow Barry. We were worried the RV would die before we made the 5 mile drive to the mechanics. About 75 yards from the paved road she died, the alternator stopped working. AAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!

Now what to do? We called AAA and arranged for a tow truck. Thank goodness we purchased the RV tow package from AAA. Tanner was the tow truck driver and what a great guy. He was very careful hooking us up and knew the mechanic. He also gave us great suggestions for lunch. We were getting hungry by this time. We didn't have breakfast. Barry road with Tanner and I followed in the Jeep. 

 

Tanner booked down the road. I couldn't believe how fast he was going especially when another truck went by. We made it to the mechanics all in one piece. 

The mechanics shop was 5 miles out in the country and has a beautiful piece of property. Barry and he discussed again what needs to be done. He hopefully will get us back on the road today. 

We went to lunch at the mexican restaurant Tanner suggested. He was right, the food was excellent. Art, the mechanic texted Barry saying it was the alternator. Art ordered one but it won't be delivered until tomorrow. It was coming from Denver. Art was pretty confident it would arrive tomorrow but not 100%.  Keeping our fingers crossed! 

I made hotel arrangements for the night and we decided to go back to Papa Moon's and buy some more cider for the rest of our trip. We wanted to let them know we will not be staying there tonight. We sat outside since the weather was beautiful and we walked the property since we didn't get to yesterday. The property is so pretty. They were so busy. Closing time is 9PM and people kept coming. 

We ran into one of the winery cats and took a picture with Larry. Larry is from Leale's RV service in San Jose. They give their customers Larry to take pictures of him at different places while your on an RV trip. You submit your pictures and they may be chosen for their calendar. Barry has been sending in photos from our trip and getting great feedback from Leale's regarding his photos. 

As we were leaving I noticed this horse trailer and had to take a picture. What a fun idea. We haven't seen anything like this.

We are tired and left for the hotel. We both are looking forward to a long hot shower instead of our short RV showers. 

Good night all and we will see what surprises we have in store for us tomorrow. 

Oh yea...we counted 3 jeeps in the winery parking lot. 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

09-16-21 Thursday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 16 Papa Moon Winery & Cider House Scottsbluff, NE

09-16-21 Thursday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 16

Papa Moon Winery & Cider House

Scottsbluff, NE 69361

Harvest Host 

Return: Yes

Well.....Today started out good, turned not so good, then ended pretty good. We left Badlands at 11:00 AM and headed toward Rapid City then south.  Our next stop was to be Crawford, NE...150 miles for about a 3 hour drive. The scenery was not much to look at so I didn't take any photos worth sharing. 

For whatever reason our GPS sent us to Crawford, NE but not to Fort Robinson State Park. It was very weird where we ended up, in the middle of a residential area. We found the local visitor center and called the Park. The women on the other end told us to turn right on Highway 20 so we did. There was also a huge fire in the hills west of us. She told us to drive about 3 miles and the park is on the right. Well, we did that but at 3 miles the only thing we saw was a group of local police, sheriff, and firefighters. This was the place they were all gathering to help with the fire. The told us we went the wrong way and needed to go back about 6 miles and the Park was on the left. There was no where for us to turn this beast around so the sheriff told us we would have to continue the direction we were going but it would be quite a ways before we were able to turn around. He was right. We ended up travelling about 35 miles before we came to a 4 way stop where there was a lot we could turn around. We stopped  here and tried calling the park for the third time. They kept putting us on hold. 

Our plan was to stay in Crawford for one night then drive to Scottsbluff on Friday. Well, by the time we were able to find a place to turn around we were 50 miles from Papa Moon Winery & Cider House, our next stop on Friday. We decided it was too crazy to return to Crawford so Barry called the winery to see if by chance they could take us tonight and we could stay 2 nights. They said no problem and would wait for us. 

We tried calling Fort Robinson again and this time I got through. I explained about the directions and not being able to turn around and that we needed to cancel because we were too far from the park. I don't think she believed me but I explained again what happened. I asked if we could get a refund, she put me on hold, then came back to inform me she would have to talk to her supervisor tomorrow, right now he's out fighting the fire. She would get back to me tomorrow. I thanked her again for her help. 

The rest of the drive to Scottsbluff was crazy windy and scary. A few of the wind gusts almost blew us off the road. The winds were worse than driving I5 on a very windy day. Barry admitted later he was pretty scared and does not want to go through that again. The next 50 miles was nothing but rolling hills and wind gusts. Neither one of us said much during this drive. We finally made it to the road the winery is on but it was a very rough gravel road and Barry could only drive about 3-5 miles per hour. It was horrible. We turned into the winery driveway and we barely fit down the driveway. The owner met us at the end and then the battery light on the dash went on. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!! 

We had to get out of the RV so she could show us the area to drive too. There's 3 other RVs here. She put us out back by the pond which is wonderful except the mosquitos. She said once we get settled to meet her in the winery. She knew we would need a few glasses to relax after the drive we just had. We drove around back to the other side of the pond and tried to find the flattest area possible. Barry leveled us as best he could. He was afraid to turn the engine off for fear it would not start again. He turned it off and then turned the key to see if it starts up again and it did. So we have to deal with this tomorrow. 

We locked the coach and walked over to the tasting room sine the owner was waiting for us. She is a sweetheart and we enjoyed our tastings. I'm surprised by the ciders and actually preferred them over the wines. The wines are very different than our wines in California. We ended up buying 2 bottles of wine and 2, 4 packs of the ciders we liked. We also purchased a charcuterie board so we wouldn't have to cook. Went back to the RV and fixed up the board, opened us each a cider and had dinner. 

We talked about tomorrow and going into town or looking for a local mobile unit to see if they can come out to see if it's the alternator. Barry thinks that is what it is. The winds started raging again and our RV is rocking back and forth. We decided it's time to go to bed so we don't have to think about anything until tomorrow.  

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

09-15-21 Wednesday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 15 Badlands, White River KOA

09-15-21 Sunday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 15

Badlands, White River KOA

Badlands, SD

Site 60

Return: Yes

Today was an awesome day. We did so much, saw incredible sights, beautiful animals in the hills and roaming the grassy plains. So much more than I expected but then I wasn’t sure what to expect.

    

We started our day at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Before entering the center there was a ranger outside with fossils on a table. I asked what she was showing, and she went through each of the fossils. All were found by visitors in the park. Very fascinating. Inside was the gift shop and I purchased my NP Passport stickers, and a few other things. I then found the stamps to stamp my passport book so I’m happy.  The VC has a great museum. This area does not have dinosaur fossils. The fossils from this area are after dinosaurs went extinct and a lot of this area was under water. The coolest thing about this visitor center is it has a working fossil preparation lab. Two paleontologists were working under microscopes, removing rock, and preparing and cataloguing finished specimens for display. As they work under their microscopes you could see what they’re doing on a TV monitor. Slow tedious work scraping away different materials to get to the fossil bones. You can also talk to them and ask questions. We asked numerous questions and they loved talking to us. 

We left Ben Reifel Visitor Center and headed north about 15 miles to Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Visitor Center. This is outside Badlands. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was established to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile development. We watched the 30-minute movie which provided information and background of the site, very informative. We then walked through the museum. What I found fascinating is we still have 450 of these sites throughout the Midwest in areas that are not heavily populated. One of the rangers was a minuteman and I asked how these men were chosen. He said he was voluntold. He loved what he did. They would do 24 hours on and off. During the off time most Minuteman worked on their education including getting their masters. He read a lot during his “voluntold” time.

We left and stopped for gas and a sandwich. Next to the gas station was a nice picnic area with entertainment...Prairie Dogs! I have never seen a Prairie Dog and these little fellas are vocal and entertaining. To watch them raise up and do their little yelp, almost like a bark, made me laugh. These little guys in this area are not afraid of humans. They will come up to within 5 feet of you. Throughout the day we saw numerous Prairie Dog towns all over Badlands. 

       

 

After lunch we headed for Badlands Loop Road. This road is about 40+ miles long and takes you through the northern part of the park. Part of the road turns into a gravel road for about ½ of the road. We took this road and loved every minute of the drive.  The geologic formations and colors are stunning. We stopped at numerous overlook sites and just stared or took photos of the massive mountains, meadows, and green areas. It’s so hard to explain to someone what this area looks like. We would love to come back here and take some of the hikes throughout the park. It was 92° here today so a perfect day to drive with A/C. We saw small herds of buffalo, a few buffalo at the edge of the road, big horn sheep, pronghorns, deer and of course millions of prairie dogs. Seeing these animals up close was the highlight of the day. The buffalo are huge and the fellows we saw close to the road are big handsome guys. Once we got off the main road and onto the gravel road, we saw more animals. Most people don’t take the gravel road. We only saw 12 vehicles on this road and a few of them were locals, cattle trucks, trucks pulling working trailers, etc. The road intersects with highway 44 and we headed east around 6:00 PM toward our campground. What an unbelievable drive. 

Once home we made dinner then decided to do s'mores for dessert. Instead of Hershey bars we used Ghirardelli chocolate with caramel filling. Talk about stepping up the normal smore. You gotta try it. You will never go back to normal Hershey bars again. 

Awesome day! Sweet Dreams All! Tomorrow we head for Nebraska. 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

09/14/21 Tuesday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 14 Badlands/White River KOA Holiday

09/14/21 Tuesday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 14

White River KOA Holiday

Badlands

Site 60

Well, it was the day to say goodbye to Beaver Lake Campground. Seems a little sad but we are ready to move on. We pulled out of our campground and went to the area in the park to fill up our propane tank. Mishap-Our electric water heater isn't working so our water heater is heating with propane. Something Barry will have to look at when we get home. 

The drive to the Badlands was only about 2 hours. This is the farthest East we go. After 2 nights here we head west.  When we arrived at the park we saved the $30 entrance fee because we had our Senior Car pass for the National Parks so it was free. We like free. We drove through the Badlands on the way to our campground. AMAZING and indescribable.  

  

We made it to our campground without getting lost. Checked in, parked, settled in for a bit, took a walk and found 5 jeeps but didn't finish our walk. We ended up meeting some people from Tennessee who also have a Newmar RV. There's is much newer than ours and they gave us a tour. Loved their RV. Made dinner, watched Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell. Waited to hear the election results for Governor Gavin Newsom recall and looks like he will survive the recall.  I was able to get caught up on my blogs and now to bed. Sweet Dreams All. 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

09/13/21 Monday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 13 Beaver Lake Campground

09/13/21 Monday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 13

Beaver Lake Campground 

Custer, SD

Site I

Wind Cave National Park was our destination today. It's about a 30 minute drive southeast of Custer. It was a nice drive and beautiful country. 

Right before we turned off to the visitor center, we saw a buffalo sitting about 75 yards off the road. We stopped and took photos. He was huge and I would not want that guy moving toward me. They can jump 6’ high and run 35 mph. Too fast for me. He was a handsome fellow. 

We arrived at the visitor center and the parking lot was packed. I worried we would not get tickets. Their website states they sell out for each tour about 2 hours prior or sooner. They only sell 40 tickets per tour. We quickly got in line and there were about 20 people ahead of us. When it was our turn, we were able to get the 1:00PM tour for the Natural Entrance Tour. We had about 2 hours to kill so we walked the museum and had a “very tasty” lunch out of the vending machines! We didn’t plan lunch very well. 

The Natural Entrance Tour lasted 1¼ hours. Most of the 300 stairs along this route are down. It’s a moderately strenuous 2/3-mile tour. At the end of the tour, you take an elevator back to the top…thank goodness.

If your ever in this area, I would recommend visiting. It is an incredible tour, and Ranger Abby was very entertaining. Since I’m only 5’2” I didn’t have to duck very much. There was a woman behind Barry that said the same thing but there were a few spots that I decided to duck any way. Some of the areas were wet from water seeping through and dripping down the different cave formations. 

On our way back to Custer we saw buffalo but they were to far away to take photos. We viewed them for about 10 or 15 minutes through our binoculars. I think they are such a cool looking animal. Glad we got to see them even if it was through binoculars. 

Natural cave entrance. And no this is not 

how we entered the cave. 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

09/12/21 Sunday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 12 Beaver Lake Campground

09-12-21 Sunday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 12

Beaver Lake Campground

Casper, SD

Site I

Today was a camp utility day. I did laundry and Barry had a few things he wanted to get done, mainly installing the new RViBrake3 on the jeep. We need this done before we leave on Tuesday. He also worked on the kitchen leaky water line (it was only leaking a little), and the wiring on the jeep so the interior light goes on. While I did the laundry I wrote and published one of my blogs since I’m a few days behind. 

We had a late lunch of leftovers. Then we left for town. I wanted to do some shopping and take pictures of all the buffalo statues on each street corner. They are so cool. I only took pictures of the ones I like. The buffalos are painted in different designs. 

My Favorite

     

After a bit of shopping and an awesome Root Beer Float, we headed out to Needles Highway. It’s a very windy road.  Below is a description from different sites I found on Google. We drove through the Needles Eye tunnel. What an experience. The tunnel is 8' 9" wide by 9’8" high tunnel (it feels a lot narrower when driving through).

The Needles Highway is more than a 14-mile road—it’s a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen, and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needlelike granite formations that seem to pierce the horizon along the highway.

The roadway was carefully planned by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck, who marked the entire course on foot and by horseback. Construction was completed in 1922.

The drive was so beautiful. The rock formations are like nothing I have ever seen. I loved all the birch trees. I’ve never seen so many, and they are beautiful when there are hundreds in an area, just unbelievable. We also saw many deer. I’ve never seen that many deer before. It truly was a breathtaking drive. If you ever decide to visit South Dakota, you must take this drive. 

We arrived back at the camp site around 8PM. Barry built another awesome fire. We had a few glasses of wine while reviewing the day. As stated before, there is nothing like ending a day with a campfire. 

Goodnight all. 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.