Leaving South Dakota- Heading to Utah

After a fantastic 2 weeks it South Dakota it was time to say goodbye to our new friends and move on. Its always hard to leave new friends behind but I know we will see Bob & Snookie again in Texas when the winter arrives. It was Snookie that told us about a  great work camp experience that happens every winter down in Texas. I wanted to go back to Tucson for the coming winter. This was just to good to let go.  The job is in a place called Mission, right down on the Gulf Of Mexico.  Its basically a RV resort but on a HUGE scale. Below is a picture of its location.

Windows Live Bloghttp://missionbellnewsletter.com/New_Staff.php

Link will open in new window, Dann and I are way down the bottom. Here you can read exactly where will be going  while the rest of the country freezes  I cant wait !!!

Anyway..Back to packing up and leaving Rapid City. We left around 9am on the 7th Of July 2011. The clouds were building again as it did every day while we were there, but this morning I was excited about the rain because I just find it so relaxing when travelling and its raining. BUT I didn't think it was going to be as heavy as it got. That's another story. We were on the road about a hour if that, and it opened up. Well at least we got the truck and 5th wheel washed again by Mother Nature. That's always a bonus when travelling RV Style. Most place don't allow it. Below is a picture of the rain storm that we went through.

The poor old wipers were workin overtime

The rain soon cleared up and it was clear sailing from here on. I had my camera beside me and took many pictures as we moved out of South Dakota and across Wyoming. We spent the night in a little town called Rawlings and next morning  we  set sail for Utah.

We are heading back towards Utah because Dann has a camp job in Panguitch Utah.  HE will be mowing lawns, edging and  some weeding for 10 hours a week for a free site with full hook ups. . Well that's what the add called for anyway, we will see when we finally get there. Me !!!  I suppose I will be farming and running my little Gourmet Ranch on Facebook  and trying to catch up on my blog. Its a hard life I tell you.    It wasn't to long and we were now back in the State of Utah. I was tired of taking pictures and I had been playing around with a new feature that I discovered on my little camera. MOVIES !!!  I was now on a movie frenzy. In some of them the loud scratchy noises that you hear is the wind blowing in to the camera

When we finally arrived back in Layton Utah we went straight up to Hill Air Force Base and unhooked and set up the 5th wheel. We had already rang Danns sister Joyce and had organized to go out to dinner with them. Popular choice- OLIVE GARDEN.. Love their food. I was fangin for a good feed after being on the road most of the day.

Tony Joyce and Dann outside Olive Garden after Dinner.

Joyce puffin her self up

We only spent 2 nights and 3 days in Layton catching up with Danns family. Dann kids had a dinner and invited us over, it was a good evening. It was a fast hectic 3 days for us. It was fun seeing Joyce and Tony again, just sorry we couldn't spend more time with them.

Next stop Panguitch Utah

Sturgis

Well we just had to go and visit the town of Sturgis, Home of the Blackhills Bike Rally . A little history below for you.

The first rally was held on August 14, 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club, who still own and operate the tracks, hill climb, and field areas where the rally is centered. The first event was called the "Black Hills Classic" and consisted of a single race with nine participants and a small audience. The founder is generally considered to be Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the "Jackpine Gypsies" that same year.
The focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts. In 1961, the rally was expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races. This could include half-mile track racing (the first year in Sturgis, there were 19 participants), intentional board wall crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with automobiles.
The Sturgis Rally has been held every year, with exceptions during World War II. For instance, in 1942, the event was not held due to gasoline rationing.

This is a very small town not far from Rapid City. It’s population is about  6,600 at the 2010 census. During the 1st week of August this little tiny town swells to a massive 200,000 people. When we were there I was thinking to myself, where the bloody hell do they all stay !! Amazing.

Below are some Pictures that I took while we were there.

A welcome sign we flew past. Just got it actually.

Just a few bikes when we were there.

So many  tourist souvenirs in here, I settled on a 2011 Sturgis Flag to send back to my sister for her bar. I will send it soon fang..”One Day”

OK..I have now seen Sturgis, I have no desire to ever return as I am not your classic biker chick. But I have to admit, it was interesting to see this place, I am still scratching my head trying to work out where all those people sleep, or do they sleep.

The town of Sturgis, South Dakota is named for Samuel D. Sturgis. A sculpture of him mounted on horseback is located at the eastern entrance of the town on South Dakota Highway 34 and 79.

I MISSED THE STATUE, DAM IT !!!

Dances With Wolves

 

On the way back from Called into Fort Hayes, film Set of Dances With Wolves. I couldn't see Kevin SO i set  my sights on the next best thing.

 

Five miles south of Rapid City on Highway 16 is the Fort Hays set where Costner’s Lt. Dunbar gets his orders to travel to distant Fort Sedgwick. The three main buildings—including the major’s quarters, the blacksmith shop, and the supply building—were relocated a short distance away from the original site and now house a gift shop, museum, and chuckwagon breakfast and dinner.

 

Me standing in front of the building Kevin Costner got his orders from

Dann checking out some of the memorabilia

 

Me playing dead in one of the wooden coffins.

Dann havin a go as well.

Had a great time today trying to catch up with Kevin Costner and his Wolves. I asked the lady behind the counter do they have the actual wolf still some where ?Stuffed maybe?  No one knows where it is.

Touring The Blackhills Of South Dakota

 

We woke up this morning and decided it was a beautiful day to do some sight seeing. We fuelled up and headed of out into the Blackhills that surround Rapid City. There a lot of little towns to visit on this round trip. One of the little towns I wanted to visit was Deadwood. I had heard that Kevin Costner owned a casino and there was a bit of memorabilia from his Block Buster Movie “Dances With Wolves” in there. I so wanted to go and see that.

Postcard Material.

A old Picture I found of Deadwood.

Deadwood is like a mini Las Vegas, it has Casinos on every corner and in and around any available space they can find. Even pokey machines in Laundry mats etc..I am sure if I had have gone into a public toilet I would have found one in there to. We couldn't find a parking spot any where so I could go see Kevin.Not a single one within cooee.

Deadwood is also the final resting place for James Butler Hickok – Wild Bill Hickok  and Martha Jane Cannary Burke – Calamity Jane. We went to the cemetery see there final resting place.

Entrance to the Cemetery

Me

Dann

Me next to Wild Bill Hickok’s Grave

Calamity Jane is buried right next to Wild Bill.

 

A little history on these two.

The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the last great gold rushes in the country. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills. That’s where they came across a gulch full of dead trees and a creek full of gold…and Deadwood was born.
Practically overnight, the tiny gold camp boomed into a town that played by its own rules that attracted outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers along with the gold seekers. Wild Bill Hickok was one of those men who came looking for fortune. But just a few short weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights – forever after known as the Dead Man’s Hand.

Calamity Jane also made a name for herself in these parts and is buried next to Hickok in Mount Moriah Cemetery.Deadwood has survived three major fires and numerous economic hardships, pushing it to the verge of becoming another Old West ghost town. But in 1989 limited-wage gambling was legalized and Deadwood was reborn.

A great visit to a beautiful place was over for us, time to move on

Calamity Jane standing in from of Wild Bills Grave.