July 21st - 27th - Hill City SD

July 21^st to 27^th – Hill City SD

Thurs – We had a very short drive but we hit the road reasonably early, exited I90 on the truck bypass just before Rapid City and pulled into Crooked Creek RV shortly before the check-in time of 11. Our site was vacant so a very nice guy escorted us to our site, waited while we unloaded the bike and capably backed us into our spot. We set up and immediately went grocery shopping. I don't know if I mentioned that we are joining 8 friends – Al & Linda, Bill & Linda, Bob & Claudia and Russ & Joanne – to ride motorcycles in the area and I am going to make dinners for the group. We had seen a WalMart on the drive here and hoped to get a bite of lunch before shopping but there wasn't a fast food outlet in the store or nearby. It took quite a while to get through my huge grocery list, check out, get back and put stuff away. We had bought General Tsao chicken for dinner but I suggested that since it was mid afternoon we might as well have a late lunch/early dinner before I started cooking (spaghetti sauce & desserts) & prepping food. Everyone else will be arriving tomorrow.

Fri – I continued with some food prep and Terry went into Hill City to the only grocery store and found flat iron steaks that we didn't find at WalMart. We were still missing a few food items so after lunch we went back to the grocery store. The rest of the group arrived with Bob & Claudia in their motorhome right beside us, Bill & Linda up on the hill near the entrance in a cabin and Al & Linda and Russ & Joanne on the opposite side in a motel that also belongs to the campground. The weather was perfect for sitting outside for drinks, catching up & laughing and Javanese Chicken was well received for dinner.

Sat - We had agreed on a departure time of 10 so we all had time for coffee and breakfast. The park does breakfast (biscuits & gravy, eggs or all you can eat pancakes) so some of the group took advantage of that and some of us had zucchini bread, etc at our place. Today Al took us into Custer State Park (paid entrance fee and had tags good for a week attached to the handle bars) and we paused to admire and take pictures of huge buffalo herds. It was quite warm already so the buffalo were mostly laying down or moseying around). We also stopped to watch the donkeys approach vehicles to ask for food. Then it was on to Mt. Rushmore which we had all visited previously but it is always impressive. We continued riding including Iron Mountain Road which is Terry's favorite. We stopped at Spokane Creek RV (we stayed there last year) to get Tee shirts and ended up having lunch as well. Luckily Al knows the area fairly well so we were happy to follow him where-ever he wanted to go. I took pictures & videos which we all enjoyed later. Dinner was flatiron steak which unfortunately took longer to BBQ than I expected so it was good that everyone was having a good time and didn't mind waiting. Actually, Al wasn't having a good time as his stomach was really bothering him and he didn't even eat dinner.

Sun – Again a 10:00 suggested leave time but we were ready a little earlier. We went past Deadwood & through Lead on the way to Spearfish Canyon which is very scenic. There were lots of cars & bikes so we didn't stop anywhere in the canyon. We arrived at a pizza buffet place in Sturgis for lunch and then drove into town so we could stop, walk & shop. The weather was very hot so Terry hit the pool when we returned to the park and the rest of us relaxed in the shade and some even napped for a while first. Had planned a different dinner but there was lots of steak leftover so we stopped at a grocery store in Custer for a few ingredients and I made Beef Stroganoff.

Mon - We planned to attend a concert with “Brule” this evening so Al organized a shorter route which included the Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road again, a visit to a stockade and a stop in Custer so we could take pictures of painted buffalo statues scattered around town. While in Custer we had a light lunch at DQ as we were going have an early dinner before the concert. Change in plans! While we were enjoying our pre-dinner drinks, it started to rain and hail which made the outdoor concert a no-go. Terry set up the table in the “garage” and we were able to seat all 10 of us inside for spaghetti dinner. The Ninja Warrior show was on TV so we all enjoyed it during and after dinner.

Tues – Bill & Linda left early this morning so the group was down to 8. There were a couple of roads that we missed so Bob led the ride today. We rode Needles Highway in the opposite direction which is really great as you see totally different vistas. We stopped at the top to take pictures including the Needle Eye which is a slot in a huge, tall rock formation. We rode Playhouse road and then planned to go to Mystic for lunch. Unfortunately we were following a slow farm tractor and took a turn in the road instead of going straight. Al finally realized we were on the wrong road and caught up to Bob. I suggested that we go back to the park and have burgers for lunch since that was the planned dinner replaced by the stroganoff. Everyone was agreeable (dark clouds forming!) so we turned around and headed back. Made a quick stop in Hill City on the way to look for a phone purse for Linda. The dark clouds dumped a little rain before we had lunch and then let up. Bob & Claudia went to Hill City to shop a bit and ended up getting quite wet on the way back as the rain returned. I had pork roasts in the crock pot for dinner which we ate inside again. We had planned go to the “Brule” concert tonight but knew that wasn't going to happen as we saw weather forecasts for huge hail. Everyone left a little earlier as we all hitting the road tomorrow.

Wed - We found out this morning that Custer (about 10 miles away) got hit with the forecast hail last night but we didn't have any. Everyone showed up for coffee, etc this morning and we all hugged farewell (don't do goodbyes!). We had to pull out to load the bike and then headed east on I90. We were a few miles from Wall when we heard a huge bang and the truck slowed way down. Terry recognized the sound & symptom from a couple of years ago in Mesquite NV. A hose that a diesel repair guy had fixed with a huge clamp had popped loose again. It has to do with compression and the engine will continue to run at 18% so we limped to an exit. Unfortunately we were on a long uphill so we wondered if we could make it. Terry remembered a big service station where we could turn around and park. Terry was able to put the clamp back on and we headed out only to have it blow again a short ways down the highway. This time Terry repaired it on the side of the freeway and put it on slightly differently which made the difference as we had no more problems and pulled into Grand Falls casino RV park just out of Sioux Falls IA about 5. We had to go into the casino to register for an RV site and spent a few dollars.

July 13th to 20th - ND, Minnesota, Iowa, SD

July 13^th - 20^th – ND, Minnesota, Iowa, SD

Wed – The weather was clear and mud mostly dried up so we didn't leave big ruts when we pulled out this morning. Not too early as we were only going to Bismark. We talked to Bob & Peggy Paul (VVVers) and they came to visit with us for a couple of hours before leaving for a week of camping & boating. Quiet evening.

Thurs – We wandered around a huge Menards store before meeting Jerry & Phyllis for an early lunch at Perkins. We talked way more than we ate so it took a while! Then another quiet afternoon & evening.

Fri – On the move again to Minnesota. The drive was fairly uneventful – just lots of construction near “the cities” but we were going against the traffic most of the time so not too slow. A little nerve wracking when there were only 2 lanes rather than the usual 4 or 5 and the lane we were in was normally the shoulder or breakdown lane. Dennis & Gloria were busy Saturday night so we decided to stay for a couple of nights at Dakota Meadows RV which happens to be right next door to Mystic Lake Casino. After setting up in a lovely long pull-through, we took the bike to the casino and spent quite a bit of time there. Home for dinner, TV & games.

Sat – It was way past time for a haircut for me so we got some info from the RV park personel and immediately forgot where we were supposed to go! We were looking for Great Clips and found Fantastic Sam so I put my name on the list and we went across the street to Subway for lunch. Then I proceeded to get the WORST haircut ever!! Once she clipped up the back and then continued on one side I knew I was in trouble. And did she listen to my instructions for the length on the top & bangs? Hell no!! I'm going to look a little odd wearing my motorcycle helmet in the grocery store! Terry went back to the casino when we returned while I pouted & hibernated! We both returned to the casino later with no better luck than other visits lately. We loaded the bike when we got back as rain was forecast.

Sun – We had a HUGE lightning & rain storm last night. It rained most of the night but had cleared up by morning so we had an easy drive to Woodbury and the RV park where we stayed last year. It was easier to get to this year as there was no road construction. We called Dennis & Gloria after we got all set up and asked if we should go to their place. Gloria said she wanted to see our rig with the back deck set up so they came to see us. We were in another long pull through with big trees for shade so we had a great time sitting on the deck having a drink. Then we followed them back to their new town home where Gloria made dinner. We had a lovely evening with Terry having more “fun” than me so Dennis led us back to the RV park with me driving the bike!

Mon – We did some grocery shopping this morning and then ran around trying to find a Verizon store that had moved. We had to get a holster for Terry's phone as he broke the old one on a doorknob. Finally found the new location and then got back and put things away. We met Dennis & Gloria for lunch at Applebee's and wandered through a big furniture store afterward before following them back to their place. Gloria couldn't find all their games so we settled for a few games of Yahtzee. Then it was time to move outside with a drink before dinner which Gloria cooked! Lovely day.

Tues – We got a fairly early start and immediately ran into a big backup on 94. When we saw it we first crossed 94 but then I couldn't figure out quickly how to get onto 494 so we bit the bullet and joined the crowd on 94. Turned out to be an accident involving a couple of semis and lots of Hazmat vehicles so it took us at least 30 minutes to go a few miles. But then it was clear sailing all the way south to 90 and then west. We decided to stay at another casino in Iowa just across the border from Sioux Falls SD. It happens that our friends Clem & Marlene live in Madison SD so we called and they could meet us for dinner at the casino. Actually they came earlier, saw our new rig, had a drink and we caught up on each other's news before going to the casino. We all entered a free slot tournament (no winners in our group), played slots for a while and then hit the buffet when it opened at 4:30. Hugs goodbye after another great visit with good friends.

Wed – We walked to the casino for an inexpensive breakfast buffet before heading out of Iowa and back onto 90 to continue west. Very hot (OK maybe not by AZ standards but hit 104) so happy to be in the truck with AC turned up. Lots of construction which you can tell is needed by the bumpy current lanes. Three fuel stops (head winds affected diesel consumption and we weren't sure where the next service station with easy in/out was located) and a stop at a DQ. We checked out one RV park and immediately left and ended up in Wall at a so-so park but a pull-through with 50 amps to run the ACs. Luckily I had leftovers that needed to be consummed for dinner so a lazy evening for both of us.

July 10th to 12th - North Dakota

July 10th-12^th – North Dakota

Sun - Not a long drive today so we didn't have to leave at the crack of dawn. Backtracked into Williston and then turned south to Medora. Checked into Red Trail RV and finally got parked where we had to park the truck across the way as there was a big mud hole beside the rig – lots of rain yesterday. Terry was concerned that if a big rig parked beside us we would have a tough time getting out but the park is full so we'll have to figure it out in a couple of days. The weather was still ugly so we took the truck to town to fuel up and to get tickets for the musical and pitch fork fondue on Tues. After we got back and had dinner we had a huge wind & rainstorm.

Mon – Rained last night but clear and breezy this morning so after toast & coffee we took the bike into town and shopped – or at least wandered through a lot of stores. One street was blocked so a tree that was damaged yesterday could be removed and there was lots of mostly dried mud in the streets and even up on some sidewalks. We ended up at the Cowboy Cafe for lunch and were surprised when a familiar looking lady came up to our table and asked if we remembered her. It was Lynette's mom Delores! (Lynette lives at VVV and we met her mom there) We continued touring the area including a drive to the golf course as someone in Polson said we should try to play but the wind had picked up and we both hate playing golf in the wind. Would have been great for me as 3 holes were unplayable because of the storm and I have always said that 13 or 14 holes would be perfect. Another quiet evening with the wind whipping the trees.

Tues – I wanted to go to the Cowboy Cafe for a caramel roll but forgot about it until later in the morning. Still very windy so we kind of hibernated. Terry ran one errand on the bike and obviously I worked on the blog. A couple came into the park with a tiny trailer behind a trike so Terry went to talk to them. He came back with another guy who wanted to see our rig while the couple on the bike where heading out to get tickets for the pitchfork fondue & the musical as they were going to ride there with us.

We just got back from dinner & the show. For anyone who doesn't know, the pitchfork fondue is a buffet dinner where the steaks are put on pitchforks and cooked in barrels of hot oil. The musical is outside in an amphitheater with a backdrop of hills rising behind the stage. The food and the show were great. We even saw a couple – Jerry & Phyllis Hager – who stay in VVV for the winter! Terry recognized Jerry as they took their seats about 6 rows ahead of us and then Phyllis spotted us when she went to get popcorn.

July 6th to 9th- MT to North Dakota

July 6^th- 9^th – Montana to North Dakota

Wed – We had a huge rainstorm this morning. I even posted a video of the river in the middle of the street and happened to catch a flash of lightning. So we kind of hibernated. I caught up the blog and made another batch of rice krispy squares to use up the rest of the huge box of cereal. Happy hour was indoors as it was still very cool. Many people do not like the noise from many conversations (echoes) in the activity room so there were only a few people there. Brad & Jay came for a tour of our rig when we left early. Quiet evening.

Thurs – On the road again! We had to wait for Mike to get out of the shower to say goodbye to him & Brenda and Howard & Karleen. Terry said we would be leaving about 9:30 but of course we weren't that late. We stopped at a casino in Browning MT for lunch (sandwiches were great!), a new casino card, some free play and some donating! We stopped in Havre where we experienced different pull-though sites. They were long spots along both sides of a median which contained the utilities. Of course you parked with your door next to the median so this meant you pulled your power cord & water hose under the rig to hook up. Looked like they saved one side for people staying one night and filled it up from the “front” (exit end) so the next rig could pull in behind. Luckily a smaller rig was behind us as we kind of slopped over into that site. The lady checking us in suggested Uncle Joe's for dinner as it was my birthday. We had the Chateaubriand for 2 and it was an amazing meal. Good salad, garlic mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked broccoli, sauteed mushrooms on top of the meat, a super Bearnaise sauce, a small loaf of bread for each since we wanted different types – AND we arrived just in time for happy hour and got 2 drinks for the price of one!

Fri – Pretty uneventful drive with not many turns on the road as we continued east on Hwy 2. We were ready for lunch and couldn't believe a McDonalds with empty curb parking in front long enough for us. We fueled up more often than usual as we didn't want to run too low not knowing what was available down the road. We checked into Lewis & Clark State Park 18 miles east of Williston and were pleasantly surprised by the size and amenities. We are in a full hook-up loop which has all pull-through sites which make a little loop off the main road. Not many neighbors when we parked but more came in later.

Sat – It rained a lot last night but nice this morning. We had a lazy morning with computer games, email, facebook and eventually breakfast. We unloaded the bike and rode all around the huge park. It is on Sakakawea Lake which is a huge bulge in the Missouri River. People were swimming and I thought the water would be cold but I walked in a bit and figured that I could actually swim if I was hot enough to need to cool off. I walked up a path to a little lookout area while Terry waited below. We drove around all the areas of the park and were constantly amazed by how well kept everything is and how many amenities are available – group camping sites, a couple of cabins, walking trails, kiddie playground and an area with horseshoes, volleyball court & shelters with picnic tables. We stopped at the registration/store to see if something appealed to a sweet tooth but came back and sat on our deck to eat a fudgesicle. Decided to finish this post while dinner is cooking as I doubt that anything exciting will happen to add later!

July 2nd - 5th - Montana

July 2^nd to 5^th – Montana

Sat – We got an early start for a bike ride to Glacier National Park which is a couple of hours from here. It was a beautiful day! We went up the west side of Flathead Lake and had only a short line to get through the park entrance. A lovely drive through trees and beside a lake took us to Going to the Sun Road. We have been on the narrow, windy, “side of the mountains” road a few times in the past but it was SO much more enjoyable on the motorcycle. I could take pictures like crazy and not be afraid of being too close to the edge or other cars. The parking lot at the top was full but they had designated motorcycle parking spots so we stretched our legs a bit and then headed back down.

We were starving (2:00) and Terry suggested we stop at a lodge in the park but I figured it would be expensive and crowded. Just a short ways out of the park (Colem) we saw a restaurant sign and stopped. We hesitated momentarily when we saw that the place was in a service station but the food ended up being great. We rode back down the east side of the lake for a total loop of 220 miles and were back in time for happy hour on the lawn.

Sun – We took a little road trip today – to Missoula to see Joe & Stella and their grandson Jayden. They are on a camping trip and when we saw that they were in Missoula for 3 days we figured we would join them for lunch. We visited for a bit when we arrived and then went to Cracker Barrel to eat. When we got back, Terry took Jayden on a ride around the park on the motorcycle which really made his day. Once again, we were back in time for happy hour.

Mon – We enjoyed a lazy morning and I made 2 batches of rice krispy squares for later. We rode to Subway for lunch and then Terry decided to check out the rest of town. A parade had just ended and it took us quite a while to get through traffic to get back but the weather was gorgeous so it didn't matter. The park has a big party for the 4^th. People volunteered to set up tables & chairs under the big pavilion, set up serving tables including kiddie swim pools filled with ice to keep salads cool and put up lots of decorations. We went over about 5 and found that Mike & Brenda had saved us chairs at their table. After the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem, table numbers were called and dinner was served. Then a band set up on a stage at the end of the pavilion, front tables were moved and it was dance time until 10. We had a short time to head down the entrance road for the fireworks show. Unfortunately there were some glitches but still some fine displays.

Tues – After morning coffee & games it was time to do laundry and Terry cleaned the bike. There are only 3 washers here and a couple of other people were doing laundry as well so it took quite a while. I made a late, light lunch when we got back and we did nothing constructive for the rest of the afternoon. Happy hour was a bit cooler but most people still searched for shade. BBQ steak for a yummy dinner

June 29th & 30th, July 1st

June 29^th & 30^th, July 1st - Montana

Wed – We met Dennis & Deb and Jim & Cathy for breakfast in Ronan this morning. There was way too much good food in each order. I ordered 2 pancakes, 2 eggs & bacon. I ate 1 pancake, 2 eggs and 3 of the 4 pieces of bacon. It gave me enough energy to update the blog when we got back! We rode to Bigfork again and this time found the touristy section of town that we missed previously. It took quite a while to check out all the shops on both sides of the street that was about 2 blocks long. One store had a full basement crammed with more stuff. We ended up at DQ again for a late, light lunch – OK, I only had a Blizzard! After coming back and paying for 5 more days it was time for happy hour. Then we moved on to Kate's place for drinks & food. She sold her 5^th wheel on a seasonal site so she had the new owners over to meet some people.

Thurs - We played a 9 hole golf course this morning with Mike & Brenda. Jim & Cathy and Howard & Karleen also played. We did a scramble format as this was Brenda's first golf game and Mike didn't want her to get discouraged right away. If she keeps at it she will be just fine. This was the first time anyone in our group had played the course so I will use that as an excuse not to have done better than 1 over! We all went to a bar & grill in Pablo for lunch which we had to digest playing computer games. Happy hour of course. We made the mistake yesterday of saying we would join a group for pizza for dinner tonight so we felt we had to go. A lady takes orders and phones them in to the pizza place so we don't have to wait so long. Unfortunately, they messed up our order so we had to wait for a second pizza to be baked. Since we had a big lunch we brought half of the pizza home.

Fri – I chose this morning to sit around in my PJs playing games and Mike came over about 9 to ask if we wanted to go to the farmers' market with them. I got ready in a hurry and we drove to town in their jeep. Brenda immediately lined up to buy sticky rolls which is the reason they go to the market! The line was long but Dixie was up ahead a ways so they got her to buy 2 rolls for us. We came back to eat them and even Terry agreed that ½ a roll is plenty. Terry took Dennis on the motorcycle to pick up Dennis' truck at the Chev dealer in Ronan since Dennis really wanted a ride on the bike. Leftover pizza for lunch. Happy hour today was margarita night. We have been telling some women that we will teach them a couple of line dances which we did today since there was music playing in the pavilion. Honky Tonk Stomp and Terry's version of the Electric Slide (box step instead of rock). The heat & margaritas prompted many people to swim and/or sit in the hot tub afterward. At 10:30 the owner of the park (Walter) had a fireworks show for Canada Day. It was very nice but apparently nothing like he puts on for the 4^th. He has a pyrotechnic license to do his own shows.