November 18, 2013
Murdo, SD
133,515.5 ( 196 miles)
[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6nnNTOcvTbc/UorGP9fJ58I/AAAAAAAAD8w/NPA8Rt-UiZ4/s144-c-o/1118130751a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947784235401734082″ caption=”The town closes up shop and goes home in October. I’m glad one of them left me an outlet to borrow for the chilly night” type=”image” alt=”1118130751a.jpg” pe2_img_align=”right” ] What a day! It began quite early as I woke up at 5:30am very cold. Well not me so much as the air outside of my multiple layers of blankets. I would have bet my water had frozen up, but it didn’t. Looking at the temperature it showed it was 16 degrees out. 16 degrees! What am I doing?! Lexie is probably wondering the same thing though she can take the cold a bit more than I can. I turned on the propane heater and laid back down. (note to those wondering: I use a Catalytic Propane Heater along with a C/O Detector and Smoke Detector and the bus has plenty of fresh air coming in. More than I’d like to have, but even still, I will not use it unless I really need to and I needed to)
We woke back up at 7:30am. Keystone was still as quiet as it was the night before. I fed Lexie and walked her and then packed up as I was going to eat breakfast and use the washrooms up on Mt. Rushmore today since my free spot did not feature any. Right before I pulled out, my friend Ron showed up and offered me some coffee. After a quick chat we parted ways, but not before he offered me some route ideas for today.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0YjyTb6ZNrE/UorG3S_QcJI/AAAAAAAAD8w/0IUyjK84_BI/s144-c-o/1118130902a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947784911188422802″ caption=”Who might that be up on those hills?” type=”image” alt=”1118130902a.jpg” pe2_img_align=”right” ] The ride up to Mt. Rushmore was a short one, we were literally camped at the foot of it. I stopped for a photo op and then as I went to take off, two deer jumped over the wall from the cliff to my right. I stopped as there are always more and sure enough, over comes another. They had just scaled this steep cliff. Glad it wasn’t a busy traffic day, but I was sure hoping to see Big Horn Sheep rather than deer.
Unlike a few of the other parks, this one does not even allow you to carry a dog around so Lexie was not happy, but she kept Sandy company while I went up to see the monument. As planned, I washed up and grabbed breakfast before returning to Sandy. On my walk back, I saw the carving showing Vermont as the 14th State. When I got back to Sandy and Lexie, a car with Vermont plates was just parking next to us. I spoke to the girl who was also from Southern VT and coming down from Alaska on her way to Colorado via North Dakota which is where we are headed. While I have met a number of Vermonters on this trip, she was the first one that had a Vermont car too.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jWG5k5s08YI/UorKQmbWDTI/AAAAAAAAD8w/h_adCCwWiG8/s144-c-o/1118131100.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947788644438117682″ caption=”Lexie and Sandy posing with Chief Crazy Horse” type=”image” alt=”1118131100.jpg” pe2_gal_align=”right” pe2_img_align=”right” ] We got back on the road and had to make a few more photo stops as the granite rocks were spectacular. Then off we went to see Chief Crazy Horse which was my desired destination more so than Mt. Rushmore. Upon pulling up to the gate the guard immediate told me that Lexie was welcomed to come in with me just so long as I carried her in the buildings and kept a leash on her if I waked her outside. What a stark contrast from where I just had been. This also made me feel better as I could now spend all the time I wanted right here.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l3CdCc7deKM/UorNySwD7DI/AAAAAAAAD8w/ulqsIUayZa0/s144-c-o/1118131154.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947792521806736434″ caption=”Lexie and I with Chief Crazy Horse” type=”image” alt=”1118131154.jpg” ] It was immediately apparent that this Monument or rather Memorial to the Native American people was a much large scale than Mt. Rushmore. Lexie and I took the tour to the base of the mountain and spent quite a bit of time going through the museum, old house and gift shop. I will try to avoid getting into Politics here, but I will ask that you read about Chief Crazy Horse and the Memorial and what they are doing there. Click Here for more information on the Memorial and Click Here to read more about Chief Crazy Horse.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uEMAK-clbO4/UorSYD2TALI/AAAAAAAAD8w/n6kd6TLnxR4/s144-c-o/1118131311a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947797568687898802″ caption=”had to get some wine from here!” type=”image” alt=”1118131311a.jpg” ] Leaving the Chief Crazy Horse Memorial I headed up through Hill City. I found Hill City to be a much nicer town than Deadwood. I think this is what Deadwood use to be before it got too famous. On the outskirts of town I came upon a winery I just had to stop at. I’d been seeing signs for the Naked Winery for the last two days so I swung in and picked up a couple of interesting bottles for my return on Thanksgiving.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-D4Z5cDZKR0w/UorZ-lfHAwI/AAAAAAAAD8w/xBwmMcRI3HM/s144-c-o/1118131509a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947805927133872898″ caption=”Came across this small town centered abound this church. Town is called Interior, SD” type=”image” alt=”1118131509a.jpg” pe2_img_align=”right” ]We then turned East and made tracks for the Badlands via Rt 44 rather than I-90. It was a nice ride and then I came upon the Badlands and I knew immediately whey they call it Badlands. The wind has carved out plateaus and mountains from the sandy soil. Its barren. Real Barren! The road was desolate as well and I could stop frequently to take pictures without having to pull off. We were simply the only ones out here, or so I thought. Shortly after one of my stops I began to pay more attention to the roads that seemed to just disappear to the right and left. Then I saw them. These roads that seemed to go no where actually went to homes or farms or both. They’d go back a mile or more off the highway and if the grade was right, I could just make out their roofs.
About 2 miles outside of the Badlands National Park I came upon a town called Interior, SD. Its a small poor farming town centered around a church with an old gas station with really old gas pumps. Even older than the kind I use to use at my first job. I pulled in and filled up Sandy as we were now down at under a 1/4 tank. We took a few photos and then headed to the park. After going through the gates you literally are IN the Badlands. Meaning, you are going through these wind carved mountains and plateaus. The views were spectacular and I could spend an entire day right there just taking pictures, but if I had to arrive at a specific time, just before sunset was perfect!
[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P0N69e52WFY/UorVRdo0FhI/AAAAAAAAD8w/VGOY2fOx-1I/s144-c-o/1118131518a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947800753886467602″ caption=”going through the Badlands” type=”image” alt=”1118131518a.jpg” pe2_img_align=”center” ]
We left Badlands and passed signs for the Minuteman Missile Silo in Newell, SD. Hard to imagine that the only place that ever launched a missile is now a National Park, but it is. Most of the Silos are defunct now and some of them have become homes. There is even a site marketing them. Click Here to check it out.
[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-COziLAiPRN0/UorYg2DMGcI/AAAAAAAAD8w/CHjJypotCvM/s144-c-o/1118131743.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay9#5947804316672465346″ caption=”I shot this as I got off the highway looking for a camp site” type=”image” alt=”1118131743.jpg” pe2_img_align=”right” ] Well we ran out of daylight and we didn’t make Sioux Falls, SD as I had hoped for so I began looking around for a campground and like yesterday, they are all closed up. Coming through one town I pulled into a gas station to let Lexie out and to feed here as it was past her dinner time now. I noticed an outlet on the exterior of the station so after taking care of Lexie I checked the outlet and there was power. I then headed into the station to ask the person if it would be OK to camp here. I overheard someone mention that the owner was outside at the pumps so I asked who he was and I went out to meet him. I made my request and was told he’d rather me not. I explained that the campgrounds were closed up and he reconsidered. We agreed on a fair price for the spot and use of electric and restroom and then he told me to help myself to a free cup of coffee. 😀
While its a bit louder than last nights spot by – oh, 100% – we are across the street from a Pilot Truck Stop, it is a level site and I can rest here. Tomorrow we make tracks for Fargo, ND to hook up with a new friend and fellow bus owner. Once we hit North Dakota, there will only be three states left on my lifetime goal of driving to the lower 48.
Lots of pictures from today…Enjoy!
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